You know when you come across a recipe that you know is going to change your life? This one has mine. Seriously. I must first stress here that this is not my recipe, I got it from food dot com whilst on a search for vegan feta. The poster of the recipe states that it is actually from a 2009 edition of Vegetarian Times and was one of the 'editor's picks'. I was prepared to make a vegan feta with cubes of marinated tofu despite preferring to keep my soy levels low but am so glad I found this. The 13 raving reviews also sold me and I set about making it.
It is unbelievably good, full of flavour and remarkably like feta. While all the reviews raved about this cheese most felt it wasn't like feta. I have to disagree, it is almost spot on. I have a few recipes from back in the vegetarian days that need feta and I instantly started thinking about making them! Now normally I don't re-post recipes I make from elsewhere, I'll usually just provide a link back but I will re-post this one as I made a slight change which I'll explain below.
Don't be put off with making cheese, this is so, so easy (especially my way) and very versatile. It crumbles like feta but is also creamy enough in the centre to spread onto crusty bread, crackers, toasted bagels - whatever you like. Also, the original recipe drizzled a thyme and rosemary infused oil over top. While you don't have to do this step at all I chose a dill oil. I'm sure the other herbs is beautiful over this but I had some fresh dill and simply love the stuff, so dill it was! Fresh Greek oregano would be my second choice here, for a more authentic feta.
Edit: I wasn't kidding either! Here are a few fantastic recipes I've made so far with this cheese, this stuff is incredible!!
• Spanakopita (Seriously the best I've ever had!!)
• Jumbo Pasta Shells filled with Basil Almond Feta with Creamy Tomato Sauce
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Almond Feta
• Pizza with Almond Feta, Spinach, Black Olives and Spring Onion
• Buckwheat Crêpes filled with Almond Feta and Walnuts with a Tomato Cream Sauce
• Curried Carrot, Zucchini and Almond Feta Fritters
• Hickory Smoked Baked Almond Cheese
• Baby Spinach Salad with Sage Roasted Sweet Potato, Walnuts and Almond Feta
• Creamy Lemon Barley Salad with Asparagus and Peppered Almond Feta
• Simple Creamy Almond Feta, Tomato and Basil Pasta
I've even made a SWEET version with it!
~perfect for a 4th of July celebration~
♥
Now, on with the recipe!
Baked Almond Feta:
145g ground almonds (about 1 1/2 cups)
60ml lemon juice (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup water (4 fl oz)
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 tsp salt
Simply place everything there in a blender and blitz until super creamy and smooth. Mine took only a few minutes. Stop and scrape down if need be.
Now line a small bowl with 3 layers of cheesecloth:
Spoon the mixture into the cheesecloth:
Now bring all the sides of the cheesecloth together and tie into a ball, I just use a rubber band. Then place the ball in a strainer and place over a bowl:
Now just place it all in the fridge for about 12 hours. I have made this in the morning and baked it off in the evening or I just leave it overnight and bake it off the next day. After the 12 hours there will be a bit of liquid that has drained off:
If you are using the same dish, wash out the drained liquid and I like to give the dish a dusting of cooking spray to ensure it comes out easily:
Preheat the oven to 180C and unwrap the cheese from the cloth:
...and transfer to the greased baking dish or a lined baking sheet smooth side up:
Bake for about 40 minutes or until slightly golden and cracked on top and firm to the touch:
Now just leave to cool in the dish then it's ready to be transferred to a serving plate or used in a recipe! Enjoy!
♥
The herbed oil is entirely optional, I made it the first time I made this cheese but honestly haven't added the oil the hundreds of times I've since made this cheese. I find it doesn't need it as it's so good on it's own.
Dill Oil: (or whatever fresh herb you like)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
Heat the oil and dill together until just warmed, don't let it simmer. Remove from heat, pour into a small bowl and leave to cool.
When ready to serve, remove cheese from the fridge and drizzle over some of the oil. Serve with crusty french bread, crackers, toast triangles....and of course some wine ;-) I served some of it above with butter broiled french bread. You just take some slices of french bread, spread with vegan margarine and broil until golden, repeat with the other side.
♥
Calories: 490
Fat: 43.7g
Sat Fat: 4.5g
Protein: 12g
Fibre: 6g
Carbs: 14.6g
Sugar: 2.6g
Sodium: 1136mg
Source: Slightly altered recipe that originally appeared in a 2009 edition of the Vegetarian Times Magazine. Reposted on food.com.
Note: Some were asking in the comments how long this keeps for. I just ate some yesterday that I made 2 weeks ago and it was fine, so, at least 2 weeks!
♥
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wow!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh my god, that looks really really good. I need to make this now!
ReplyDeleteWow, I love the look of that! Do you know how long it keeps for?
