Vegetarian moussaka is a classic Mediterranean dish that can be easily made vegan by using plant-based ingredients. Made with layers of roasted vegetables, creamy sauce, and topped with a crispy crust, this hearty and flavorful dish is sure to impress. Whether you're a seasoned vegan cook or just starting out, this article has the perfect recipe to satisfy your cravings for comfort food. We'll guide you through the process of creating a delicious and satisfying vegan moussaka, step by step. Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with this delightful and nutritious dish!
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA - CLASSIC GREEK CASSEROLE
Vegetarian Moussaka is a classic Greek dish that it's packed full of flavor and textures. Layers of eggplants, zucchinis, spinach, feta, potatoes, and tomato sauce with a hint of cinnamon and cheesy béchamel, marry together to create an unforgettable experience. So delicious!
Provided by Edyta
Categories Casserole Dinner Main Course Main Dish Vegetarian
Time 2h
Number Of Ingredients 29
Steps:
- Slice up your eggplant, then sprinkle it with a salt and leave it for 30 minutes. Pat it dry. Next brush with olive oil on both sides, place on baking sheet, season with pepper and roast on 400F for 12-15 minutes, until soft; Remove from the oven and let them cool;
- Slice up your zucchini, and season with salt and pepper. Brush with oil on both sides, and place on baking sheet and bake with eggplants for about 12-15 minutes; Remove from the oven and let them cool;
- Peel and slice potatoes and cook them in a slightly salted boiling water until fork tender for about 10 minutes; place them in a colander to discard the water and let them cool;
- To prepare your spinach/feta layer, start off by chopping some onions and garlic;
- In a skillet, heat up the olive oil, add onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, until translucent;
- Add garlic and cook for an additional minute;
- Add spinach and let it cook down until totally wilted;
- Then add fresh dill, salt, and pepper and set aside to cool off. This would be the time to adjust seasoning, but be careful with the salt as feta will add some saltiness to this mix.
- In a bowl beat 2 eggs, add feta, salt, and pepper;
- Once the spinach mixture is cooled, add it to the bowl, mix everything together and set it aside.
- To make a tomato sauce you'll start off the same way as above with spinach/feta layer:
- Heat up some olive oil, add onions and cook until translucent;
- Add garlic and cook for one more minute;
- Then add spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, & oregano;
- Add pureed tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Then cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes;
- Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) as needed.
- In a skillet, melt butter; then add flour and whisk vigorously;
- Gradually start adding milk and mixing it in, until the sauce is smooth;
- Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg;
- Turn off the heat;
- Add Parmesan cheese and mix well;
- This would be the time to check for seasoning and adjust accordingly;
- Beat 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk and add them to the béchamel sauce, mixing thoroughly.
- Preheat the oven to 350F;
- Using a 9X13" casserole dish, brush it with olive oil or spray with cooking spray;
- Add slices of eggplant and top them with slices of zucchinis;
- Then add tomato sauce;
- Add another layer of eggplant;
- Add a layer of spinach/feta mix;
- Add sliced potatoes;
- Top it all of with your béchamel sauce;
- Sprinkle it with some more Parmesan Cheese;
- Bake it in the oven for 50-55, minutes until golden brown and bubbly;
- Let it cool off for about 20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 419 kcal, Carbohydrate 40 g, Protein 15 g, Fat 22 g, SaturatedFat 10 g, Cholesterol 125 mg, Sodium 465 mg, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 13 g, ServingSize 1 serving
BEAUTIFUL VEGGIE MOUSSAKA
I've taken the traditional Greek recipe, usually made with lamb, and transformed it into a veggie delight for the lovely Amanda Holden - this dish is one of her favourite foodie memories from her childhood and it's pretty damn good!
Provided by Jamie Oliver
Categories Mains Vegetables Dinner Party Mother's day Sunday lunch Greek Potato
Time 2h30m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
- Just cover the porcini with boiling water, then set aside to rehydrate.
- Peel and finely slice the onions and garlic, then place in a large pan over a medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Strip in the rosemary and sage leaves and add 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
- Roughly chop the porcini (reserving the soaking liquor) and add to the pan, then fry for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat up to high, then add the wine and let it bubble and cook away.
- Stir in the chickpeas (juice and all), lentils and 2 bay leaves. Scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands, then pour in the porcini soaking liquor (discarding just the last gritty bit).
- Season with sea salt and black pepper, bring to the boil, then simmer on a low heat for 1 hour, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
- Trim the aubergines and peel with a speed-peeler, leaving a little of the skin to create a stripy effect, then slice into 1cm-thick rounds. Place in a colander, sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and leave in the sink to drain (the salt will draw out the moisture).
- Peel the potatoes and slice into rough 1cm rounds, then parboil in a pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to steam dry, then place in a large, deep roasting tray (30cm x 40cm).
- Season, drizzle with oil and scatter over 1 heaped tablespoon of dried oregano. Toss well to coat, then roast in a single layer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and tender.
- Meanwhile, rinse the aubergines and pat dry with kitchen paper, then spread out across a few large roasting trays.
- Drizzle with oil, season with pepper and oregano, then roast alongside the potatoes for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
- Warm the milk with the remaining 2 bay leaves and the peppercorns in a pan on a medium-low heat - keep an eye on it. Before it boils, strain into a jug, then wipe out the pan and return to a medium heat.
- Melt the butter, then stir in the flour to form a paste. Start adding the hot milk, a splash at a time, stirring in each addition before adding more, until you have a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Crumble in one-third of the feta and grate in one-third of the kefalotyri, then simmer over a low heat for a further 5 minutes, or until thick and smooth. Leave to cool slightly.
- To assemble, spoon half the ragù over the tray of potatoes, then layer half the aubergines on top. Repeat with the remaining ragù and aubergines.
