Healthy Vegan Moussaka
Are you a fan of Greek food? I must admit that I don’t eat it very often as most Greek dishes are meat-based. The Greek version of Moussaka includes layers of meat and eggplant topped with a Béchamel sauce. Other popular Greek dishes are Souvlaki, Gyros, and Tzatziki but there are so many more. Moussaka is the first Greek dish which I veganized and let me tell you I LOVE this vegan Moussaka recipe. It’s flavorful, satisfying, and very tasty!
Made with lentils
The traditional Moussaka recipes are made with lamb but some are made with beef. I decided to use lentils instead. Lentils are packed with fiber, minerals, proteins and they are are very healthy and good for our gut. However, you can also make this recipe with bulgur (if you aren’t gluten-free) or tofu instead of lentils. I haven’t tried the bulgur version as I prefer gluten-free ingredients but I heard it’s very delicious as well.
I used dry brown lentils and cooked them with some salt and water in a pot. Feel free to use tinned lentils though.
Eggplant Moussaka
I roasted the eggplants in the oven together with the potatoes. You just need to brush them with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. You could also fry them in a pan but since I used 3 big eggplants in this recipe (which I cut into 4 pieces each) it was actually easier and quicker to roast them in the oven. Eggplants add a wonderful flavor to this vegan Moussaka and did you know that they are very healthy? They are rich in many nutrients and antioxidants. They are high in fiber and low in calories, that’s why they could help with weight loss.
Meal prep recipe
This healthy vegan Moussaka tastes best right out of the oven but it can be also made a day ahead and then reheated in the oven or microwave, for example, at work. My boyfriend also loves to eat it cold!
This vegan Moussaka is:
- Hearty
- Flavorful
- Plant-based
- Lamb-free
- Gluten-free
- Fairly easy to make
- A great comfort dish
- Satisfying
Béchamel sauce
A traditional Béchamel sauce is made with butter, all-purpose flour, and milk. I’ve used vegan butter, cornstarch, and plant-based milk instead. You can use regular flour if you are not gluten-free. Instead of cornstarch, you could also use potato starch but you will need less because potato starch thickens more than cornstarch. I also added nutritional yeast flakes for a cheesy flavor.
Mashed potatoes as an alternative
If you don’t want to make the Béchamel sauce, you could also prepare this casserole with mashed potatoes. Check out my Vegan Shepherd’s Pie for the recipe.
Variations
You can make this vegan Moussaka without potatoes. It will be less filling but at the same time it will also contain less carbs. You could also use zucchinis instead of potatoes for a “low carb version”.
If you make this delicious casserole and maybe even take a photo of it, then I would love to see it. You can DM it to me on Instagram.
Don’t forget to tag me in your Insta caption + photo with @elavegan and use the hashtag #elavegan and I will gladly check out your post. And if you are a fan of casseroles, definitely also try out my following recipes: Potato Bake, Shepherd’s Pie, Pasta Bake. All recipes are gluten-free and vegan as well.
Vegan Moussaka
Ingredients
For the base:
- 2 pounds (1 kg) potatoes peeled
- 3 large eggplants
- Olive oil to brush
- Sea salt & pepper to sprinkle
For the lentil mixture:
- 3 cups (600 g) cooked lentils
- 2 cups (450 g) passata
- 1 cup (150 g) chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- pinch of cinnamon
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
For the béchamel sauce (*see recipe notes):
- 2 tbsp (28 g) vegan butter
- 2 cups (480 ml) plant-based milk
- 3 1/2 tbsp (28 g) cornstarch
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Vegan cheese to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Check the video below for easy visual instructions.Preheat oven to 390° F/200° C and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice each eggplant lengthwise into 4 pieces. Cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick slices. Arrange all slices in a single layer on the baking sheets and brush lightly with some olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly brown.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion & garlic and sauté for about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, all spices, and salt & pepper to taste. Finally, add the cooked lentils and let simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
- For the béchamel sauce, add the plant-based milk to a pan/skillet. Mix in the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, and whisk. Add the vegan butter and bring the mixture to a boil. Let simmer on low heat for a few minutes until it thickens. Whisk continuously. Remove from heat. Check the recipe notes if you don't want to make the béchamel sauce.