ReplyDeletecan't wait to try this
ReplyDeleteThanks all! Unfortunately I'm not sure how long it would keep, the original recipe didn't say either - it's so good honestly not long! I made it this morning and there's only about 1/8th left :-D
ReplyDeleteThis sounds super fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteWow, it sounds Soooo good!
ReplyDeleteI mite just have to make this :)
Rose
I say again. OMG.
ReplyDeleteWowsers.
I made it last night, baked it this morning, and finally tasted it this evening. It is LUSH! I only used one layer of a 'butter' cloth as it didn't have large holes, and there was a little liquid in the bowl in the morning, which I think was mainly lemon juice. I think that the lemon juice draining off resulted in a slight loss of flavour from when I tasted it raw compared to after the liquid had drained off and it had been baked. I'll probably use two layers next time. I can't wait to make your Spanikopta. Loving the blog - well done x
ReplyDeleteThanks Heidi! So glad you made it and liked it :-) I'm meant to say that when I made it a second time I too had a bit of liquid in the bowl after it set in the fridge. I had nothing the first time and the only thing different was a new brand of cheesecloth. So, I guess they are all different. Mine tasted the same as the first time though, but it probably is the lemon juice coming out.
ReplyDeleteHope you like the spanakopita - I'm a little bit addicted to it right now!
I made this at the weekend. Very easy to make, i did get some liquid draining over the 12 hours but not much. It was lovely... had the saltyness of feta, i would try less garlic next time. Had this with roast beetroot, olives, walnuts salad. Then used as a spread on crusty bread. I have missed cheese and found the fake cheese unpleasant so this is fabulous. I will be making it again as i now want to try the two recipes you have used it with so far. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI still really liked it, just thought it lost some of its piquant-ness, don't know whether it was after draining or cooking, but I suspect it got mellower during the cooking. I'll be making this again and again, yum!
ReplyDeleteweeeee yaaaaaa!!! Made the 'cheese' 2 nights ago with the leftovers from making many many rounds of almond and cashew milk! What a perfect thing to do with all those stored up ground nuts in my freezer. I have been gorging on cheeze and crackers ever since. Thank you for that one, I will be going to this recipe for years to come! WOW WOW WOW
ReplyDelete:-D Thanks for the comments, so glad you all like it. It's great it's so versatile too - add more or less garlic, lemon etc... next time I'm going to add fresh herbs to the mixture before baking for flavoured cheese. Knowing me probably dill! ;-)but anything would go.
ReplyDeleteThis is brilliant! I've heard of "raw nut cheese" but always wondered how it was made. I've been wanting/needing to get off dairy but the occasional cheese (and yogourt) are what keep making me fall off the wagon. I'm going to hunt down the cheesecloth so I can make this asap! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the inspiration! I just made mine and I am in heaven!
ReplyDeletewell im not a vegetarian or vegan but i came across this recipe while looking for a spanikopita recie.i made it but with walnuts because thats all i had and used a coffee filter since i had no cheese cloth. i served it last night at a dinner party at my house and everyone loved it. next time i will make it with almonds but it was delish with walnuts too. i think it could be nice with other types of nuts as well- maybe you could get some other flavors of 'cheese' if you experiment...
ReplyDeletethanks for the recipe
Walnuts sound yum! I keep thinking cashews would work well too as they are often used in nut cheeses. Brilliant idea with the coffee filter too - love it! Many thanks for your comment and glad you liked it :-)
ReplyDeletemine is wrapped up in the fridge ...waiting for dinner tomorrow! :D yay! It looks like your cheese was really smooth ...almost looks like dough in the pics. Mine has flecks of almond in there ...I was able to grind the nuts to a powder but it isn't completely smooth. anyways, I'm REALLY looking forward to this!! I tried the "batter" and mine was a bit on the strong side (my garlic cloves were a bit large ...hehe, I love garlic!) which goes with my sour/salty palette. So glad you posted this!
ReplyDeleteCool, I'm sure you'll love it! I always use garlic cloves on the large side too, love it ;-) The taste will be a bit more subtle when it bakes as well so it's good to be on the strong side when raw.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy! (I'm actually having some right now with some wine!)
So a quick update - I made the feta with shells and it was amazing! I've even had a few ppl ask me for the recipe so the word is spreading! I'll probably be making it again today to keep around as a spread. sooooooo delicious!!
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks for letting me know :-)
ReplyDeleteI made this cheese when I saw it (from a different blog) on pinterest a few weeks ago. I loved it! Glad to find you used it in several recipes, can't wait to try! Today I used leftover pulp from making almond milk to make this almond feta. A slightly different texture, but still good!
ReplyDeleteThat's a wonderful idea! I always feel so guilty throwing out all that pulp! Did you have to add more water or anything?
