Greek Salad with Vegan Feta Cheese
This is the BEST Greek salad recipe made with vegan feta cheese, roasted red peppers, fried capers and a homemade Greek salad dressing.
When we were in our twenties, we probably made Greek Salad every week at least. For me, Greek Salad was always about that interplay between the fresh vegetables and the saltiness of the feta and olives – so making it without cheese kind of lost its allure pretty fast…
The BEST Vegan Feta Cheese Recipe
I tried some good marinated tofu feta recipes, but then Erin Ireland posted the most amazing whipped tofu feta recipe from Virtuous Pie and my head nearly exploded. It’s. So. Darn. Good.
I changed up the recipe a bit because I like it a bit saltier and tangier than the original. Now, I’m ready to get serious about Greek Salad again.
I played with the texture of the salad by adding roasted red peppers (from a jar…I’m no hero!), omitting the red onions, and the tofu feta adds a whipped heavenly goodness straight from the food processor. Oh, and I added fried capers. Because…why wouldn’t you?
Greek Salad Dressing Recipe
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked pepper to taste
This would make a simple and delicious meal, or a lovely, easy side dish for entertaining – maybe even try pairing with these recipes to create a share plate:
- Crispy Asparagus Fries
- Roasted Brussels & Almond Parm
- Za’atar Spiced Roasted Almonds with Dates
- Roasted Tomato & Garlic Smashed Chickpea Tartines
Greek Salad with Vegan Feta Cheese
Ingredients
Whipped Tofu Feta
- 12 ounce firm tofu, not extra firm
- 1/2 cup refined coconut oil, not virgin, melted (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
Vegan Greek Salad
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium English cucumber, chopped, about 3 cups
- 1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, sliced into thin ribbons
- 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half
- 2 tablespoons capers, patted dry with a paper towel
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu feta. In a blender, crumble in the tofu, then add the coconut oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and onion powder. Blend, scraping down the blender as necessary, until it is silky smooth.
- Remove whipped feta and place in a resealable container and pop in the fridge until ready to assemble.
- In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, red peppers and olives and toss in the dressing. Set aside.
- In a small frying pan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium. Add one caper, when it starts to sizzle, the oil is ready. Add remaining capers and fry until they begin to 'bloom' and crisp up, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan to a paper towel to drain.
- To assemble, place a generous bed of whipped feta on the plate. Top with Greek Salad and a few fried capers, and serve.