If you're looking for a low-fat and meatless version of the classic Greek dish moussaka, you're in luck! This vegetarian version is packed with flavor and all the traditional elements of the original recipe, without any of the guilt. It's a healthy and delicious meal that's perfect for dinner parties or weeknight meals.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
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
LOW FAT VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA
Am I vegetarian? Nope. But I love veggies, especially when they're fresh. Here's to healthy hearts and full stomachs!
Provided by The Savory Truffle
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h10m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Place eggplant slices on baking sheets coated with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450 until tender and somewhat brown (about 7 minutes, flipping them halfway).
- Meanwhile heat olive oil, onions and garlic in a skillet on medium heat. After 5 minutes, add mushrooms, tomatoes, chickpeas, cinnamon, all spice and red wine. Put the lid on and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a 13x9 dish, place on layer of eggplant on the bottom, then spoon half the tomato mixture on top. Repeat layers. There will probably be liquid left in the pan, but that's okay. Just discard it because the flavors are distributed in the veg mixture. However, you may want to reduce the liquid and pour if over the dish. It will just take more time.
- Mix together the yogurt, egg, egg whites, nutmeg and cheese. It won't be completely smooth. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and pour over the tomato mixture.
- Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, or until the top looks set.
LOW FAT VEGETARIAN MOUSSAKA RECIPE
I learned very late, last year, that eggplant can be delicious by cooking it in the oven with little oil, and I accepted it. But until last year, I had eaten so many bad meals made in the oven without deep frying that I still haven't gotten over my trauma about it. That's why I had always been thinking that eggplant should be deep fried to be delicious. But it's not. When I bake eggplants in the oven, I do my best to make sure they are all well browned. Otherwise, the bad meal I will get will not be just a bad meal for me, it will also trigger my trauma. In the recipe for meat free Greek moussaka in the oven, I use high temperature for this purpose and bake the eggplants on the top shelf, and I turn the eggplants upside down and change their places. In this way, the outside of the eggplants are sealed. They don't turn black or soften too much. As you know, Greek moussaka is prepared with ground beef just like Turkish eggplant musakka. In this recipe, I changed both this feature and the method of frying. Thus, it became a lighter and a guilty free recipe. If you are wondering how a recipe with bechamel sauce is light, I would like to remind you that when deciding on this lightness, I made the comparison with a deep-fried Greek moussaka with ground beef. The only point of the recipe that can challenge those with little culinary experience is the preparation of bechamel sauce. While making bechamel sauce, flour is roasted in butter and milk is added, and then the flour is lumped. This is the nature of the method used, it is inevitable. The important thing is after this stage. If the sauce is not mixed quickly and continuously after adding the milk, the lump may not go away. But this isn't the end of the world either. You can get rid of lumps by running the sauce through an immersion blender. Enjoy the recipe... Ingredients: 4 eggplants, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 3 tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, Olive oil, Salt, 1/2 cup of water. For Béchamel Sauce and Top; 1 tablespoon of butter, 2 tablespoons of flour, 2 cups of milk, Salt, Black pepper, Grated Nutmeg, 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese. Preparation: Peel and cut the eggplants into long slices and spread them on a baking tray lined with wax paper, Drizzle plenty of olive oil and salt on and mix, Place them on the top shelf in a preheated oven at 220 C degrees on grill setting and bake until they are golden brown, Take them out of the oven and turn the fried ones upside down, separating the ones that are on top of each other and swapping them so that the ones in bottom are directly exposed to the heat source, Return them into the oven and bake until the parts that are not browned are browned, If necessary, repeat this process a few more times, While the eggplants are baking, heat 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan, Add the chopped onion and finely chopped pepper and stir fry until soft, Add the tomato paste and stir fry until the smell comes out, Add the chopped tomatoes and stir fry until they release their juice, Add water and salt, bring it to a boil again and remove it from the heat, For the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a pan, Add the flour and stir fry for one minute on medium heat, stirring constantly, Add milk and mix quickly and continue mixing without interruption and cook on low heat until it becomes lumpy and thickens (if there are lumps, you can process it with a hand blender), Add salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, mix and remove from heat, Arrange the cooked eggplants neatly in an oven dish in which the eggplants can fit, Pour tomato sauce on them, open the gaps between the eggplants and let the sauce get in between, Spread the béchamel sauce on top, Sprinkle the grated cheddar on top, Bake at 190 C degrees until the desired amount of browning is achieved. Bon Appetit...
Provided by Turkish Style Cooking
Categories Main Dish Recipes,Main Dishes
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Peel and cut the eggplants into long slices and spread them on a baking tray lined with wax paper,
- Drizzle plenty of olive oil and salt on and mix,
- Place them on the top shelf in a preheated oven at 220 C degrees on grill setting and bake until they are golden brown,
- Take them out of the oven and turn the fried ones upside down, separating the ones that are on top of each other and swapping them so that the ones in bottom are directly exposed to the heat source,
- Return them into the oven and bake until the parts that are not browned are browned,
- If necessary, repeat this process a few more times,
- While the eggplants are baking, heat 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan,
- Add the chopped onion and finely chopped pepper and stir fry until soft,
- Add the tomato paste and stir fry until the smell comes out,
- Add the chopped tomatoes and stir fry until they release their juice,
- Add water and salt, bring it to a boil again and remove it from the heat,
- For the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a pan,
- Add the flour and stir fry for one minute on medium heat, stirring constantly,
- Add milk and mix quickly and continue mixing without interruption and cook on low heat until it becomes lumpy and thickens (if there are lumps, you can process it with a hand blender),
- Add salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, mix and remove from heat,
- Arrange the cooked eggplants neatly in an oven dish in which the eggplants can fit,
- Pour tomato sauce on them, open the gaps between the eggplants and let the sauce get in between,
- Spread the béchamel sauce on top,
- Sprinkle the grated cheddar on top,
- Bake at 190 C degrees until the desired amount of browning is achieved.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 300 cal
LOW-FAT MOUSSAKA
I adapted this from the May 2007 issue of Cooking Light. It was a lot of work, but worth it. There's a lot of flavor without a lot of cheese and fat.