- Grease a 13"x9" (33x23 cm) or larger baking dish and arrange half of the potato and eggplant slices on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with the lentil mixture, followed by the remaining potato/eggplant slices (see photo above in the blog post). Pour the béchamel sauce on top and spread evenly. Add vegan cheese to taste (optional).
- Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can top the moussaka with mashed potatoes if you don't want to make the bechamel sauce. Check out my Vegan Shepherd's Pie for the mashed potato layer recipe.
- Recipe serves 6. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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Hey Ela
Can the vegan butter be substituted with oil or left out?
Hi think coconut oil should be fine. 🙂
Amazing recipe Ela, thank you! Im Aussie with one side Greek heritage and all my family loved this recipe – and none of them are vegan (except my BF). Moussaka has always been one of my favourite dishes of all time so I’ll be making this Vegan version from now on. Efharistó polí! xx
Aww, that’s so good to hear, Nico! Thanks for your wonderful feedback. 🙂
This dish is a winner! Comprehensive meal which was thoroughly enjoyed by all, even my kids:) I followed the recipe exactly as is and am soo impressed how easy it was to make and tastes amazing!!!
I am so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Nadira. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
thanks for the recipe. what kind of potatoes are best? how much nutritional yeast did you put in béchamel?
sorry i see the nutritional yeast now, my mistake
No worries, John! 🙂
Hi John, I would recommend all-purpose potatoes. 🙂
hello can you pls suggest the cooking time for the lentils so they don’t get mushy?
That depends on which type of lentils you use, if you soak them beforehand, etc. I typically use brown lentils and soak them for about 30 minutes. Then they cook in about 20 minutes. 🙂
Hi 🙂
How can I replace the Passata and the vegan butter?
Thanks!
Hi, you can use any tomato sauce of choice, and coconut oil might work too. 🙂
Hi Ela, I’ve made this many times now, it’s our favourite meatless recipe. Up to now I haven’t been brave enough to make the bechmel with a plantbased alternative to cows milk. Also I haven’t ever added any butter as I’m allergic to it so never have it in. Wouldn’t even want to purchase a vegan alternative as I hate the taste of any “spread” type product. It still tastes great, but of course that could be because I’m using cows milk. But I want to ask what vegan milk you use for the bechmel? I’m nervous about using tinned coconut milk as I’ve heard it doesn’t work well. Even though I use it all the time in curries and your Stroganoff. I’m guessing its best to avoid one that has a sweet aftertaste? As you can probably tell I’m clueless which to use, but really want to make this as a fully vegan Moussaka. Some advice would be a great help. Thanks
Hi Vicky, I use coconut milk (without sweetener) and it works very well. I believe almond milk or cashew milk should be fine too. I hope you will enjoy it. 🙂
Omg. This was bloody delicious. I have never commented on a recipe or site like this before but was so happy with that dinner (as was my non veggie chef boyfriend) that we literally just finished that I had to rave about it. I’m not strictly vegan but a vegetarian that tries to avoid dairy, however I live in a place where many things are not available. (For example i can’t buy passata or Vegan products).
My version was 1 cup oat milk and 1 cup cream and the butter was dairy.
It felt labor heavy because I had to make the milk and the passata too. My question is – why precook the aubergines and potatoes before? To use less pans and make things easier is it possible to put raw potatoes and aubergines with the cooked lentils and sauce and put it in the oven for longer? Appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks again!
Charli. (From England, living in Galápagos Islands)
Hi Charli! So happy you loved the recipe. 🙂 I never made the casserole with raw eggplants because I would be afraid they wouldn’t cook through. Also, if you leave everything in the oven for much longer, e.g. 50 minutes the lentils, etc. would be quite mushy. You can certainly give it a try though. 🙂
This was insanely delicious! I made it with raw potatoes and eggplant and doubled the bake time. It came out perfectly.
Sounds fantastic! I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Hi Ela
I used this recipe with bulgarwheat. I absolutely loved this tasty Moussaka and my husband couldn’t get enough of it. Definitely a winner and will be making it again soon. Thanks for sharing
So glad you liked the recipe, Daphne! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Hi Ela,
Thanks a lot for very detailed instructions!
