Vegan Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmesan
My vegan gluten-free eggplant parmesan will blow your mind. So rich and delicious you will have no idea it is healthy, has no gluten, no egg, and no dairy!
Servings: 8
Calories: 236kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound eggplant , about 1 medium sized
- 1 teaspoon sea salt , see note
- ¾ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup vegan Parmesan , homemade or store bought
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ¾ cup brown rice flour , or any flour of choice
- ¾ cup dairy free milk of choice
- 3 cups marinara , homemade or store bought
- 1 cup vegan Alfredo , homemade or store bought
- ½ cup dairy free mozzarella , optional to sub in for some of the Alfredo
- fresh basil to top , optional
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat the oven to 400 F / 205 C.
- Slice the eggplant ¼ inch thick width wise into rounds or length wise into long pieces. I got rid of the edge pieces that had all skin.
- Coat the pieces in the salt and put in a colander so the salt can draw out the water. This helps keep the eggplant from getting mushy. Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients. But ideal is up to an hour. I sometimes do this the day before.
- Meanwhile, put the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and oregano in a shallow bowl and mix well to combine.
- Put the flour and milk in two separate shallow bowls.
- Make sure the marinara and alfredo are ready to layer when needed.
- Wipe the water and salt from the eggplant pieces until dry and set aside.
- One by one, dip each eggplant piece in the flour, then milk, then breadcrumb mixture. Do as many as you can fit in a large frying pan.
- Coat the frying pan with oil or if non stick no oil is needed. Pan fry the eggplant over medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Continue until all eggplant is done. It took me three rounds, but while they were cooking I coated the next set of pieces so in total it only took about 20 minutes.
When done, layer in a square baking dish as follows:
- 1 cup marinara
- ½ of the eggplant pieces
- ½ cup Alfredo (and the cheese if using)
- 1 cup marinara
- the other half of the eggplant
- 1 cup marinara
- ½ cup Alfredo (and the cheese if using)
Bake:
- Bake for 30 minutes until bubbling. Remove and let cool a bit.
- Top with sliced basil if you choose and serve!
Notes
- The salt is used to draw our the moisture from the eggplant. It is wiped away so not included in the nutritional info. The Parmesan has plenty of salt in it as does marinara and Alfredo so extra is not needed.
- Traditionally this recipe does not use breadcrumbs to coat the eggplant. I preferred the flavor and texture with them in so feel free to remove them and the milk, and simply grill the eggplant coated in flour. Then use the Parmesan in between layers when you build it.
- Use Thicker Marinara: I find it best to use a marinara sauce that isn’t too watery. You can even use a pizza sauce in this recipe. If the sauce is on the thinner side, your dish may be more runny and less enjoyable.
- Let It Sit: Allow this dairy-free eggplant parmesan to rest for a little after cooking. This will help it thicken, making it easier and cleaner to serve and eat!
- Store this eggplant parmesan in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Note, you will lose the crispness of the breadcrumbs as time goes on.
Nutrition
Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 752mg | Potassium: 602mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g