Go Back Email Link
+ servings
Vegan Moussaka
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Vegan Greek Moussaka

This vegan moussaka recipe has all the flavour of the classic Greek recipe without the dairy and meat. It's the perfect plant based mid-week meal.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: all spice, aubergine, bay leaves, chestnut mushrooms, cinnamon, green pepper, non-dairy butter, nutmeg, plain flour, puy lentils, red pepper, silken tofu, soy milk, tinned tomatoes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 614.77kcal
Author: Emma

Ingredients

For the baked aubergine

  • 2 large aubergines cut into thin slices
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the lentil and mushroom ragu

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 white onion diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 0.5 tbsp dried rosemary
  • 0.5 tbsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp all spice
  • 500 grams puy lentils pre-cooked
  • 200 grams mushrooms finely diced
  • 150 ml red wine
  • 400 grams chopped tomatoes
  • 150 ml vegetable stock

For the vegan bechamel sauce

  • 60 g non-dairy butter
  • 60 g plain flour
  • 500 ml soy milk
  • 150 g silken tofu
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 190C / 375F / gas mark 5.
  • Sprinkle the sliced aubergine with salt and place onto kitchen towel for half an hour to absorb any liquid that the salt draws out.
  • Lay the aubergine slices on to a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the centre of the oven for 10-15 minutes until soft.
  • In the meantime, in a large flat-bottomed sauce pan, fry the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the diced peppers and cook for another 5 minutes until the peppers are also beginning to soften and the onions are translucent.
  • Next add the garlic, dried herbs and spices, and puy lentils to the pan and cook for 2 minutes before adding in the mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has evaporated away.
  • Add the red wine to the pan, followed by the tinned tomatoes and stock, then simmer while you make the bechamel sauce.
  • Place the non-dairy butter in a saucepan and warm gently until melted. Add in the flour to create a roux and cook on a medium heat for 1 minute, stirring well to make sure it forms a smooth paste.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and add just a few drops of the soy milk at a time, beating to incorporate it well each time. Make sure you only add the smallest amount of milk at a time otherwise lumps will form.
  • As the roux goes from a thick paste to a thick sauce you can add the milk in larger quantities.
  • Once half of the milk has been added blitz the remaining milk together with the silken tofu in a blender until it's completely smooth.
  • Pour the soy milk / silken tofu mix into the pan and stir until fully incorporated. Let this simmer until it is thick like custard.
  • Once all of your components have been cooked, you can begin to assemble the dish. Start by layering a few slices of aubergine in the base of your oven dish. Next spoon over some of the lentil and mushroom ragu. Repeat until all of the aubergine and ragu has been used up.
  • Finish by topping the dish with the bechamel sauce.
  • Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Notes

Looking for an aubergine alternative?

If you can’t get hold of aubergine don’t be tempted to go back to using potato in between each layer of sauce. Instead opt for courgette. You’ll need more slices as they are smaller than aubergines but you won’t compromise on taste or calories.

Is your topping cooking too quickly?

If you find topping is cooking too quickly (which can happen in electric ovens which are heated from the top) cover the dish with tin foil and only take it off in the last 5 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 614.77kcal | Carbohydrates: 78.28g | Protein: 29.56g | Fat: 18.37g | Saturated Fat: 2.83g | Trans Fat: 1.49g | Sodium: 322.12mg | Potassium: 819.86mg | Fiber: 33.26g | Sugar: 13.54g | Vitamin A: 1134.75IU | Vitamin C: 47.58mg | Calcium: 225.5mg | Iron: 9.07mg