DeleteThanks so much for the comment, glad you liked it, hope you like the other recipes too....the spanakopita my personal favourite ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo I had to try this before I commented, I have made it twice so far and both where supper yummy. I mixed in some Bruschetta spice mix I had the first time so I could have like a baked Brie. The second time I just added some basil and mixed it with spinach after baking to stuff some Cannelloni, boy where they yummy. Everyone that eats dairy regularly really liked it and said it was a keep recipe. I can't what to try it on a pizza next.
ReplyDeleteHi! Glad you liked it :-) I too loved it mixed with basil and stuffed into jumbo shells, so good!
ReplyDelete...and it's GREAT on pizza! ;-)
http://www.maplespice.com/2011/06/pizza-with-almond-feta-spinach-black.html
I cannot tell you how excited I am to have found this recipe - since becoming a vegan over 1 1/2 years ago the very one thing i miss is feta - you make it look so easy, I can't wait to try this recipe out- THANK YOU plus a big HUG :-)
ReplyDeleteaww, cool! Hope it reminds you of it, I found it very accurate in recipes calling for feta and is pretty easy to whip up!
ReplyDeleteDid you have to peel or soak the almonds?
ReplyDeleteI used already ground almonds. If you want to make this using whole almonds then they should be blanched and require soaking as indicated in the original recipe I've linked to in the post.
ReplyDeleteThank you Debbie. I'm embarrassed I asked about the almonds. I read your article more thoroughly right after I posted my question.
ReplyDeleteI bought some almonds at the farmer's market this afternoon. I can't wait to try it
:-)
ReplyDeleteNo worries! Hope you like it!!
♥
I found your blog post the other day, and I just got my first one out of the oven. I agree, it's super-easy. I posted a photo on my Facebook profile, it's here: http://bit.ly/almondfetaphoto I don't yet know how it will taste, but it certainly smells and looks delicious! Thanks so much for posting this, exactly what I was looking for.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic!! It really is so easy, hope you like it too :-)
ReplyDeleteSharing this one on Pinterest, it looks like a great idea. Is the almond meal you used blanched almond meal, or ground from whole almonds? I've seen both kinds for sale, just wondered which one would work. I'm imagining the blanched almond meal, but just checking.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I believe mine was blanched almond meal, it didn't specify but it was all white so I'm just assuming. I didn't realize there were both types out there so thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteI know others have made this the longer way soaking and blitzing whole almonds and have used un-blanched and still loved it so I'm not sure it matters too much :-) Hope you like it!
Mine was darker and flecked - do you think that's because I used whole almonds? Or because I used a food processor instead of a blender?
DeleteHi Johanna! If you used the brown unskinned almonds then yes, hope it didn't affect the taste too much though. The blender would usually produce a smoother end product texture wise. I tend to find this recipe can happily take substitutions and variations :-)
DeleteWhat a doofus! I totally missed the celsius in the recipe and had my oven on 180 fahrenheit. Its been 40 minutes and the cheese is just as white as it started! Hilarious. 40 more minutes on 350F should do the trick. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDelete:-D oh dear!! It might be extra crumbly then, hope it all worked out :-)
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has made this several times and it is gorgeous. Problem I have is I am intolerant to citrus. I just wondered if anyone has any suggestions to what I could substitute in place of the lemon? I can tolerate it occasionally, but if I make some i know I will want to eat it all lol
ReplyDeleteI wonder if cider vinegar or wine vinegar might work? I'm assuming it needs to be acidic.
DeleteHi Denise!
ReplyDeleteI did make a variation on this with my Hickory Smoked Baked Almond Cheese and it's essentially the same recipe without the lemon juice.
http://www.maplespice.com/2011/08/hickory-smoked-baked-almond-cheese.html
You don't have to make that flavour but it proves the cheese can be made without the lemon juice. I would just try the original version but replacing the lemon juice with more water, or if you can have vinegar maybe a small amount of apple cider vinegar (not 1/4 cup!) maybe like 1 tablespoon to add the acidic element.
The hickory smoked one turned out great but was a little softer in texture than this one which may have been down to it having no acid added.
Hope you find a version you like, I may just experiment myself without the lemon juice!
Oops, didn't realise you'd already replied in a separate post Debbie! Good to know it works without the lemon too.
DeleteHi Debbie Thanks for your comments, I was just going to experiment, but it is always nice to get other ideas :) Thanks you for yours. I will try both all :D
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on this blog, it's so full of creativity and the photos are light and fresh :) It's lovely and refreshing for the lazy vegan that I am.
Anyways, I tried this recipe, left it in the fridge overnight and baked it this morning/lunch. There was NO liquid at all in the bowl when I took it out so I had my doubts it would work (I couldn't find a cheese cloth so I used an old clean scarf that looked almost like mousseline, that might have something to do with it...). I baked it a little under the temperature you gave for a little longer, thinking it might dry it out.
