Marinated Vegan Feta/Goat Cheese

 Original recipe from Cheese Knees. I used Violife vegan feta but you could easily use tofu or another brand vegan feta style cheese. Mine looks crumbly in the photo because I had previously frozen the cheese and then thawed (do no recommend).

Marinated Vegan Feta/Goat Cheese

Ingredients

¾ cup olive oil separated

3 cloves garlic sliced

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon dried thyme

8 oz. tofu or vegan feta cut into 1/2" squares

¼ white onion sliced

Rind of a whole small lemon

6 leaves fresh basil

Method 

Heat a small skillet over medium/high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the olive oil is fragrant, add the garlic to the pan. Sauté the garlic for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add it to a large measuring cup with a pour spout.

Whisk in the remaining olive oil into the hot olive oil and garlic. Add the red pepper flakes, dried thyme, and salt to the olive oil and whisk. Set aside.

Place the goat cheese rounds into a large Mason jar. Carefully tuck the onion slices, lemon rind and basil around the goat cheese. Pour the olive oil mixture over the goat cheese and cover the Mason jar.

Gently turn the Mason jar upside down a few times and let the goat cheese marinate for 1-3 hours in a cool, dark place (but not in the refrigerator). Enjoy immediately.

If you are not going to use the marinated goat cheese the day of, place the mason jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Remove the goat cheese from the fridge 30 minutes before using to allow the olive oil to come to room temperature.