Vegan Feta – 12 days of Christmas recipes

This recipe takes time, so plan for it, it’s totally worth it though, and makes plenty. If you find it has made too much, it is ok to freeze, so portion it out and enjoy over time; just defrost thoroughly before use.

I love cheese. But it doesn’t love me. I haven’t eaten cheese for 7 years now, and I honestly don’t miss it. At first it was really difficult, I eat a mainly whole foods diet and shop bought cheese alternative are always filled with so many questionable ingredients (and lets face it a lot of them taste like feet). However discovering home made cheese alternative was a game changer.

This homemade feta is perfect for salads and antipasti boards, try using it in this christmassy Pomegranate, Clementine and Pecan salad.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup Raw Cashews (150g)
•  8 ounces Firm Tofu (226g)
•  1 ¼ cup Water (60ml)
•  5 Tbsp Lemon Juice
•  1 Tbsp White Vinegar
•  2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
•  2 ½ tsp Salt
•  1 tsp Garlic Powder
•  1 tsp Onion Powder
•  1 Tbsp Agar Agar Powder

Directions

• Soak the cashew in water for a minimum of 4 hour (overnight is best)
• Add the cashews, tofu, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, white vinegar, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder and onion powder to the blender and blend. It will be thick. Set aside. 
• Prepare pan with parchment paper.
• Add the remaining cup of water and a tablespoon of agar agar powder to a saucepan and bring to the boil stirring continually. When it starts to boil, let it simmer, while you continue to stir, for 1 minute. 
• Quickly, pour out the agar mix into the blender with the other ingredients pulse blend. Then pour into your prepared loaf pan. 
• Smooth it, then place into the fridge and leave it to set. 
• Once the cheese has set tip it out, and cut it into cubes.
• Now your vegan feta is ready to serve. 
• Keep it stored in the fridge and enjoy within about a week.

Notes

Cashews – these can be substituted for sunflower seeds, cheeper and with a lower carbon footprint.

Tofu – make sure its firm not silken, otherwise any tofu it fine. this will give it a higher protein

Lemon juice – fresh is better but from a bottle is fine

white vinegar. – can be substituted for apple cidre vinegar, but not stronger tasting vinegasr such as malt or balsamic

Nutritional yeast – this gives it the cheesy flavour. Nutritional yeast has some controversy in the whole foods community, so if you wish the leave this out go ahead. It will still have a beautiful flavour but not cheesy.

Salt – stick to a good quality salt such as sea salt or pink Himalayan salt

Garlic powder – Powder or granules both work well. If you decide to use fresh, mince it very finely, but the flavour will likely be more bitter from raw garlic

Onion powder – Again the same as the garlic, Garlic powder – Powder or granules both work well. If you decide to use fresh, mince it very finely, but the flavour will likely be more bitter from raw onion.

agar agar powder – Made from seaweed, agar is a gelatin substute and gives this feta its texture. I wouldnt recomend swapping it.

Recipe Card

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