It is SO nice... It's delicious and tastes way more creamy and savoury than I gave it credit for. Thank you so much for sharing this, I think it will become a usual dish now :) I added a tiny bit of alpro soya cream when I made it, and a bit of dry rosemary too. I think next time I might add a bit of fresh thyme before or after cooking it, a little more garlic (that's my french side speaking, never enough garlic...) and rosemary too, and maybe try some other type of nuts mixed with the almond.
Thank's for sharing and showing so much energy, with a bit of luck you'll help me get out of this 'tea and vegan butter on toast' diet soon...!
Fang
(www.theblueteapot.com)
So glad you liked it fang! I love that people are getting so creative in replacing the cheesecloth!!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why but sometimes I get liquid draining off, and sometimes not. It never seems to affect the end result though. I *think* it might be if I use fresh or bottled lemon juice. I use both depending on what I have in the house at the time. I think fresh doesn't drain much and bottled does.
Anyway, it's a pretty hardy recipe and can take anything!
Thanks so much for your kind words about the blog too - it means a lot! ♥
This is delicious! :) I've made it a few times now, all times it didn't last long at all. I even let my mom have some and she agreed it tastes fantastic. :) I followed a comment's suggestion on here about using a coffee filter and used a tofu press that my boyfriend shipped to me that he ordered online, but I have yet to try making tofu, but it works great with the cheese. Though the second time I made it I left the coffee filter on while baking.. the inside was still good though. I just made this today and put it on top of some pasta with tomato sauce. And then I shared it on facebook. :) It's gone now though, I shared it with my mom again. :D Thank you for your great recipes!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Heather! I'm actually out of cheesecloth myself at the moment - think I'll have to try the coffee filter way!! :-D
ReplyDeleteI made it and it's truly amazing. Thank you SO MUCH for this cheese that changes my life a little bit !
ReplyDeleteI have a silly question... Does it have a noticeable almond taste\aftertaste?
ReplyDeleteIt looks amazing!
Hi! No, I don't find it has any almond taste at all. Mostly garlic and lemon then saltiness like feta has...It's a little hard to describe but it really is great :-)
ReplyDeleteits amazing!!!! this is the first vegan cheese that actually taste like dairy cheese! i made it once but im already in love with it!!
ReplyDeleteHello, thanks so much for your recipe. I made this at the weekend and it was really delicious. My vegetarian boyfriend thought it tasted like feta too. Andi
ReplyDeleteI made this today and it was really delicious! I only left it for 4 hours before I cooked it, and it was still amazing. I used it in the Spanakopita dish and it was really tasty, you wouldn't know there wasn't real cheese in there. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. Deb :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments Anon, Andi and Deb! Glad you all like it :-)
ReplyDeletemade this for my whole family and everyone LOVED it!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a gorgeous recipe. My partner made it for dinner tonight. Here is a photo of his creation. So lovely! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=435462496492261&set=a.428128117225699.90362.180961745275672&type=1&theater
ReplyDeleteThat looks fantastic!! So glad you guys liked it :-) It's incredibly versatile too, I find I throw it into almost everything these days!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this recipe! I made it this weekend, the taste is incredible, and surprisingly feta-y.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first tried this out of the oven, I wasn't completely sold. But I left it in the fridge for a bit and tried it again in a sandwich I used to create with feta, and LOVED it! I recently have tried dairy feta again and just don't have the stomach for it at all - or taste buds - but this almond feta is really, really good. I'm going to try your spanakopita tonight. Thanks Debbie!!
ReplyDeletePS: I had it in the fridge for over 2 weeks and it's still great.
Hi Corinne! So glad you liked it in the end, I found it wonderful in my old feta recipes too. Thanks for letting me know it keeps for up to 2 weeks too :-) Hope you liked the spanakopita!
DeleteI'm so excited to try this! Do you know if a nut milk bag would work in place of the cheesecloth? It's so hard to find cheesecloth here in Australia!
ReplyDeleteHi! I've never actually seen a nut milk bag in person but looking at one online here it *looks* like it would work just fine. I know others have had success using coffee filters, J-Cloths and even hosiery! So I think anything very fine in texture should work. I once used muslin cloths which I found in the baby section at the supermarket and they worked too. Good luck, let me know how you get on!
DeleteGlad you said that about the muslin, because that's what I've got, and I don't want to waste the ingredients as ground almonds are so expensive!
DeleteThis cheese was so good. I even had my non-vegan cheese loving friends try it and they were impressed. This one is definitely a keeper! Thanks so much for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteGlad you all liked it Bethy!
Deletei'm greek and this looks just like the real thing...
