Looking for something quick and easy to make this summer without heating up your kitchen? Then you have got to try my Vegan Greek Salad. It’s super-tasty, super-healthy, and completely oil-free.
Kudos to Chef John of Food Wishes for the inspiration to this week’s recipe. Everything on his channel always looks so tasty and delicious (even though it’s usually not Vegan).
So as I was watching him make this incredible Greek Salad, I knew he was going to add olive oil to his dressing. And as most of you probably know… I am completely oil-free, thanks to the teachings of Dr. John McDougall and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.
So I was thinking – how can I make this oil free?
And then I remembered Dion‘s Pizza – one of my favorite restaurants in New Mexico – and they had this killer Greek dressing. So I looked it up and sure enough, found a copycat recipe. BUT…..it also had oil.
How can I make this oil free?!
And then I thought, why not just add some chickpeas to the salad, and drain off the liquid (they call it aquafaba) and use THAT in place of the oil? And then maybe I could tweak my Queso Fresco recipe I used in my Chilaquilles and Poutine and make it a Feta instead……
The wheels were turning and I knew I was going to have to try this. And this – is the result.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Vegan Greek Salad with Oil-Free Dressing and Tofu Feta
There are 3 parts to this recipe, and not one of them involves a stove 🙂
- First, we’ll make the Tofu Feta, to give those flavors time to meld
- Then we’ll make the Oil-Free Greek Dressing
- And finally, we’ll throw together the salad.
Tofu Feta
So first of all – know that this step is completely optional. Not a Tofu fan? Allergic to Soy? Trying to cut back on the fat? No problem – just leave this out.
But if you DO want to try it, drain and press a 12oz block of extra-firm Organic Tofu. We want to remove as much moisture as possible. To press, I usually use 2 cutting boards and lots of paper towels, but there’s also a device called a Tofu Press that I have included below.
Here’s my affiliate link if you want to check that out, and yes I do make a small comission, but at no extra cost to you.
Once pressed, we simply want to crumble it up so it resembles Feta Cheese. Not too big, not too small, somewhere in between. I used a shallow glass dish to hold all the pieces.
Now we just mix all the remaining Feta Ingredients I have listed in the Recipe Box below, and pour over the top. Mix well so every little bit is coated, cover it, and refrigerate it for now.
Be sure and give it a stir every now and then while we make the dressing and salad.
No Oil Greek Dressing
Now we make the dressing.
Drain a 15oz can of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) and save the liquid. We’ll need about 1/4 cup of this magic bean juice. You can freeze the rest for later use or discard – up to you. Save the beans in a separate container and we’ll add those to our salad here in a bit.
Mix your aquafaba with 1/3 cup of Red Wine Vinegar and all the remaining Dressing ingredients. Whisk or shake well and set aside for now.
Note: I added about 1 Tablespoon of chopped Kalamata Olives to give it a little briny flavor. Again – if you are watching your fat intake and want to leave these out – no problem.
Greek Salad
And finally the salad. I used (2) English Cucumbers, a Red Bell Pepper, about 1/2 of a small Red Onion that I sliced thinly, a pint of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes that I washed and sliced in half, and a handful of fresh Spinach.
I also used about 1/4 cup of sliced Kalamata Olives and the Chickpeas we saved earlier.
Tip: To draw out the moisture from the Cucumbers, chop them into equal, bite-sized pieces and then sprinkle several teaspoons of Kosher Salt over the top and mix. If you place the cucumbers into a colander, the salt will begin to draw out the water from the cucumbers, making them a little crunchier in texture. Simply rinse and dry well before adding them to the salad bowl. If you’re worried about the salt – skip this step.
With the salad in the bowl, you can now add the dressing and toss to coat. Add as little or as much Feta as you like and garnish with your choice of Parsley or Basil.
I honestly couldn’t remember what Dion’s Greek Dressing actually tasted like, I just knew I liked it (especially on their sandwiches – back when I ate just about anything). But regardless, I thought this dressing was really good and my wife absolutely LOVED it.
So for all you Dion’s fans out there, tell me how I did. Was I close? Not even? Leave me a comment. Let me know.
And that is it for this week’s recipe. Simple, quick, healthy, and very tasty. Hope you like it and I hope you enjoy your weekend.
Stay cool, stay dry, stay happy, and above all else – stay kind 🙂
And as always, we’ll see you back here next week!
Vegan Greek Salad with Oil-Free Dressing and Tofu Feta
- Author: Brand New Vegan
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Prep Time: 30 min
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Total Time: 30 min
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Yield: 4 -6 Servings
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Category: Salad, Salad Dressing
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Cuisine: Greek, American, Vegan
Description
Looking for something quick and easy without heating up your kitchen? Then try my Vegan Greek Salad. It’s super-tasty and completely oil-free.
Ingredients
Tofu Feta (optional)
- 12oz extra-firm Tofu
- 1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tbs Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbs White Miso
- 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
No Oil Greek Dressing
- 1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Aquafaba (garbanzo bean juice)
- 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 3/4 tsp dried Basil
- 3/4 tsp dried Oregano
- 3/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 Tbs chopped Kalamata Olives (optional)
Greek Salad
- 2 English Cucumbers, chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, sliced
- 1/2 small Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 15oz can drained Chickpeas
- Handful fresh Spinach
- 1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Drain and press Tofu and crumble into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix remaining Feta Ingredients and pour over the crumbled tofu in a shallow bowl. Mix, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
- Drain the juice from a can of Garbanzo Beans and save (we’ll need 1/4 cup for the dressing). Save the beans too and we’ll add those to the salad.
- Mix all Dressing Ingredients together. Whisk or shake until thoroughly mixed and set aside.
- Chop cucumbers and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Thinly slice the onion, and cut the cherry tomatoes in half and mix into the salad. Add the chickpeas, spinach, and the dressing and toss to coat.
- Add as little or as much feta as desired and garnish with sliced Kalamata Olives, fresh Basil and/or Parsely.
Notes
Tips Are Always Welcome!
Keywords: Vegan Greek Salad, Oil-Free Greek Dressing, Tofu Feta
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