If you haven't seen it yet, there's a baked feta pasta recipe making waves on the internet. I've watched so many videos of people making this and it looked so easy and delicious that I just had to try making it dairy free. I give it my own spin here in this Vegan Baked Feta, with the addition of spinach and substitution of chickpeas for the pasta, for a Mediterranean, gluten free version. Consider me hooked.
I made this with the vegan feta from Violife, which melted wonderfully into a bubbling, creamy delight. The melted cheese combines with the juices of the tomatoes to become a velvety, savory sauce that wilts the baby spinach and makes everything rich and delicious. You won't get a thick sauce like you do with real feta, but that doesn't make it any less delicious.
This is a great, vegetable filled meal prep option that reheats perfectly. The cheese will solidify again once it's cooled, but it melts perfectly when reheated. This would also make a delicious side dish, or a savory breakfast option. If you're not vegan, it's fantastic with a couple of runny yolk fried eggs on top.
Also try my Sesame-Free Lemon Hummus
Vegan Baked Feta
Ingredients
- 8 oz vegan block of feta I used Violife
- ½ cup olive oil
- 4 cups grape tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 30 oz canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1.5 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
- 1.5 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
- 9 oz baby spinach
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Place your block of vegan feta in the center of a large 3 quart baking dish.
- Add your tomatoes, chickpeas, garlic, and herbs to the pan around the feta.
- Drizzle everything with your olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix the tomato and chickpea mixture to cover it in the oil. Don't mix up your feta, because we want to bake the block whole.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have burst a bit and released some of their juices.
- Gently stir in your spinach, and salt and pepper to taste.
Christine Sanderson says
Really surprising totally delicious
Lyndsay Homme says
Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it!
Dodi Ellis says
I had an abundance of sun gold tomatoes and I had everything on hand, so I made this for a friend who is vegan for dinner. She raved about it and was so excited to have a left-over for lunch tomorrow. This recipe is definitely a keeper, I grow sun golds every summer! Thanks for a great recipe!
Lyndsay Homme says
I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks so much for the feedback.