ReplyDeletei don't eat dairy...i'll try it....but is 40 minutes cooking nesecary?
it seems like a long time...
Hello! Yes, it does take 40 minutes...sometimes I have pulled it out after 30 minutes but find it does need the full 40, although, all ovens differ. Baking improves the flavour and crucially the texture from wet and grainy to smooth and creamy. The long time also ensures that at least the outside of the cheese will crumble like feta.
DeleteHope you like it, I would love to know what a Greek thinks of it! :-D
Hi Debbie, I just wanted to add my thanks for this recipe. Made it yesterday and not just myself but my family love it. Now I'm going to check out your recipes using it, but don't think that there'll be a lot left for that this time round. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you all liked it Nicky!
DeleteThank you for this great recipe! I have a question: can you leave the cheese in the fridge for less than 12 hours before you cook it? What is the waiting time for? Thank you very much again :)
ReplyDeleteHi Joelle! Thanks for your comment, you can leave it in for less than 12 hours, it's just to let some of the liquid drain off but I've used it in the same day and it's still great. Even just a few hours will probably do :-) Good luck!
Deletei made it because i had almond meal just sitting around. I, too, have a whimpy blender, but it seemed to work okay. I would like to use organic almonds next time (blanched). Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteI just had to say - this is indeed a life changing recipe! Can't believe the answer to my feta cravings was so simple! :D
Incredibly tasty. I tried to marinate it in olive oil and herbs, which was very nice tastewise but a bit gooey in terms of texture. I'll probably just drizzle it on top the next time since the 500 grams I made disappeared in less that a day.
Regarding the texture and feel -
Forget the feta cubes you buy in a plastic container, that's not what this is about.
The overall feel of the feta made with this recipe is that of more luxurious, fresh, feta cheese.
I love this recipe! :D
It's great isn't it? I want to hug whoever came up with this at Vegetarian Times!! Life changing for sure :-) Totally agree about the texture being fresh and luxurious too!
DeleteOh my goodness! I have just eaten some of the feta cheese, and oh my, Yu-um! It tastes exactly like feta. I am not vegan (am dabbling) but am having dairy issues, so decided to try this. I can't believe it. Thank you thank you I was very distressed over not really being to eat dairy and it's so new I was mourning the loss of cheese. Not anymore! Love your blog. Just found it through a google search. I'm a Canadian with an Irish mother:) oh and just realized it's Paddy's Day, have a great one!
ReplyDeleteHappy St. Patrick's Day!! So glad you liked the cheese, I felt the same way, it was like "omg I can have cheese again!" :-) I've also recently picked up the cookbook "Artisan Vegan Cheese" by Miyoko Schinner, I've so far made her Buffalo Mozzarella and was really impressed by it, like this they are mostly nut based cheeses so as you liked this one you may want to have a look into it too :-)
DeleteThis sounds amazing - can't wait to try it. Would almond flour (as long as it's just almonds, nothing else added) work for the ground almonds?
ReplyDeleteHi Alanna! Yes, almond flour, ground almonds and almond meal are basically the same thing. Hope you like it!
DeleteFantastic! I will be picking up some cheesecloth and making this tonight, along with some gluten free bread or crackers. can't wait!
DeleteAbsolutely sublime.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie I just used some of this in a pasta Alfredo dish I just created. Sent you an email but referred to myself as Caadian Darlene. That's me, Dar Del. Recipe was yummy. Almond Feta even better this second time. Parts of it got really brown, almost caramelized, oh my, so good.
ReplyDeleteHi Darlene! Got the email, thanks so much for the recipe, can't wait to try it! And yeah, they brown bits on this feta are the best!!! :-D
DeleteI made this yesterday. How amazing. I cannot express how happy I am! I had a dinner party and served stuffed cabbage rolls filled with the feta and mushrooms, it went down a treat. My carnivorous mother was eating the plain feta by the spoonful. With the other half of my feta, I melted it into some pasta with courgettes and lots of black pepper. To die for. I will be making this at least weekly. Thank you!! Poppy
ReplyDeleteGlad you all liked it! Everything sounded fantastic!!
DeleteI made this a few days ago with mild skepticism as it sounded (and looked) too good to be true. AMAZING!!!! My husband and I have been vegan for almost 7 years and are thrilled to be able to add this to our menu. Your site is simply awesome! Thank you so much - you've made 2 very happy vegans OVER-THE-MOON happy with this new addition :) [also, thank you so much for adding conversions when possible for those of us in the U.S. who are painfully inept at figuring out how to measure something in grams, etc.]
