Best 2 Vegan Moussaka Recipes

Indulge in a culinary journey to the Mediterranean with our delectable vegan moussaka recipes. Experience the explosion of flavors as layers of tender eggplant, savory lentils, and a creamy vegan béchamel sauce come together in perfect harmony. These plant-based interpretations of the classic Greek dish offer a symphony of textures and tantalizing tastes that will satisfy even the most discerning palate.

Our collection features a variety of moussaka recipes, each with its own unique twist. From the traditional Greek-style moussaka to innovative takes with zucchini and sweet potatoes, these recipes cater to diverse preferences and dietary needs. Whether you're a seasoned vegan cook or just starting your plant-based journey, our detailed instructions and helpful tips will guide you through the process of creating this hearty and flavorful dish.

Dive into the classic Greek vegan moussaka, where layers of roasted eggplant, lentils simmered in a rich tomato sauce, and a creamy vegan béchamel sauce are baked to perfection. Experience the symphony of flavors and textures as each bite melts in your mouth.

For a lighter and healthier twist, try our zucchini moussaka. This recipe swaps eggplant for zucchini, resulting in a vibrant and colorful dish that's packed with nutrients. The combination of zucchini, lentils, and a creamy vegan béchamel sauce creates a delightful medley of flavors and textures.

If you're looking for a hearty and satisfying meal, our sweet potato moussaka is sure to please. Layers of roasted sweet potatoes, lentils, and a rich tomato sauce are topped with a creamy vegan béchamel sauce and baked until golden brown. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes pairs perfectly with the savory lentils and tangy tomato sauce.

No matter which recipe you choose, our vegan moussaka dishes are sure to impress your taste buds and leave you feeling satisfied and nourished. So gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and embark on a culinary adventure that will transport you to the sun-kissed shores of the Mediterranean.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

VEGAN MOUSSAKA

Vegan Moussaka image

This version of moussaka is loaded with roasted eggplant and zucchini and has a lovely pine-nut tofu topping. It is out of Veganomicon (such a fabulous book). I wanted to try this from day one of owning the book and finally got round to it today. Like any moussaka I've ever made, it's fairly time consuming because you have to prepare 3 parts...but they're all fairly simple steps. The amount of dishes to do afterwards is probably the biggest issue! I made a nice big casserole which could have fed 6 easily with a salad, maybe even 8. I found that the amount of potatoes this calls for weren't enough for two layers of potato, just one. So I'm not sure if I was off in weight, or if I cut them too thick. But one layer of potato was just fine. You have some leeway to increase the eggplant & zucchini a bit as well, I used 2 medium eggplant and 2 medium zucchini which is well over 1 lb. Well - if you give it a go, I hope you enjoy!

Provided by magpie diner

Categories < 4 Hours

Time 1h40m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

1 lb eggplant (italian sort, not the long japanese type)
1 lb zucchini
1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup vegetable broth (or wine)
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
sea salt
1 lb soft silken tofu
1/2 cup pine nuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon arrowroot
1 garlic clove
1 pinch nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)
pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Steps:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil 3 baking sheets.
Veg: Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices lengthwise. Places them into a colander and sprinkle with salt -- rub the salt around so that it reaches all sides on all pieces. Set the colander aside to sweat for about 15 minutes (takes away any bitterness).
In the meantime slice the zucchini into similar 1/4 inch slices lengthwise. Peel the potatoes then slice the same way.
Rinse the eggplant and pat dry.
Place each vegetable onto it's own baking sheet. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of oil over all the veg, rubbing around so that all sides get covered. The eggplant will need a little more oil, and it does stick more easily. Sprinkle the zucchini and potato with salt. Spread out the veg, overlapping is OK and probably necessary to fit everything on. Roast all the veg until lightly browned around the edges - roughly 15 minutes for the eggplant and zucchini and 20 minutes for the potatoes.
Tomato Sauce: Combine the remaning 1/4 cup oil and garlic in a large pan. Heat over medium heat and let the garlic sizzle for about a minute and then add in the shallots. Cook until transulcent, about 5 minutes. Add in the tin of crushed tomatoes (entire tin, no straining). Add the oregano, cinnamon and bay leaf. Leave that covered, to simmer for about 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightl and reduce. Turn off the heat and adjust salt to taste. Remove bay leaf.
Topping: Using a food processor, blend the pine nuts and lemon juice into a paste. Add the tofu, garlic, arrowroot, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.
Putting it together: Lightly oil a casserole dish (ie 9 x 13). Reheat the oven to 400. Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the dish, followed by a layer of eggplant, a layer of potatoes another 1/2 cup of sauce and half of the breadcrumbs.
Assess how much eggplant and potato you have left. If you can do 2 more layers, then do another sequence of sauce/eggplant/potato/sauce. If you can only do 1 more layer then move on to the next zucchini step.
Spread all of the zucchini over this, then top with another layer of eggplant/potato/sauce, and the rest of the breadcrumbs.
Spread the pine nut topping on last, using a spatula to spread it out as best you can without disturbing the layers underneath.
Bake for 40 minutes until the top is lightly browned and a few cracks have formed in the topping. Allow to set 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

MOUSSAKA (VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN, YOU CHOOSE.)

