Vegetarian Moussaka

A perfect option for your meatless meals, this super filling, delicious and nutritious vegetarian moussaka is guaranteed to please even those who think they’re not big fans of eggplant!

Although this Vegetarian Moussaka probably has very little to do with the authentic Greek dish — well, apart from the fact that it’s made with layers of sliced eggplants that is  — I think that it still deserves to be called Moussaka! The way I see it, it’s a super healthy and tasty vegetarian version of an already crazy delicious classic. 

Honestly, I don’t think that the “real deal” has anything on this veggie version. The addition of chickpeas and lentils bring so much texture to the tomato sauce, while the thin eggplant slices practically melt in your mouth.  As for the cheesy topping, it just adds the perfect amount of tangy saltiness and brings the whole experience to a whole new level. 

Honestly, this vegetarian moussaka is so good, I think that it would convert just about any eggplant non-lover out there, and turn them into total believers!  

First, preheat your oven to 400°F. Then, brush a large 18″ x 26″ baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and then arrange the eggplant slices on it.

Try and arrange them on a single layer, but if you have a few too many, you can sort of pile them up on top. Just be sure to slice them real thinly, those aubergines. No thicker than a half inch!  

Brush the tops of the slices with more olive oil, then sprinkle them generously with salt and pepper. 

Bake the sliced eggplants in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping the slices once halfway through cooking, until softened and slightly golden.

Remove the sheet from the oven and let the eggplant slices cool until ready to use.

Oh, and once the eggplant is out of the oven, lower the temperature to 350°F

While the eggplant is in the oven, place the cooked chickpeas and lentils in the bowl of your food processor and process on pulse until they reach a coarse grain consistency. Set that aside for now. 

Of course, this implies that you will have previously cooked your chickpeas and lentils. If you didn’t care to do that, you could always use canned; just be sure that you rinse and drain them well before using! 

Now heat a tablespoon of olive oil (or your favorite cooking oil) in a large saute pan set over medium heat; add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened and fragrant.

Throw in the canned tomatoes (both crushed and diced), chickpeas and lentils, salted herbs, parsley, oregano, coriander, black pepper and fennel seeds.

About the salted herbs, if you didn’t have any on hand, just replace them with a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of Italian seasoning. This will do the trick! 

Stir well, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. 

Then, stir in the baby spinach leaves and cook until they are just wilted.

Remove the pan from the heat source; You are now ready to start assembling your moussaka! 

Note that this sauce would make for a superb vegetarian spaghetti sauce. I bet it would be glorious served over a plate of oven baked spaghetti squash, for a gluten free option! 

To assemble the moussaka, start by spreading a thin layer of the sauce at the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ lasagna dish, then arrange a layer of the cooked eggplant slices over it.

Cover with more sauce, followed by another layer of eggplant slices.

Don’t go too thick with the sauce, use just enough to completely cover the eggplants. 

Repeat one more time with one layer of sauce, one layer of eggplants… 

Then finally, cover your last layer of eggplant with a thin layer of tomato sauce.

Now for that delicious cheese topping… In your food processor or blender, combine the Greek yogurt, ricotta and feta cheeses, milk, eggs and ground white pepper.

Process on high until well blended then pour this mixture over that final layer of tomato sauce.

Sprinkle the top with the grated cheddar cheese and bake your moussaka in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Finally, take your moussaka out of the oven, allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then hit it with a little bit of chopped parsley, if desired.

Slice your moussaka with a sharp knife and serve without further delay! 

Yummy? Yummy! 

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4.69 from 35 votes

Vegetarian Moussaka

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

A perfect option for your meatless meals, this super filling, delicious and nutritious vegetarian moussaka is guaranteed to please even those who think they’re not big fans of eggplant!

Servings: 6

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• 2-3 small-medium eggplants, sliced thinly lengthwise
• 3-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the tomato sauce

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, or canned, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked brown lentils, or canned, rinsed and drained
• 1- 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1- 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp salted herbs*
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

For the cheesy topping

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400°F.
• Brush a large 18″ x 26″ baking sheet with a little bit of olive oil and then arrange the eggplant slices on it.
• Brush the tops of the slices with more olive oil, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, flipping the slices once halfway through cooking, until the eggplant is softened and slightly golden. Remove and let cool until ready to use. Once eggplant is out of the oven, lower temperature to 350°F
• While the eggplant is in the oven, place the cooked chickpeas and lentils in the bowl of your food processor and process on pulse until they reach a coarse grain consistency. Set aside.
• Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan set over medium heat; add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
• Add the canned tomatoes (crushed and diced), chickpeas and lentils, salted herbs, parsley, oregano, coriander, black pepper and fennel seeds. Stir well, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Then, stir in spinach leaves and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat.
• Spread a thin layer of the sauce at the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, then arrange a layer of eggplant slices over it. Cover with more sauce, followed by another layer of eggplant slices. Repeat one more time then cover your final layer of eggplant with a thin layer of tomato sauce.
• In your food processor or blender, combine the Greek yogurt, ricotta and feta cheeses, milk, eggs and ground white pepper. Process on high until well blended then pour this mixture over the final layer of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the grated cheddar cheese and bake your moussaka in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
• Take your moussaka out of the oven, allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then hit it with a little bit of chopped parsley, if desired, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 487kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 923mg, Potassium: 1596mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 2830IU, Vitamin C: 37.6mg, Calcium: 412mg, Iron: 7.8mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Greek

Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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*Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April of 2012 and has since been completely revamped and updated with better pictures. A few minor modifications to the original recipe may also have been made.