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome, so glad you guys liked it :-) I felt the same way when I first made this feta too, lol!! Thanks so much for the kind words about the blog too :-)
DeleteI made this last weekend! Except we wanted more of a cotija cheese (or, "faux-tija"), so we omitted the lemon juice and increased the salt. I let it sit for 12 hours and there was no liquid sitting in the bowl. Then I set a large tub of yogurt on top of it and a wee bit of liquid dripped off. I found it difficult to remove the cheese from the cloth in one ball - I had to pretty much scrape it off the cloth and reform the shape in the baking dish. The results were fantastic! Exactly what we were looking for - crumbly, dry, salty. It's been in the fridge for almost a week and it's still tasty. We've used it in tacos, salad and a quinoa bowl. I'm pretty sure I'm going to make it on a regular basis! Maybe next time I'll make the recipe as listed, without modifications :) Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteSounds great Mishka! I've been finding the recipe can take a lot of modifications all right, it's very versatile :-)
DeleteI've made this cheese three times now and absolutely love it. I added siracha this time, and it was excellent. I love this cheese. I add it to casseroles, whipped cauliflower, and sauces. I also eat it on crackers.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like it! Adding siracha is a great idea, I'll have to try that myself :-)
DeleteI just finished baking this. This 'cheese' is SPECTACULAR!!! I can see sooo many possiblities - even just letting it drain overnight then using it as a creamy cheese spread. It tasted good even before it was baked. I finally get to have my roasted beet and feta salad again! Thanks for such and easy, tasty recipe! YUM! Next time I'm going to try adding more garlic and herbs. mmmmm
ReplyDeletei love this! i have made this so many times now that i have developed a real cheese-making routine. i always use three little soufflee dishes and make smaller cheeses so i can have a variety of herbs on top. might try adding herbs to the 'dough' some time. thanks for introducing this on your fab blog :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you like it, making 3 different types is a great idea too - might try that myself next time!
Deletecan't wait to try making this!! im living in italy surrounded by cheeselovers! i have been hoping to find a cheese alternative that i can give to my boyfriend's italian parents, and also because i used to love cheese as well! this recipe looks amazing, and not made from unusual ingriedients that are difficult to find here! thankyou i will try it as soon as i can find a cheesecloth :D from Eve
ReplyDeleteThank you for this! I made mine yesterday so I'll just have to put it in the oven when I come home this evening. I hope it is as good as you say because I really want everyone to taste it in order to let them know that cheese is overrated and that this feta is wayyy better :D Anyway thanx again.
ReplyDelete:-D Hope you like it as much as I did! It's very versatile in recipes too, I often crumble some into tomato based pasta dishes and stir until it's all creamy - adds a lovely flavour and texture!
DeleteThis recipe is honestly genius. I made this (along with your spanikopita recipe :) ) this past weekend for a Greek themed party. It was a huge hit! I did add about 1/2 teaspoon of yellow Miso to it to add a little to the tangy aspect of it. No one (except for me) was vegan and they all thought I had made my own block of real feta cheese!!
ReplyDeleteThis is so simple and so delicious, it's definitely going to happen over and over again in my kitchen. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I'm in love with it.
That's great! So glad it was enjoyed - it really is so hard to distinguish from real feta, especially when used in recipes :-)
DeleteI look forward to making this! I have 2 questions. First, is the nutritional info listed for the entire recipe? Second, is the entire amount of salt necessary? My mom is on a low-sodium diet so that is why I ask. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Lydia! The nutritional information for the entire recipe is as such:
DeleteCalories: 1273
Protein: 31.3g
Fat: 113.5g
Sat Fat: 11.6g
Carbs: 38g
Sugar: 6.7g
Fibre: 15.7g
Sodium: 2949mg
You can definitely reduce the amount of salt to suit a low-sodium diet - that's the great thing about making your own cheese :-) The amount of salt is high here as the recipe is trying to recreate feta cheese which is quite a salty cheese. 100g of this almond feta has 1136mg of sodium and 100g of "real" feta has 1116mg so it's pretty spot on....but definitely go ahead and reduce that, just add salt to taste to the raw mixture :-)
Too funny... Someone posted a link to buzzfeed's 14 best vegan cheeses Your photo was the one featured. It looked delicious and vaguely familiar so I clicked over to buzzfeed, and then to your blog. And you know what? I'm the person who posted this on food.com! Small world we live in! I'm so glad you like it, and that lots of your readers are liking it too. And I'm also happy to discover your blog -- your recipes look scrumptious!
ReplyDeleteOMG - Ann!!!! That is too funny and obviously I cannot thank you enough for posting this recipe!!! I love this stuff so much and have used it in countless recipes (including my latest post and the next one ready to go, lol!) I pretty much always have some of it in the fridge :-) So glad you dropped by, I know all my readers are just as thankful to you for posting the recipe! THANK YOU!!!! ♥
DeleteI apologize in advanvce if this is a stupid question but can I use almond meal or can i just put raw almonds in my vitamix and mix them down with water?
