Marinated Tofu Feta
I wish I could describe the aroma that awaits you when you open a jar of marinated tofu feta! With this easy to prepare recipe you can turn any mixed or green salad into a complete Mediterranean lunch. It can also serve as a flavorful, aromatic addition to your antipasti platter, an amazing topping on your pasta, and a great hostess gift to bring to a dinner party. On top of that, it looks absolutely gorgeous in a glass jar, and you will be amazed by how a few simple ingredients can transform an ordinary block of tofu into a delicacy.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450 g) super firm tofu (I used ‘Nasoya‘), pressed, patted dry, cut into 1/3 -1/2 inch (1 cm) cubes
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 oz (60 g) sun-dried tomatoes (from jar), sliced
- one 6.3 oz (180 g) jar mixed olives, drained (pitted or not, your choice)
- 2 bay leaves (or 1 for each jar)
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano (optional)
For the marinade:
- generous ½ cup (130 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ cups (360 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp paprika powder
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4½ tsp Celtic sea salt
Preparation:
In a medium-size bowl, gently blend tofu, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and bay leaves. Distribute the mixture evenly among glass jars with screw lids. Wide-mouth mason jars work just fine.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients until emulsified, then pour over the tofu mix into the jars. The tofu-feta-mix should be fairly covered with the marinade. If not, use a spoon to drown everything.
Screw on the lids, place the jars into your refrigerator, and now comes the difficult part: wait! It takes 3 days until the tofu is sufficiently marinated to resemble feta. Meanwhile, whenever you stare into the fridge admiring these beauties, give the jars a good shake, at least once a day.
If you sample it on day 1: nope!
If you try it on day 2: well, you get an idea…
But then, after 3 days……. it was so worth the wait!!!!
Store in the fridge, but serve and enjoy at room temperature! Because of the extra virgin olive oil it will thicken when chilled.
Notes:
- When the feta is all gone, which probably won’t take too long, use the remaining olive oil marinade in salads or drizzle over roasted veggies! So good!
- This tofu feta is perfect with pita, ciabatta, baguette, salad, and so much more!
- Absolutely wonderful in a Greek salad!
I bet this is delicious, Linda! One of the first things I usually head to the store for when I’m back in the US is some good quality olives. I can imagine how good feta style tofu must taste with them and your marinade.
Thank you so much, Jeff! I hope you get the chance to make this when you’re back. It’s definitely worth the 3-day wait!