Greek Salad

I don't usually like substitutes for meat, cream, or cheese. My dislike is partly the taste (often disappointing) and partly because they often contain chemicals which I try to avoid consuming. Even so, I keep trying them out to see if I find any that are really good. I like many of the Boca products and some of the sauces I have made with nutritional yeast.

I also try to keep the recipes here as healthy as possible, full of whole foods (unprocessed) as much as possible, and full of ingredients you will easily find at the grocery store. That would make tofu a pretty good possibility.

I have to say this is an amazing substitute for Feta cheese. Is the taste and texture the same as that fabulous sheep’s milk Feta we used to buy at Wegmans? No, of course not, and don’t be silly. But after a couple of years of vegan eating, it is a very satisfying and healthy alternative.

Thank you to How It All Vegan by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer for the basic ingredients.

Faux Feta

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 package extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except the tofu. Place the tofu cubes in a single layer in a glass or ceramic dish and marinate the tofu in the mixture for several hours.

Use in a Greek salad in cubes or crumbled. The salad can also contain romaine and other greens, chunks of tomatoes, pitted Kalamata olives, red onions, pepperoncini, sliced cucumbers, and whatever else you like. The salad in the photo happens to contain spinach for the greens because that is what I had in the refrigerator.

For a dressing, you can use plain lemon juice or a simple vinaigrette. I often use this one.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove, pressed
salt, pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar


Whisk together and pour over salads. Makes enough for 2 servings of salad.