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany! Not a stupid question at all! Almond meal is the same thing as ground almonds so you can use that, or I suppose make your own almond meal with the vitamix. You could also follow the original recipe which calls for soaking the almonds for 24 hours then blending. Either way will work well, hope that helps!
DeleteOriginal Recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/almond-feta-cheese-spread-with-herb-oil-vegan-364732
Has anyone tried mixing this with nutritional yeast to make a more cheddary type of cheese?
ReplyDeleteHi! I recently got a comment from someone who successfully added nutritional yeast to the almond feta mixture whilst making my spanakopita recipe: (last comment on the page) The same should apply to this recipe :-)
Deletehttp://www.maplespice.com/2011/04/spanakopita.html
ooh..nice one :-) I think this will be my next project..I added coconut oil instead of Olive Oil by the way just for the consistency. Just enjoying it on cracker..oh my goodness!! It's a-mazing!
DeleteI wonder, would coconut flour work? going to try it.
ReplyDeleteOooh, that would be interesting....Let me know how you get on!
DeleteHi! This looks wonderful! My first try is in the fridge now but since I didn't have a cheese cloth I used three triple coffee filters instead. Do you think I can put them together into one batch before baking or should I keep three separate pieces? I don't have small baking cups, would it spread out if I bake them on a baking sheet?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hi! If the filters work as well as cheesecloth in draining the cheese then you'll have to bake them separately as after draining the cheese is fairly firm and 'set'. As such they shouldn't spread out at all while baking either. Hope that helps and it all works out for you!
DeleteHi! This looks amazing...I can't wait to try it. I was wondering about the rind that forms on top...do you eat that or do you peel it away as you eat from the roll?
ReplyDeleteHi Shelby! You eat that as well, it's not really a rind per se, it just gets a little golden on top :-) Hope you like it!
DeleteHi Debbie, looks amazing but at what temperature do we have to bake it? Didn´t find neither in the comments
ReplyDeleteThanks
Hi! It's baked at 180C / 350F :-)
DeleteHi Debbie :) Earlier this year, a friend of mine shared a list of '14' Vegan Cheeses & number one caught my eye straight away -- I thought, I'm going to make that....& eventually I got round to it just over two weeks ago! :) I made it for London Vegan Potluck & put it on crispy, spicy, polenta stars! :) I got several compliments....then, over the last few days I've made 3 (& I'm itching to make a fourth tonight! :) ) & went from just adding more garlic & a dash of black pepper, to adding to the next one, tumeric for colour, cayenne, curry powder & lime (as we'd run out of lemons!) & then the 3rd, I aimed for a a 'punchier' taste, so in went 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast & a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar & 4 gloves of garlic & oat milk instead of water, then a dash of water as I thought it should be a bit wetter or summut, but indeed it was still gloopy when I opened it up 12 hours or so later BUT actually it was fine ; I shaped it into a square & patted the sides, popped it in a pyrex & after about 35 minutes (I'd left it bit last minute prior to my Vegan publuck event today, so it came out early! But when I'd done it before, I'd actually given it more than 40, like 50, as it wasn't brown enough for my liking!) & it was fine, the square one! Just lovely!! I got lots of great feedback today! I'm addicted! Cheers Debbie! If you & your family are ever in London, come & find us at London Vegan Meet Up's! I'm holding a World Vegan Day Auction & Dance Party in Brixton at The Dog Star, Coldharbour Lane, celebrating 2 years of an event I've hosted for two years, The Brixton Vegan Walkabout; we'll be supporting Animal Aid, Viva & Brixton Foodbank! If you, or anyone you know, can make it, see you there! 1st November, 12:30-6:30pm (at Dog Star from 2:30; Auction at 4:30!) All details here > :) http://www.meetup.com/londonvegan/events/198367982/ All the best, Jess :)
ReplyDeleteHiya! Gosh all those variations sound wonderful, this recipe is great for experimenting with, so glad you've enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the invite to the London Vegan Meet ups, I'm so gutted that these started up AFTER we moved from London, haha, would loved to have gone. If we are ever over when one is on we will definitely pop by - cheers!
DeleteCan't wait to try this!
ReplyDeleteThis is just awesome. I'm not began by choice, but multiple food allergies and intolerances mean I can't eat meat or dairy... But I loves me cheese.... especially feta. So a mahoosive thank you for allowing me to put it back on the menu!! :-)
ReplyDelete:-) Same here, missed feta so much and all my old recipes which called for some, this replaces it so well!
DeleteThis is the best cheese I have ever eaten! Thanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteKaren
I used raw whole almonds and ground them in my cheap little coffee grinder. I thought I was going to burn the poor thing out. Next time I'll just buy ground from the store, as you suggested. Mine turned out to be much browner, even on the inside, than yours. I don't recall having had feta in years so I can't say that it tasted similar, I only know it tasted rich and lush. :) I toasted some french bread slices, spread the "feta" on them, and poured a bit of the dill oil on them. Really, really special. Thank you for this recipe, it's a keeper.
