This Greek vegan moussaka is comforting, packed with flavor, and just incredibly delicious! It’s a casserole made with layers of roasted potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and vegan Bolognese sauce all topped with a creamy vegan béchamel.
Why This Recipe Works
We have been making this Greek casserole for years and I actually posted it on the blog back in 2015. I love to make this moussaka for special occasions and it’s always a winner!
The recipe takes a while to make, but it’s definitely worth it! It’s indulgent, satisfying, and hearty! It’s the perfect recipe to impress dinner guests.
Moussaka is an eggplant and potato-based dish that is very popular in Greece. Commonly, it includes ground meat, but it’s pretty easy to make a vegan or vegetarian version of it. There are also some regional versions in the Middle East.
For my vegan version, I used textured vegetable protein, also known as TVP. It’s a dried meat alternative made of soy that is really easy to cook with. All you have to do is soak it in hot vegetable broth and then use it like ground meat. Its protein content is comparable to that of meat. And it has the perfect texture for vegan meat sauces!
To give the vegan meat sauce a deep flavor, I first sautéd onion and garlic, then added tomato paste, and deglazed everything with red wine.
Then either pan-fry the sliced potatoes, eggplant, and zucchini or bake them in the oven. Layer everything in a casserole dish and top it off with the vegan béchamel sauce, which adds a a rich and creamy top.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Textured Vegetable Protein – also known as TVP. It’s a dried meat alternative. It can be found in the bulk foods section of most natural foods stores.
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
- Potatoes – use waxy potatoes.
- Onion & Garlic
- Tomato Paste
- Red Wine – use dry red wine. Wine is often not vegan as animal-derived fining agents like milk protein or gelatin from fish bladder membranes are used in the production. Fortunately, there are many wines labeled as vegan.
- Spices – oregano, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Diced Tomatoes – canned.
- Vegetable Broth – use organic vegetable broth or my homemade paste for vegetable broth.
- Oat or Soy Milk – unsweetened.
- Flour – all-purpose flour.
- Vegan Butter – or margarine.
- Nutritional Yeast – adds a slight nutty and cheesy taste to the vegan béchamel sauce.
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: First, prepare the TVP in vegetable broth according to the instructions on the package. Usually you have to soak it in hot water (for example from the kettle) for about 10 minutes. I like to use vegetable broth instead of water for more flavor. Then peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices.
2. Step: Wash and slice the eggplant and zucchini.
3. Step: Heat some oil in a large pan and fry the eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides. Add some salt.
4. Step: Use another pan, heat some oil, and pan-fry the potato slices on both sides. Cook them for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Set aside.
Alternatively, you could also prepare them in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the potatoes on one baking sheet and the eggplant and the zucchini on the other one. Toss with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Step: In the meantime, prepare the vegan meat sauce. First, finely chop the garlic and the onion. Drain the soaked TVP. Heat some oil in one of the pans you used before, and cook the TVP for about 3 minutes on high heat. Then add the onions and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the garlic towards the end. Then add the tomato paste, stir well, and sauté for 2 minutes.
6. Step: Deglaze with the red wine, let it evaporate.
7. Step: Then add the chopped tomatoes. Season with oregano, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
8. Step: Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.
9.-12. Step: Then layer the vegetables, potatoes and sauce in a casserole dish. Start and finish with the sauce.
13. Step: Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Then make the vegan béchamel sauce. Melt a tablespoon of vegan butter or margarine in a small saucepan. Once the margarine has melted, add a tablespoon of flour and stir well.
14. Step: Add the unsweetened oat or soy milk and simmer for about 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened considerably. Stir in the nutritional yeast and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
15. Step: Pour the béchamel sauce on top and spread evenly.
16. Step: Bake for 40-50 minutes until the top is nicely browned. Check after 30 minutes and cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil if it gets too dark.
Recipe Notes
- You could also skip the zucchini and use more eggplant if you want to make a more “traditional” version. But I really like the combination of eggplant and zucchini in this dish!
- You can easily make this recipe ahead and then bake it on the next day. Or you could even reheat it in the oven or in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does This Casserole Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the vegan moussaka will last 3-4 days.
Can I Freeze It?
I recommend freezing the moussaka unbaked. So just prepare everything and assemble it. Then wrap it tightly with foil and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Let it that in the fridge overnight before baking it the next day.
How Can I Make This Vegan Moussaka Gluten-Free?
You can easily make this casserole gluten-free by replacing the all-purpose flour for the béchamel with corn starch.
Related Recipes
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
- Potato Stew with Bell Peppers
- Greek Bowl
- Vegan Greek Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
I Love to Hear From You!
I hope you like this vegan moussaka as much as we do around here.
If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Vegan Moussaka
Ingredients
For the Moussaka:
- 1 large eggplant, sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 24 oz waxy potatoes
- 1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch allspice
- 1 pinch nutmeg
For the Béchamel:
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or margarine
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened oat or soy milk
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- salt
- black pepper
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- First, prepare the TVP in vegetable broth according to the instructions on the package. Usually you have to soak it in hot water (for example from the kettle) for about 10 minutes. I like to use vegetable broth instead of water for more flavor. Then peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices.
- Wash and slice the eggplant and zucchini.
- Heat some oil in a large flat pan and fry the eggplant and zucchini slices on both sides. Add some salt.
- Use another pan, heat some oil, and pan-fry the potato slices on both sides. Cook them for 2-3 minutes on both sides. Set aside.
- Alternatively, you could also prepare them in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the potatoes on one baking sheet and the eggplant and the zucchini on the other one. Toss with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the vegan meat sauce. First, finely chop the garlic and the onion. Drain the soaked TVP. Heat some oil in one of the pans you used before, and cook the TVP for about 3 minutes on high heat. Then add the onions and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add the garlic towards the end. Then add the tomato paste, stir well and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Deglaze with the red wine, let it evaporate.
- Then add the chopped tomatoes. Season with oregano, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat.
- Then layer the vegetables, potatoes and sauce in a casserole dish. Start and finish with the sauce.
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F. Then make the vegan béchamel sauce. Melt a tablespoon of vegan butter or margarine in a small saucepan. Once the margarine has melted, add a tablespoon of flour and stir well.
- Add the unsweetened oat or soy milk and simmer for about 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened considerably. Stir in the nutritional yeast and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Pour the béchamel sauce on top and spread evenly.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until the top is nicely browned. Check after 30 minutes and cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil if it gets too dark.
Notes
- You could also skip the zucchini and use more eggplant if you want to make a more "traditional" version. But I really like the combination of eggplant and zucchini in this dish!
- You can easily make this recipe ahead and then bake it on the next day. Or you could even reheat it in the oven or in the microwave.
- Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the vegan moussaka will last 3-4 days.
Nutrition
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