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Scrumptious vegan moussaka is a wealthy casserole with caramelized eggplant and a tomato-based lentil filling smothered in vegan béchamel, then baked till scorching and bubbly! It’s Greek-inspired consolation meals, minus all of the dairy!
On this simple vegan moussaka recipe, I swapped the meat for lentils and the cheese sauce for a vegan model. It’s aromatic, decadent, and most significantly, tacky! Lentils are one among my favourite plant-based substitutes for floor beef. They add hearty texture and feel-good vitamins like fiber, folate, and potassium!
Newest Recipe Video!
Whereas vegan eggplant moussaka takes extra time than your traditional dump-and-go casserole, it’s price all the trouble! All of the steps are easy, there’s just some totally different parts to sort out. I’ll stroll you thru it with step-by-step photographs and directions.
✔️ What Is Moussaka?
A conventional moussaka recipe is a layered casserole with thinly sliced eggplant, meat sauce (sometimes beef or lamb mince), a layer of potato (generally), and béchamel sauce. It’s a well-liked dish in Greek delicacies, well-loved for its fragrant filling and creamy cheese sauce.
My eggplant moussaka recipe retains all the flavors and textures of the normal recipe, however is vegan pleasant and more healthy too! We nonetheless use layers of eggplant, however the bechamel sauce is vegan pleasant, as is the “meat” filling.
👩🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- Excellent for particular events or busy weeknights
- Creamy vegan béchamel sauce
- Final consolation meals
- Nice recipe for feeding a crowd
- No bizarre, hard-to-find elements
- Step-by-step directions
- Finest vegan moussaka recipe ever!
🥘 Components
This veggie moussaka recipe requires easy elements discovered at your native grocery retailer.
- Oil: I like to make use of additional virgin olive oil to sauté the onion & garlic. It’s coronary heart wholesome with a strong taste. For the white sauce, I want a impartial flavored oil like vegetable or canola oil. Vegan butter works nice too.
- Aromatics: Onion & garlic create a depth of taste in sauces, soups, and stews. Any kind of onion can be utilized on this vegan lentil moussaka.
- Tomato Paste: Doubles as a thickening agent and taste booster. Tomato paste is simply concentrated tomato purée & provides pure sweetness to the filling.
- Brown Lentils: This meatless moussaka recipes requires lentils rather than floor meat. Canned lentils are already cooked and able to go. Keep away from crimson lentils since they break down readily and switch mushy, and black lentils received’t be creamy sufficient. Vegan floor beef may also be used.
- Diced Tomatoes: Contemporary tomatoes for pure sweetness & acidity! Canned tomatoes are a should for soups, stews, and sauces. I top off once they go on sale, so I all the time have them in my pantry.
- Vegan Beef Inventory: This ingredient provides that “meaty taste” to this vegan model of moussaka. Yow will discover this merchandise at any well-stocked grocery retailer. Should you can’t discover it, vegetable inventory works nice too.
- Spices: Oregano, cinnamon, sugar, and bay leaf boost the filling. Don’t overlook to season with salt & black pepper!
- All-Goal Flour: Flour acts as a thickening agent for the vegan cheese sauce.
- Soy Milk: Soy milk has a impartial taste that doesn’t overpower the vegan parmesan. Should you can’t have soy, substitute with one other impartial plant-based milk like almond milk.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese: Use your favourite model!
📖 Variations
- Make It Gluten Free: You may be questioning is moussaka gluten free? Historically, no it’s not, due to the all objective flour. However it’s tremendous simple to make this moussaka veggie recipe gluten free. Simply swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix, and the vegan beef inventory with gluten free vegetable inventory.
- Add Potatoes: Layer thinly sliced potatoes (or candy potato!) beneath the primary layer of sliced eggplant. Bake as directed.
- Extra Protein: Add crumbled plant protein (like Past Meat) into the lentil combination.
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie: Swap the bechamel sauce for a layer of mashed potatoes and bake!
🔪 How To Make Vegan Moussaka
Vegan aubergine moussaka does have a variety of steps, but it surely’s truly comparatively simple to make! Right here’s the way you do it.
Prep, Slice Eggplant, Salt Eggplant: Begin by prepping your dairy free moussaka elements. Slice the aubergine lengthwise. Sprinkle either side of the eggplant slices with salt. Let it sit for half-hour whilst you make the lentil filling.