Moussaka (Vegan or Vegetarian, You Choose.) image

Better than lamb moussaka. We're not vegan but I love this recipe! By far the tastiest vegan meal I have ever eaten that typically uses meat and lots of dairy. I've pulled ideas from several vegan websites and regular recipes for moussaka to make this one. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If you do the vegan version, be sure to allow at least 2 additional days to prep the fake "feta". The pic I've shown is using all the vegan options.

Provided by Chef C.S.

Categories One Dish Meal

Time 2h30m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 28

Ingredients

1 lb firm tofu, drained
1 1/2 cups water, to cook tofu
1/2 cup light miso
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 -3 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced (1/4-inch slices)
1 cup flour
salt, for sweating eggplant
oil, for frying eggplant
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 1/3 cups dry textured vegetable protein (TVP)
1 1/2 cups boiling water for hydrating the textured vegetable protein
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided (or to taste, I use seasoned salt)
3 tablespoons canola oil (or other vegetable oil, or dairy butter)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups coconut milk, oat, hemp (drinking variety) or 2 cups soymilk (dairy milk will also work)
1/4 cup Egg Beaters egg substitute (completely optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Steps:

Making fake feta: Cube tofu into 1" cubes.
Submerge in boiling water & simmer for about 5 minutes. Drain.
Whisk together water, miso, vinegar & salt. Add tofu to marinade. Stir gently and refrigerate. Marinate for at least 2 days - up to 1 week. Shake the container periodically.
Before using, remove marinade from tofu & crumble tofu with fingers. Use within 2 weeks after it's been crumbled. Side note; my 2 year old actually likes this all by itself!
From this point it should take about 3 hours:.
"Sweat" your eggplant slices in a single layer on towels by sprinkling generously with salt (kosher or regular) for 45 min - 1 hour, blotting every 15 min or so, flip after 30 min and salt other side. Rinse after eggplant has begun looking brown in color. then squeeze with hands to remove as much water as possible, finishing with a squeeze from some paper towels. Small batches of squeezing is necessary. Dip dried off eggplant slices in flour to lightly coat both sides. Fry in 1/4" oil until edges are lightly browned on one side + 2 minutes on the flip side. Drain on towel or on cooling rack.
While eggplant is sweating, preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet w/ parchment paper. Spread potatoes evenly and bake for 30 minutes.
Also, while eggplant is sweating, for the "meat" sauce:.
Add boiling water to the TVP. Add in the worcestershire sauce and gently stir. In a pan, saute onion in 1 tsp oil until tender. Add garlic, continue to cook for 1-2 minutes over med low heat. Add TVP, vinegar, tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Stir.
To assemble: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease or oil an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish that's at least 2" tall.
Cover the bottom with 1/2 of the eggplant, then 1/2 of the potatoes, then 1/2 of the zucchini (uncooked), then all the meat mixture and 1/2 of the fake feta.
Finish by layering the rest of the eggplant, potatoes, zucchini and "feta". Bake for 1 hour.
While it's baking, prepare the bechamel sauce which you will add to the moussaka and continue to cook until an hour is up:.
Melt the oil or butter, whisk continuously as you add the flour, then slowly add the milk. Keep at it until it begins to thicken which will happen all of a sudden. When this happens, turn off the heat and add 1/4 C egg beater (optional) and the salt. Whisk again just to mix.
At this point it might be 20-30 minutes into cooking. Take out the moussaka and pour the bechamel sauce evenly to coat. Try to fill in any large gaps. If you have extra, just pour it on the middle, it should spread a little while cooking. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Back into the oven it goes to complete the total of 1 hour cook time. Be sure the bechamel has a little bit of browning before taking it out just for looks.
Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.
If you want to make ahead, prepare dish and just don't make the bechamel sauce until you're ready to stick it in the oven. Same with freezing. No bechamel sauce for the freezer.

Tips:

Use firm eggplant: Choose eggplants that are firm and have a deep purple color. Avoid eggplants that are soft or have blemishes.
Salt the eggplant: Salting the eggplant helps to draw out the bitterness. Be sure to rinse the eggplant thoroughly after salting.
Cook the eggplant until tender: The eggplant should be tender but not mushy. You can cook the eggplant in a variety of ways, such as roasting, grilling, or frying.
Make sure the tofu is well-pressed: Pressing the tofu helps to remove excess moisture and gives it a firmer texture.
Use a high-powered blender: A high-powered blender is necessary to get a smooth and creamy béchamel sauce.
Don't overcook the moussaka: The moussaka should be baked until it is golden brown and bubbly, but not overcooked.

Conclusion:

Vegan moussaka is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables. With a few simple tips, you can easily make a vegan moussaka that is just as good as the traditional version. So next time you are looking for a new vegan recipe to try, give this vegan moussaka a try. You won't be disappointed!