- Separate the eggs (saving the whites for another recipe). Whisk the yolks into the sauce, then pour over the aubergines. Crumble and grate over the remaining cheese, drizzle with oil, and bake for 40 minutes, or until golden.
- Leave to stand for 30 minutes, then serve. Great with a Greek salad.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 311 calories, Fat 12.6 g fat, SaturatedFat 6 g saturated fat, Protein 12.6 g protein, Carbohydrate 35.4 g carbohydrate, Sugar 8.8 g sugar, Sodium 1 g salt, Fiber 5.8 g fibre
VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA
This recipe always gets rave reviews from vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Easy to make, but takes time. Serve with salad.
Provided by Anne Buchanan
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Time 2h
Yield 7
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat eggplant dry. Cook eggplant and zucchini in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side; remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel-lined plate, reserving as much oil as possible in the skillet
- Adding more oil to skillet as needed and let it get hot. Cook potato slices in hot oil until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side; remove with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate, again reserving oil in the skillet.
- Saute onion and garlic in reserved oil until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour in vinegar, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low; cook until liquid is reduced in volume and thick. Stir in tomatoes, lentils, 1/2 the juice from lentils, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Layer about 1/3 of the eggplant, 1/3 of the zucchini, 1/2 the potatoes, 1/2 the onions, and 1/2 the feta into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables; repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.
- Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Stir butter, flour, and milk together in a small saucepan; bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and nutmeg; stir. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg.
- Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 239.8 calories, Carbohydrate 25.5 g, Cholesterol 58.2 mg, Fat 11.8 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 10.2 g, SaturatedFat 6.4 g, Sodium 425.7 mg, Sugar 9.3 g
SORT OF VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA
From Alison & Simon Holst "Very Easy Vegetarian Cookbook". Although I'm not a lover of eggplant OR mushrooms, I did enjoy this! Since I only had one small eggplant, I added in sliced zucchini (about 3 small, sliced lengthways), and because I love blue cheese, I added that to the cheddar cheese for the topping, using about half a cup of each. I'm posting the recipe as originally published, but I did enjoy my small changes! oh, also, the ingredient list separates the amounts of oil, salt, etc, I just add it as I need it! And I used the yoghurt option for the topping. As I typed, it occurred to me that a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes on top of the final eggplant layer (underneath the yoghurt topping), would probably be really nice! Try it!
Provided by Karen Elizabeth
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 50m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Slice eggplant into 1 cm thick slices, brush each side lightly with olive oil and arrange the slices on one or two baking trays. (Ditto for zucchini, although I sliced them lengthways).
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until eggplant is soft and beginning to brown slightly. Remove from oven.
- While the eggplant bakes, peel and slice the onion, heat oil in frying pan, add onion and garlic, and sautee, stirring frequently, until onion has softened.
- Stir in sliced mushrooms and cook gently until mushrooms have wilted. Add pesto, salt and pepper to taste, cook for another moment or so and remove from heat.
- Lightly oil or non-stick spray a 25x30 cm casserole dish. Arrange half the eggplant (and zucchini) slices in a layer over the bottom of the casserole dish, cover this with the mushroom mixture and finish with the remaining eggplant/zucchini slices.
- Mix the sour cream or yoghurt with the egg and salt together in a small bowl. Pour and spread this over the layered mixture, then sprinkle the top with the grated cheese.
- Bake at 200 C for 20 mins or until the top is bubbly and turning brown. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 - 10 minutes.
- Serving suggestion : salad and crusty bread.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 299.6, Fat 27.6, SaturatedFat 11.4, Cholesterol 91.2, Sodium 737.3, Carbohydrate 6.7, Fiber 1.3, Sugar 4.2, Protein 8.2
DOCTORED VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA
Steps:
- Cover 2 baking sheets with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant rounds with salt. Arrange eggplant in single layer atop towels. Let stand 30 minutes. Position first rack in bottom third of oven and second rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Remove eggplant and paper towels from baking sheets. Rinse and Pat eggplant dry. Oil same baking sheets. Brush both sides of eggplant rounds with oil. Arrange in single layer on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Turn eggplant and rotate pans in oven. Continue baking until tender, about 15 minutes longer. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until onion is very tender, about 12 minutes. Mix in garlic, then mushrooms. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 10 minutes. Mix in thyme, cumin, allspice oregano and cinnamon. Add tomatoes and parsley, wine, paste and sugar. Cook until mixture is cooked, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant rounds in single layer in dish. Spoon half of tomato mixture evenly over eggplant. Sprinkle with 1/2 feta/parm mixture. Repeat layering with remaining eggplant, tomato mixture and cheese. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer until sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk yolks in large bowl to blend - whisk in slowly. Gradually whisk in 4 drops hot sauce. Add cheese and plenty of salt and pepper. Pour sauce over vegetables in dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.) Bake moussaka until heated through and sauce is golden brown on top, about 45 minutes (or about 55 minutes for refrigerated moussaka). Cool 15 minutes.
Tips:
- To make the moussaka ahead of time, assemble it and bake it according to the recipe. Then, let it cool completely and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. When you're ready to serve, reheat it in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
- If you don't have any eggplant on hand, you can substitute zucchini or yellow squash.
- To make the moussaka vegan, use a plant-based milk and cheese substitute.
- If you're short on time, you can use a store-bought tomato sauce instead of making your own.
- Serve the moussaka with a side of Greek yogurt or tzatziki sauce.
Conclusion:
This vegetarian moussaka is a delicious and satisfying dish that's perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. It's packed with flavor and vegetables, and it's sure to be a hit with everyone at the table. So next time you're looking for a vegetarian main course, give this moussaka a try.
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