ReplyDeleteI have heard so much about this recipe, and I have to try it - but I cannot have garlic! Is there anything I can use instead? (Can't have onion either.)
ReplyDeleteHi Sofie! Honestly I would just omit it as it's not integral to the recipe. If you want to add some other flavour to it the recipe is very versatile, you can add chilies, fresh herbs or freshly ground black pepper for example. But really, it can do without the garlic :-) Good luck!
DeleteOmg! I just made it and it is deeeeelicious! I never had feta, but damn! Is so tasty! Think I will eat it by itself in one sitting lol
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'm french and I would love to try this recipe. How and where can I find cheeseclothes?
Thanks and wow for your blog!
Hi! Thanks so much :-) I'm not sure where they you would buy cheesecloth in France, if you have cheesemaking supply stores that would be perfect :-D
DeleteI can buy it here in both kitchenware stores and fabric shops. Muslin is, I believe, the same thing and I have used muslin cloths that I have found in the baby supply areas of shops (although it is much more expensive). Other people have used nut milk bags and even hosiery here to drain the cheese, any very fine cloth should do the trick, just make sure it's food safe ;-)
Hope you find some!
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how much I love this cheese! It is just out of the oven and will be served with Pasta tonight... I am also already dreaming of a spinach-Almond-Feta Pizza...
I only had whole almonds at home and ground them up. The feta turned out great but I can taste the skins in it. In future I think I will use blanched almonds when I can, but it is also totally fine with a slight almond-skin taste ;)
Thank you so much for this lovely and easy recipe!
That's great! So glad you liked it :-) Funny, I also did a spinach feta pizza shortly after discovering this as it was always my favourite pizza before becoming vegan. The almond feta works perfectly on it (there is a link to my pizza up above). Nice to know whole almonds work fine as well. Now that I have a proper high performance blender I'll be trying this with whole almonds myself. Thanks!
DeleteThis is ridiculously amazing delicious recipe and the only criticism is that, that I can't stop eating it.....
ReplyDeleteThank you :-)
The best ever cheese, feta cheese, almond cheese ! Awesome!
Silly question but can you use the same method for the oil with another herb ?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to try !
Hi! Yes, you can use any herb you like - I was thinking fresh oregano would be great with the feta myself :-) Hope you like it!
DeleteHow do the ingredients change if I want to make like double the recipe? Really I need to make 6 of these :)
ReplyDeleteWell, if you want to double the recipe you simply double all the ingredients. To make 6 you'll have to multiply everything by 6 so it would be:
Delete870g ground almonds
360ml lemon juice ( 1 1/2 cups)
750ml water (3 cups)
270ml olive oil (1 cup + 2 Tbsp)
12 cloves garlic
2 ½ Tbsp salt
You'll also need a pretty big blender, sieve and a lot of cheesecloth for that though! ;-) Hope that helps and good luck :-)
Thank you for this delicious recipe! I made it as directed and it made a wonderful appetizer for me and my non-vegan family. As a vegan, I am thrilled I can still have something so cheese-like! I'm looking forward to trying some of your recipes that use this feta.
ReplyDeleteHi Meg! That's great - so glad you liked it. You'll be throwing that stuff in everything now trust me, haha :-D
DeleteLove this! My almond feta cheese is draining as I type this out. I went ahead and soaked the almonds but didn't remove their skins - the consistency still remains great. For anyone that makes homemade almond milk, you could use the leftover meal to make this cheese to further reduce waste! Also, I use a nut milk bag instead of cheese cloth that works wonderfully. Thanks for the awesome recipe - I'm also looking forward to making those cheese slices of yours!
ReplyDeleteThat's great! Glad you liked it and it worked just fine with unskinned almonds :-) Using a nut bag is a great idea, thanks for that! Hope you like the slices :-)
DeleteYou're a veganism-saver! I am vegetarian for a few years now and trying to substitute more and more dairy products for vegan options now. But I was a bit "worried" about living without feta cheese because I just love the saltiness and texture of it! I tried your recipe yesterday and ohhhhhh it is delish! Of course it doesn't taste the same as feta but it does have the saltiness I like so much (although I think I'll even use a bit more salt next time) and the texture is amazing! And I am so happy that this can be used in all sorts of recipes and best of all is that it is do super easy to make! I am really excited about this - as you might notice. Thank you thank you thank you :)))))))
ReplyDeleteAwesome, glad you liked it Toni! The saltiness is my favourite part too :-) You can really play around with flavours in this as well, it's so versatile.
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