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!