Vegetarian Moussaka Recipe
Greece is known for its beautiful beaches, striking blue and white architecture, and delicious, flavorful food. One of the staples in Greek cuisine is moussaka, which is a savory, layered casserole that is comfort food at its finest. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for vegetarian moussaka and says, "There are so many great things about this recipe. It's similar to Italian lasagna, but uses layers of eggplant and potatoes instead of the noodles. It can be made ahead, and is great for serving to a large group. It does take some time to prepare, but it's well-worth the effort. Using lentils in place of meat makes this a very healthy meal that is loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals." This meal pairs well with a Greek salad, a light soup, or steamed broccoli. Read on to learn how to make this delicious Greek meal.
Gather the ingredients for vegetarian moussaka
You'll need quite a few ingredients to make this recipe. From the produce department, start by grabbing an eggplant, Yukon gold potatoes, garlic, an onion, mushrooms, and Italian parsley. For spices, you'll need some dried oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, dried thyme, ground cloves, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. In the dry goods section, grab some avocado oil, vegetable broth, canned fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, flour, breadcrumbs, and cooked lentils.
"Some stores offer cooked lentils in the canned goods aisle, and some will have them shrink wrapped in the produce department. If you can't find them pre-cooked, you can easily cook up your own batch ... by just following the directions on the package. Just be sure to cook them al dente," Hahn shares. Finally, you'll need some milk, butter, Parmesan cheese, and eggs.
Prepare and bake the potatoes and eggplant
To start, preheat the oven to 425 F. Cut the eggplant in half crosswise, then slice it lengthwise into ¼-inch thick slices. Put the slices into a colander in the sink, shake ½ teaspoon of salt on the eggplant, and let this sit for 30 minutes. Slice the potatoes into ¼-inch-thick circles, and pat dry before adding them to a large bowl, along with 1 teaspoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of oregano, ½ teaspoon of garlic granules, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Toss, and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
After 30 minutes, pat the eggplant dry, and add it to the same bowl used for the potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, 3 crushed garlic cloves, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Stir to combine, then lay it out on a second baking sheet. Bake the potatoes and eggplant for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Make the lentil and mushroom mixture
To make the savory lentil mushroom mixture, grab a frying pan and add the remaining oil. Bring the heat to medium, and sautée the diced onions and remaining minced garlic for about 5 minutes. Then, add the diced mushrooms and cook for 8 more minutes, stirring frequently. To flavor things up, stir in 1 teaspoon of oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, dried thyme, ground cloves, and red pepper flakes. Then, add the vegetable broth, canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and the cooked lentils. Stir to combine, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Make the bechemel, assemble, and serve
To make the béchamel sauce, add the butter to a small pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir until a paste forms. Then, stir in the milk, Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic granules, and nutmeg. Pour ¼ cup of the mixture into a small bowl, and add the beaten eggs. Adding the eggs to a small amount of the béchamel prevents the eggs from scrambling in the pot. Stir, and add this mixture back into the pot.
To assemble, spray the bottom and sides of a 9-x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Lay the potatoes down, then ½ of the lentil mixture, the eggplant, the other ½ of the lentil mixture, and then top with the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top, and bake for 35 minutes. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing, and top with freshly-chopped parsley. Leftovers last for 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
- 1 medium eggplant, halved crosswise and sliced lengthwise into ¼-inch thick pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper, divided
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch thick circles
- 6 garlic cloves, divided, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 ounces white or crimini mushrooms, diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup vegetable broth
- 1 28-ounce can crushed, fire-roasted tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups cooked brown lentils
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Put the eggplant in a colander, and shake with ½ teaspoon salt. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Pat the potatoes dry with a paper towel, and add to a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of oregano, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and lay it out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Pat the eggplant dry, and add it in the same bowl used for the potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, 3 crushed garlic cloves, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Stir to combine, then lay it out on a second baking sheet. Bake both for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to a large frying pan, and add the onions and remaining garlic. Sautée on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add in 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, dried thyme, ground cloves, red pepper flakes, vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and cooked lentils. Stir well, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 400 F.
- To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a small pot. Add the flour, and stir until a paste forms. Add in the milk, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic granules, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine.
- Pour ¼ cup of the mixture into a small bowl, and add the beaten eggs. Stir, and add this back into the pot with the béchamel sauce.
- To assemble, spray the bottom and sides of a 9-x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Lay the potatoes down, then ½ of the lentil mixture, the eggplant, the other ½ of the lentil mixture, then top with the béchamel sauce.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top, and bake for 35 minutes. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Top with freshly-chopped parsley.
| Calories per Serving | 453 |
| Total Fat | 17.2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7.2 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 66.2 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 58.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 13.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 12.0 g |
| Sodium | 971.0 mg |
| Protein | 19.5 g |
