Vegan Almond Feta
Vegan almond feta is a flavorful, baked alternative to traditional feta that can be sliced, spread, or crumbled. This vegan feta recipe is made with just a few simple ingredients and is every bit as versatile as “the original” – with pasta, on bread, in salads, or simply on its own. Unlike many vegan feta alternatives, this almond feta is first left to firm up in a cheesecloth after blending and then baked in the oven.
Even though there’s now a good selection of vegan feta available in stores, I’ve been making this one myself for years. Not because I have to, but because I genuinely like it. Besides almonds, all you need is lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, water, and salt – and a little patience.
So much for veganism being all about giving things up, pfff.
Vegan Cheese Maker
When I went vegan in 2013, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it at first. After all, I was practically addicted to dairy products and cheese. The first vegan alternatives were already available here in Austria, but unfortunately, I have to say: one was worse than the next.
Some were edible if you covered them with a ton of other stuff – on a pizza, for example – while others were simply disgusting. On top of that, back then you had to travel across Vienna to find them and then pay a small fortune.
By the way, if you’re curious why I decided to go vegan despite my love of dairy products and the rather miserable selection of alternatives available at the time, you can read more about it on my “About Me” page.
Because the selection was so terrible, I soon started making vegan cheese myself. And unfortunately, quite a few of my attempts ended up in the trash, too. Vegan Gouda, Parmesan, … – I’ve tried quite a few recipes over the years.
One recipe that passed my rather critical test is this vegan almond feta. Unlike many store-bought vegan feta alternatives, it isn’t made primarily from coconut oil and starch, but from almonds, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, water, and salt.
Or, Or, Or …
This almond feta is every bit as versatile as “the original.” You can slice it, spread it on bread, or crumble it over all kinds of dishes. Once baked, it’s firm but still a little softer than traditional feta.
I can’t imagine being without this recipe anymore – it’s sooo good!
Mine very often ends up on the breakfast table just as it is. And, really, at pretty much any other time of day too. I especially love crumbling it over pasta, for example my creamy avocado pesto pasta or this Mediterranean pasta salad with balsamic dressing. It’s also excellent with roasted vegetables.
Of course, vegan feta is also right at home in Greek cuisine. I’ve baked it into spanakopita (Greek spinach strudel) and served it with spanakorizo or fasolakia. It also makes a wonderful finishing touch on tzatziki.
And that’s nowhere near the end of the possibilities: pizza, salads like my watermelon cucumber feta salad, quiche, stuffed zucchini, sandwiches – or simply a piece of almond feta all on its own.
Or, or, or …
Thank You, Thank You!
I’d love to take the credit for this baked almond feta recipe, but that wouldn’t be fair. I discovered it many years ago on Debbie’s blog Maplespice – and it’s actually one of the very few recipes I’ve barely changed at all.
However, the recipe didn’t originate with her either. Debbie had found it on food.com, where the original source was listed as “Vegetarian Times.” So, who actually came up with this almond feta seems rather difficult to figure out today.
Whoever it was: thank you, thank you so much for this revelation!
And now I’m curious: Are you as in love with this vegan almond feta as I am? Let me know how you ate it and what you served it with!
Vegan Almond Feta: Baked Vegan Feta Made with Almonds
Useful equipment
- cheesecloth *)
- mini blender *)
Ingredients
Almond Feta
- 200 g blanched almonds
- 190 ml hot water
- 80 ml lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ tablespoon olive oil approx., for the baking dish
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1¾ teaspoons salt
Dill Oil (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- a few chili flakes dried, optional
Instructions
- Soak the almonds: Place the almonds in the blender, pour the hot water over them, and let them soak for about 15 minutes.
- Blend the almond mixture: Add the lemon juice, 4 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and salt. Blend with a powerful mini blender until the mixture is as smooth and creamy as possible.
- Prepare the cheesecloth: Line a sieve with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl or pot.
- Add the mixture: Spoon the almond mixture into the cheesecloth. Gather the sides of the cloth at the top and secure them with a rubber band or kitchen twine.
- Let it rest: Place the sieve and bowl in the refrigerator for about 12 hours or overnight. During this time, the previously creamy almond mixture will become noticeably firmer.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F convection.
- Prepare the almond feta: Spread about ½ tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of a baking dish. Remove the almond feta from the cheesecloth and carefully place it in the dish as a small loaf.
- Bake: Bake the almond feta for about 40 minutes, until the surface is lightly browned and begins to crack.
- Prepare the dill oil (optional): Briefly sauté the chopped dill with 2 tablespoons olive oil, finely chopped garlic, and chili flakes to taste, until the dill becomes slightly crispy. Spoon the dill oil over the baked almond feta before serving.
Notes
- Vary the herbs: Instead of dill, you can use other herbs such as oregano or rosemary. You can also leave out the herbs altogether or blend them directly into the almond mixture.
- Add tomatoes: Towards the end of the baking time, add a vine of cherry tomatoes to the baking dish – mmmh.
- Storage: Store the vegan almond feta in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Mine keeps perfectly well for up to a week.
- Nutrition: The nutritional information does not include the optional dill oil.
I just finished making the feta – heavenly! It’s going straight onto my favorite recipes list!
– Stefanie (comment, translated from the German version of this recipe)