Cozy Vegan Lentil Moussaka
Comfort food at it's best. Get cozy with loads of lentils layered with rich roasted eggplant, melting potato slices all topped off with a thick layer of dairy-free bechamel sauce.
Servings: 6
Calories: 506kcal
Equipment
- 1 large pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 casserole dish approx 30cm x 20cm
Ingredients
For the Lentil Bolognese:
- 400 g tin tomatoes 1 standard tin/can is 400g or 1⅔ cups)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 large onion very finely chopped
- 1 large carrot very finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 200 g dry puy or green lentils or 500g pre-cooked
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 250 ml stock or boullion in stock add more water as needed.
- 1 teaspoon Marmite or Vegemite Or other yeast extract
For the Egg plant and Potatoes
- 800 g eggplant
- 400 g floury potatoes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
For the Bechamel Sauce
- 100 g plain flour
- 400 ml oat milk
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 60 g nutritional yeast
Instructions
Make the lentil bolognese : (or thaw from frozen if you have been organised & made it ahead!)
- In a large pan sautee the onions, garlic (if using) & carrot (or any other veggies ) in the olive oil until soft.1 large onion very finely chopped, 1 large carrot very finely chopped, 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Add the tomato paste and stir until combined.2 Tbsp tomato paste
- Add the lentils, herbs, wine, tin of tomatoes, Marmite or Vegemite and the stock/water plus any other optional extras and simmer for around 20 mins.400 g tin tomatoes, 200 g dry puy or green lentils , ⅓ cup red wine, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 bay leaf, 250 ml stock or boullion in stock, 1 tsp Marmite or Vegemite Or other yeast extract
- Add more water as needed to ensure the lentils are tender. Taste and add more salt/pepper or other seasonings as desired.
For the potatoes
- Peel and gently boil (or leave skin on if you wish) until just tender
- Allow too cool a little and cut into rounds.
For the Eggplant
- Cut into round slices, sprinkle with a little salt and brush well with olive oil.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake at 180℃/ 365℉ for 20 mins. Flip halfway.
- Make sure the slices are lovely and soft with slightly caramelised edges. You might need to cook for a further 5-10 minutes.
For the Bechamel Sauce
- Add the olive oil into a pan over a medium heat. Sprinkle in all the flour.
- Stir the flour over the heat for 3-4 minutes until the oil is absorbed and it smells lightly toasted. This helps to avoid a 'floury' taste.
- Whisk in the oat milk bit by bit, stirring continuously so you don't get any bumps.
- Whisk in the nutritional yeast, miso and dijon mustard to the sauce. Taste and add more seasoning or miso as needed.
- This is quite a thick bechamel sauce as it is designed to sit in a layer on top of the moussaka so it should be quite a stiff mixture. It should be just about pourable but very thick.
How to assemble the Moussaka
- Put your oven on at 180c/356℉
- In your casserole dish, spread out a layer around 1 cm thick of lentil bolognese.
- Layer potatoes over the bolognese in a single layer. Top with another layer of bolognese.
- Add a layer of roasted eggplant slices over the bolognese layer. Try to squish them up so they cover the bolognese completely.
- Carefully pour and spread the bechamel over the top of the eggplant slices.
- Put the moussaka (carefully!) into the oven for 25-30 minute or until the bechamel starts to set and slightly caramelise on top.
- OPTIONAL: For a pretty top: Once the bechamel is set up slightly, remove the moussaka from the oven and use a fork to create little divots all over the top. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and optional vegan parmesan cheese. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Allow the moussaka to cool before serving. It should be warm but not hot. Otherwise when you cut into it, all the layers will collapse!
Nutrition
Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 918mg | Potassium: 1328mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2072IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 163mg | Iron: 6mg