Vegan Moussaka With Greek Flavors
Vegan moussaka is a rich casserole with sliced eggplant and a hearty tomato-based lentil filling smothered in vegan bechamel, then baked until hot and bubbly! It's Greek-inspired comfort food, minus all the dairy!
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 264kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves of garlic crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 15oz cans brown lentils washed & drained
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- ½ cup vegan beef stock or vegetable stock
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Bechamel Sauce
- ¼ cup oil
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3½ cups unsweetened soy milk
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant lengthwise.
- Sprinkle with salt on both sides and leave for 30 minutes while preparing the filling.
- Prepare the filling by heating a large pot and sautéing the onion and garlic in the oil until softened.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Adjust seasoning to taste.
- While the filling is cooking prepare the bechamel sauce by heating the oil in a pot and whisking through the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly whisk the soy milk in stages, into the flour mixture until all incorporated and smooth.
- Cook over medium heat while whisking until thickened.
- Add the nutmeg, ½ cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, whisking until smooth.
- Pat dry the aubergine slices with a paper towel.
- Heat a skillet with oil and cook aubergine slices until golden on both sides.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C.
- To Assemble: Layer ½ of the aubergine slices over the base of a 15 inch x 10 inch baking dish.
- Top with the filling and add another layer of eggplant.
- Pour the bechamel sauce over top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
- Once cooked remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 20-30 minutes before cutting into 10 pieces and serving.
Notes
- Salting the eggplant before cooking helps to remove any bitterness.
- Allow the filling to simmer and reduce down, thickening the sauce to ensure the moussaka isn’t watery.
- Moussaka can be frozen and kept for up to 3 months.
- Cooked moussaka can be kept in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
- Allowing the moussaka to cool slightly before cutting helps the bechamel sauce to not be too watery.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1037mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g