Glorious Greek Moussaka

Want to try one of the recipes from inside my book free? Make this! If you need something to please even the most sceptical of plant-eaters in your life, may I present my Glorious Greek Moussaka. It’s the perfect combo of layers – tender eggplant, sweet tomato, hearty beans, creamy potato, & the best dam béchamel you’ll taste in your life.

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Keyword dairy free, gluten free, hearty, moussaka, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 287kcal

Author Buffy Ellen Gill

Cost $15

Equipment

Blender

Ingredients

2 eggplants sliced lengthwise into thin strips
2 potatoes thinly sliced
2 c baby spinach

Bean filling

1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic crushed
4 tbsp tomato paste
400g can diced tomatoes
400g can kidney beans (incl. liquid)
2 tbsp fresh oregano or thyme (or 2 tsp dried)
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp chilli powder

Cheese sauce

1 c cashews
1 c water
¼ c nutritional yeast
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp sea salt

To serve

fresh herbs
green salad or steamed greens

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C fan bake. Layer eggplant slices on a lightly greased or lined baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes.
While the eggplants are baking, steam the potatoes in a little salted water for 15 minutes.
Sauté the onion in a little water until translucent, then add the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another minute. Add remaining filling ingredients and simmer on low for 10 minutes until slightly reduced.
Blitz the sauce ingredients in a blender until creamy and smooth.
To assemble, layer a third of the eggplant slices in the base of a 20 x 20 cm baking dish. Top with half the filling, another third of the eggplant, the remaining filling, spinach, potato and remaining eggplant, then cover with the cheese sauce. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown on top.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes before slicing, then serve topped with fresh herbs and a salad or steamed greens on the side.

Video

Notes

Nut free: Use hemp or sunflower seeds instead of cashews in the sauce.
I use kidney beans, but lentils also work great, as do black beans.
If your blender isn't super strong (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec), you can pre-soak your cashews for 1-2 hours in cold water, or a quicky soak in boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinse and drain, then blend. It'll make things a lot easier on your blades, and also give you a smoother creamier béchamel.

Nutrition