Sauté Aromatics: Warmth a big skillet over medium warmth, then a little bit little bit of olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic till softened. Add the tomato paste and prepare dinner for two extra minutes, stirring sometimes.
Simmer Cooked Lentils: Add the remaining elements for the filling over medium-high warmth and produce to a boil. Scale back the warmth, and simmer for 20 to half-hour. Rigorously style the combination (it’s scorching!) and season to style.
Begin Vegan Béchamel: Whereas the filling simmers, make the béchamel by heating the oil in a big saucepan and whisking within the flour. Cook dinner for two to three minutes, stirring so it doesn’t burn.
Add Soy Milk And Vegan Parmesan: Step by step whisk within the soy milk till the combination is clean. Don’t dump all of the soy milk in directly, or it is going to get lumpy. Cook dinner over medium warmth whereas whisking till thick. Add the nutmeg, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Whisk till clean.
Cook dinner Eggplant: Use a paper towel to dry the aubergine slices. Warmth a big skillet over medium warmth with oil and pan-fry the thick slices on either side till golden brown. Preheat your oven to 350 levels Fahrenheit.
Begin Assembling: Add half of the eggplant slices in a single layer within the backside of a baking dish to get this Greek vegetarian moussaka recipe began.
Add Filling: Unfold the lentil ragu evenly over the eggplant.
Layer Eggplant: Then add one other layer of eggplant slices.
Add Béchamel Sauce: Pour the creamy béchamel sauce over prime of the eggplant, then sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
Bake: Switch the dish to the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
Serve: Let the baked moussaka cool for 20 minutes earlier than diving in!
❓Recipe FAQs
No, a standard recipe for Greek moussaka will not be vegan. It’s made with meat sauce and a béchamel cheese sauce, each of which comprise animal merchandise.
This center japanese dish is historically made with sliced & fried eggplant, a seasoned tomato-based meat sauce, and a creamy béchamel sauce. There are a number of regional variations, a few of which comprise layers of potato or zucchini slices. You’ll be able to simply add a potato layer to this lightened up moussaka if you need (see the variations part earlier on this put up!)
Moussaka could be frozen in a freezer protected, hermetic container, and saved for as much as 3 months. Thaw the moussaka in a single day within the fridge, then cowl with aluminum foil and reheat in a 350 diploma oven till scorching all through.
Fridge Storage: Retailer leftover moussaka within the fridge, in an hermetic container, for as much as 5 days. Reheat within the microwave or the oven till warmed by.
One serving of this moussaka has 264 energy, with 18 grams of fats and 6 grams of fiber.
Moussaka is a filling dish by itself, however sides are all the time scrumptious! Attempt lemon roasted potatoes, cucumber salad, combined greens salad, or vegan buttered toast. Add a glass of crimson wine for a sublime dinner!
💭 Professional Ideas
- Don’t Neglect To Salt The Eggplant! Salting the eggplant earlier than you prepare dinner it removes a few of the extra liquid which makes them caramelize higher. It additionally removes any bitterness from the eggplant.
- It’s necessary to let the sauce simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes. It intensifies the flavors and extra importantly thickens the sauce so it’s not watery.
- Don’t Skip Cooling The Moussaka: Let this Greek eggplant lasagna cool earlier than you chop into it. It permits the béchamel to chill and arrange, so it’s not too liquidy.
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📋 Recipe Card
Vegan Moussaka With Greek Flavors
Vegan moussaka is a wealthy casserole with sliced eggplant and a hearty tomato-based lentil filling smothered in vegan bechamel, then baked till scorching and bubbly! It is Greek-inspired consolation meals, minus all of the dairy!
Servings: 10 servings
Energy: 264kcal
- Salting the eggplant earlier than cooking helps to take away any bitterness.
- Permit the filling to simmer and cut back down, thickening the sauce to make sure the moussaka isn’t watery.
- Moussaka could be frozen and saved for as much as 3 months.
- Cooked moussaka could be saved within the fridge, lined, for as much as 5 days.
- Permitting the moussaka to chill barely earlier than reducing helps the bechamel sauce to not be too watery.
Serving: 1piece | Energy: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 6g | Fats: 18g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g | Monounsaturated Fats: 9g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Sodium: 1037mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g