Provided by KLHquilts
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h50m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Prepare eggplant: Peel eggplants and slice into 1/2" slices. Lay slices on several layers of paper towels; sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoons salt. Cover with additional paper towels and let stand for about 10 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Lightly coat each slice with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoons black pepper. Arrange slices in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake for 8 minutes at 425; take out and turn slices over, then bake for another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Prepare meat mixture: Heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add onion, garlic and ground turkey; saute 6-8 minutes, or until turkey is done. Stir in bulgur, mint, pepper, salt, allspice, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
- Prepare topping: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Slowly add milk, stirring with whisk until blended. Add four minced garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cooking 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly with whisk. Pour milk mixture into a food processor. Add feta and nutmeg, process until smooth, then stir in yogurt.
- Assemble: Coat a 13x9 pan with cooking spray. Place half the eggplant slices in bottom of pan, then cover with half the meat sauce. Layer remaining eggplant slices, top with remaining meat sauce. Spoon topping mixture evenly over top. Bake at 425 for 35 minutes.
VEGGIE MOUSSAKA
Omit the lamb and serve up a vegetarian version of this classic Greek bake with creamy cheese topping
Provided by Sara Buenfeld
Categories Dinner
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the lentils, onions, garlic, herbs and spices in a large pan, and pour in 850ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 mins.
- Tip in the tomatoes, stock cube, sweet potato and aubergine, then cover and simmer for a further 20-25 mins until the lentils and veg are tender, and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the bay leaves.
- Meanwhile, beat the fromage frais, egg and cheese together. Tip the lentil mixture into a large ovenproof dish, cover with the cheese mixture, then arrange the tomatoes on top. Grind over some black pepper and bake for 25 mins until the topping is set. Will keep for 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 213 calories, Fat 4 grams fat, SaturatedFat 2 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 30 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 13 grams sugar, Fiber 9 grams fiber, Protein 15 grams protein, Sodium 1 milligram of sodium
LOW-FAT MOUSSAKA
A rich and comforting Greek classic without the calories, what's not to love?
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Main course
Time 55m
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Cook the peppers gently in a large non-stick pan for about 5 mins - the water from them should stop them sticking. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more, then add the beef, breaking up with a fork, and cook until brown. Tip in the lentils, half the oregano, the passata and a splash of water. Simmer for 15-20 mins until the lentils are tender, adding more water if you need to.
- Meanwhile, heat the grill to Medium. Arrange the aubergine and tomato slices on a non-stick baking tray and brush with the oil. Sprinkle with the remaining oregano and some seasoning, then grill for 1-2 mins each side until lightly charred - you may need to do this in batches.
- Mix half the Parmesan with the yogurt and some seasoning. Divide the beef mixture between 4 small ovenproof dishes and top with the sliced aubergine and tomato. Spoon over the yogurt topping and sprinkle with the extra oregano, Parmesan and nutmeg. Grill for 3-4 mins until bubbling. Serve with a salad, if you like.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 289 calories, Fat 8 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 31 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 12 grams sugar, Fiber 5 grams fiber, Protein 26 grams protein, Sodium 1 milligram of sodium
HEARTY MOUSSAKA WITH LOW-FAT WHITE SAUCE
Categories Beef Potato Tomato Vegetable Bake Low Fat Dinner Casserole/Gratin Ground Beef Zucchini Winter Healthy Potluck Bon Appétit
Yield Makes 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with olive oil spray. Arrange eggplant slices and half of zucchini rounds, overlapping slightly, on 1 baking sheet. Arrange potato rounds and remaining zucchini, overlapping slightly, on second baking sheet. Spray vegetables generously with olive oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until tender and beginning to brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is tender, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water if mixture seems dry, about 7 minutes. Stir in oregano. Add beef; sauté until brown, breaking up with back of spoon. Add tomatoes with their juices and tomato paste, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Mix in 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, egg whites and cinnamon.
- Spray 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with olive oil spray. Sprinkle 1/4 cup breadcrumbs over bottom of dish. Arrange potatoes in prepared dish. Spoon half of beef mixture over. Arrange eggplant slices over. Spoon remaining beef mixture over. Top with all of zucchini, overlapping slightly if necessary.
- Pour warm Low-Fat White Sauce over moussaka. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over. Bake until top is golden brown, about 55 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Tips:
- To make the moussaka ahead of time, assemble it and bake it according to the recipe. Let it cool completely, then cover it and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you're ready to serve, reheat it in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
- You can also freeze the moussaka for up to 3 months. To freeze it, assemble it and bake it according to the recipe. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. When you're ready to serve, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
- If you don't have any zucchini on hand, you can substitute another type of vegetable, such as eggplant, squash, or mushrooms.
- If you're looking for a vegan version of this recipe, you can use a plant-based milk, such as almond milk or soy milk, instead of cow's milk. You can also use a vegan cheese, such as nutritional yeast or tofu, instead of feta cheese.
Conclusion:
This low-fat vegetarian moussaka is a delicious and healthy alternative to the traditional meat-based dish. It's packed with vegetables and has a creamy, cheesy sauce. It's perfect for a vegetarian or vegan meal, or for anyone who is looking for a lighter version of moussaka.
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