Greetings from the lovely city of AUSTIN!!!!!!!!!!! For the next two weeks, I’ll be “Keeping it Weird” in Austin with one of my best friends in the entire world. I am so excited, I just can’t hide it! And of course, I’ll be eating my way through the best veg-centric nom noms in the city (and telling you ALL about it on FB, Twitter, and Instagram)!
In the meantime, let me tell you about this salad. It’s a take on some canapes I made last summer that had feta in them. So, this summer, in trying to recreate that perfect sweet, crisp, slightly spicy, salty, tangy bite, sans the feta, I racked my brain for a dairy-free alternative.
I felt like I could get the texture with tofu and the saltiness with Tamari. But what about that twang? What about that subtle sourness that makes feta oh so very lovely? I needed acid. Something subtle and floral and maybe even a little fruity. In the end, I went with a combination of apple cider vinegar and white balsamic. Ah? Nailed it! Combined with some dried herbs and a wee bit of black pepper, I served this “tofu feta” to vegans and non-vegans alike at a Como Water cooking class, and folks could not get enough! One woman (vegan) said, “man, I thought I was just never going to taste feta again!”
In my not so humble opinion, this is the ultimate (dairy free, woop woop!) summer salad! The flavors are spot on, the colors are stunning, and the tofu feta totally wows. (Oh and it’s easy to make AND keeps reeeeeaaaallllllyyyyy well!!!). Make it. Like this weekend.
Happy Monday folks and see you next week for some dessert!
Watermelon Salad
Tofu “Feta” Ingredients:
- 1 package extra firm tofu—pressed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar, or rice wine vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 teaspoons Tamari (or salt, soy sauce, or liquid aminos)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Method:
*Slice tofu into 1/4 inch slices. Place ~4-5 paper towels on a plate. Add tofu slices. Add another layer of paper towels. Place a heavy pot or pan on top of the paper towels. Press tofu for at least 1 hour.
*Break up pressed tofu into small pieces (~1/2 inch, like feta crumbles) and add to bowl.
*In a separate bowl, whisk all remaining ingredients. Add marinade to tofu crumbles. Stir. Let marinade at least 1 hour. Enjoy! Mmmm!
Salad Ingredients:
- Watermelon—sliced thinly
- Cucumber—sliced thinly
- Red onion—finely diced
- Tofu “feta”—see above
- Balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, mint leaves to taste
Method:
*Mix all ingredients. Adjust seasoning. Let stand at least 1 hour before serving. Enjoy!
