Description
Vegan or not, this almond feta will have the whole crown drooling! Serve with a crusty baguette or your favorite crackers at your next gathering, or pack in your lunch for a nice little mid day treat! Vegan.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup whole blanched almonds
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 3 tbsp plus ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, place almonds and cover with 3 inches of cold water. Let almonds soak in water for 24 hours, then drain and rinse under cold water.
- In a food processor, purée almonds with lemon juice, 3 Tbs. olive oil, garlic, salt, and ½ cup cold water. Process for 3-6 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
- Line a strainer with three layers of cheesecloth, and place the strainer over top a bowl. Spoon the almond mixture in the cheesecloth, then use the cheesecloth to squeeze out excess moisture into the bowl below. Use your hands to form the almond mixture into a ball, then use an elastic band or twine to secure the cheesecloth around the cheese and hold it in form. Chill for 12 hours or overnight.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 200°F. Unwrap cheese, and transfer it to baking sheet. Flatten it slightly to form a 6-inch round (should be about 3/4 -inch thick. Bake for 40 minutes, or until top is firm to the touch. Cool, then chill and keep refrigerated.
- To make herb oil: combine remaining ¼ cup oil, thyme, and rosemary in a small saucepan. Keep heat at medium-low for 2 minutes, making it hot but not to the point of simmering. Reduce heat, and cool to room temperature. Drizzle oil over cheese just before serving.
Notes
I ended up needing to fold my cheesecloth to be layered 5 times. I didn’t have much moisture come out while I was squeezing it so the cheese was still quite wet when I wrapped it to put in the fridge. Quite a bit more moisture came out while it was in there for the 12 hours and once baked, the rest of the moisture drew out!
As a shortcut I just drizzled olive oil and sprinkled the herbs on top and it still turned out delicious!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Appetizers
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Greek