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Slice of vegan moussaka on a white plate.
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4.82 from 22 votes

Vegan Moussaka

This vegan moussaka is deliciously layered with baked eggplant, homemade vegan mince and a creamy vegan bechamel sauce. Ultimate comfort food.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time1 hour 55 minutes
Course: Entree, Savory
Cuisine: Greek, Vegan
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 8
Calories: 581kcal
Author: Alison Andrews

Ingredients

For the Eggplant:

  • 2 Large Eggplants (1.3 pounds/600g) Sliced
  • Olive Oil For Brushing
  • Sprinkle Salt and Pepper

For the Vegan Mince:

  • 8 ounces Extra Firm Tofu (226g) Pressed
  • 1 cup Walnuts (100g) Finely Chopped
  • 2 ½ cups Cremini Mushrooms (240g) Finely Chopped
  • 15 ounce Can Brown Lentils Drained, or 1 and ½ cups cooked lentils
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Finely Chopped
  • 2 Medium Stalks Celery Finely Chopped
  • 1 Medium Red Bell Pepper Finely Chopped
  • 1 Tbsp Crushed Garlic
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
  • ⅛ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ cup Tomato Paste (130g)
  • 1 cup Marinara Sauce (240ml)
  • 1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar
  • ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • Salt To Taste

For the Bechamel Sauce:

  • ¾ cup Olive Oil (180ml)
  • ¾ cup All Purpose Flour (94g)
  • 8 cups Soy Milk (1930ml)
  • Black Pepper To Taste
  • Sea Salt To Taste

For Decoration (Optional):

Instructions

Press the tofu:

  • Start off by putting your tofu on to press. If you have a tofu press, then this is perfect to use, but if not, you can place the block of tofu on a plate, with another plate on top of it and then place something heavy on top of that, like a heavy pot or a heavy stack of books. Let it press for 20 minutes.

Roast the Eggplant:

  • While the tofu is pressing, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Slice the eggplant into round slices about ¼ inch thick and place them onto parchment lined baking sheets (we used two half sheet trays).
  • Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper.
  • Place the eggplant into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, turning them over at the halfway mark.

Prepare the Vegan Mince:

  • Add walnuts to the food processor and process into crumbles. Add to a mixing bowl.
  • Add sliced mushrooms to the food processor and process until finely chopped. Add to the mixing bowl.
  • When the tofu is pressed, mash it with a fork and add it to the mixing bowl.
  • Add the lentils to the mixing bowl and toss everything together.
  • Add olive oil, chopped onion, celery and red bell pepper to a pot and sauté until softened.
  • Add crushed garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, rosemary and cinnamon. Sauté for a minute to lightly toast the spices.
  • Now add the walnut, mushroom, tofu and lentil mix and toss together with the vegetables and spices.
  • Add tomato paste, marinara sauce and soy sauce and fry for about 8 minutes until you have cooked off any excess liquid and have a delicious soft mince texture.
  • Add coconut sugar, black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Prepare the Bechamel Sauce:

  • Add olive oil to a pot and heat it. Add the flour and fry it in the oil briefly. Add in all the soy milk at once and stir vigorously until well combined.
  • Alternate between a wooden spoon and a whisk while heating to remove any lumps. It can tend to stick to the bottom of the pot so make sure you are scraping the bottom of the pot constantly and then whisking it in.
  • Keep stirring and whisking until it reaches a rolling boil and then let it boil while you continue to stir until it thickens.
  • When it's thickened, add black pepper and salt to taste.

Assemble the Moussaka:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place half of the roasted eggplant along the bottom of a 9x13 oven-safe dish. Add all the vegan mince on top of the eggplant and smooth it down into a thick layer.
  • Top the vegan mince with the remaining sliced eggplant. Add all of the bechamel sauce on top and smooth it down with the back of a spoon.
  • Place into the oven to bake for 40 minutes switching to grill for the last 5 minutes so that it can brown on top.
  • Let it cool for 10 minutes on the countertop before serving.
  • Decorate with sprinkles of dried oregano, paprika, ground black pepper and sprigs of fresh rosemary.

Notes

  1. Marina sauce: You can use any marinara sauce that you like the taste of.
  2. Storing: Leftovers keep very well in the fridge for around 4-5 days.
  3. Freezing: It's freezer friendly for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.3g | Protein: 20.1g | Fat: 39.2g | Saturated Fat: 5.6g | Sodium: 676mg | Fiber: 7.8g | Sugar: 10.7g