I used green lentils.
It was very tasty 😋 we loved it a lot !
My pleasure, Roopa! So glad it turned out delicious with green lentils. 🙂
I just made it today too, delicious thank you 😊
My pleasure! I am so glad you liked it, Fran. 🙂
Hi Ela,
Thank you for sharing another lovely recipe.
Can’t wait to try this one! 😋
Do you think I could use cannelini beans or yellow split peas instead of lentils?
Thank you
Hi Hana! Yes, yellow split peas should be fine. 🙂
Thank you so much 😊
You are very welcome. 🙂
Hi ela, I was wondering with what can I replace the eggplant? Ps: I love your recipes
Zucchini would be an option. 🙂
Hi, had a question ..any specific lentils i should use for the sauce?
Hi, I used brown lentils but any lentils are fine except red lentils as they would be too mushy. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hi this was a very tasty recipe that everyone really enjoyed. We made it with red lentils which gave it a very smooth texture. Next time I will try it with green, brown or canned red so they hold their form. Thanks
Sounds great, Mike! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Hello! I have dry lentils and am wondering how much (so how many grams of dry lentils?) I gotta cook in order to get 600 grams cooked lentils?
Hello Sofie! You will need to cook 250 grams of dry lentils. 🙂
Thanks so much!! Trying this when having friends over for dinner today. Looks delicious!
You are welcome, Sofie! 🙂
What kind of vegan cheese would you recommend? Making this tonight and we have shredded mozzarella and cheddar, do you think either of those would be good?
Hi Jordan! Both sound good to me. 🙂
If I use burghul, how much should I use? 3 cups sounds a bit much. I plan to soak them in Tomato juice before I mix them into the sauce.
Do you mean Bulgur? 2 cups will be probably enough! 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and I’m stopping myself from going back for 3rds! I slightly adjusted the recipe as I didn’t have enough lentils—so I threw in some chickpeas with the lentils and it was sooo good! Such a perfect dinner option to help fight off the cold and bitterness of January!
Good idea to add chickpeas in addition! I am so glad you loved the recipe, Emily! 🙂
Hi, can’t wait to try this, what temp should the oven be set to and is it OK to freeze this after cooked?
Hey! Your question is already answered in the very first instruction step! “Preheat oven to 390° F/200° C…” 🙂
Sou mãe de uma adolescente vegana e Simplesmente amo suas receitas ❤️
Gratidão ☺️
Thanks for your kind comment, Simone! 🙂
Hi Ela,
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe in the next coming days. I have no vegan butter though, is this something I can skip/replace with sth else? What does the butter brings in to the dish? Taste or creaminess?
Thanks & keep up with the good work! 🙂
Hi Ronay! It adds both, creaminess AND flavor. You can use margarine or coconut oil. 🙂
This dish looks amazing and I’m definitely making it this week! Question: Can I use regular sweet potato here instead? Or maybe a mix? I have a few small white potatoes and one sweet, would be great to use what I have 😀
Yes, you can use a mix. 🙂
Delicious!! I substituted the lentils for vegan mince, thank you was amazing!!
Sounds great! Thanks for your feedback, Natalie. 🙂
hi, can this vegan mpoussake dish be assembled the day before and then cooked the day i serve. Or cooked and assembled the day before and reheated on the day i serve???
Hi! Cooked and assembled the day before and reheated on the day you serve it, should be fine! 🙂
So damn good!!! I made this for my partner who isn’t vegetarian or vegan and he loved it too! Thank you so much for this easy but delicious recipe to add to my collection!
Yay, that’s awesome Tara! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Hi Ela,
I myself don’t use vegan butter products, but I was curious if there was any way to substitute that with something else or omit entirely?
Thank you!! 🙂
You can make my easy vegan cheese sauce instead of the bechamel sauce: https://elavegan.com/easy-vegan-cheese-sauce-recipe/
Hey Roxanne,
I used olive oil instead and it was really good.
I have just made it and it is delicious!!
Thank you Ela!
I am glad you liked it, Mane! 🙂
At 66 I just made my 1st ever 100% vegan meal totally delicious thank you for showing me how to do it. Good food that tastes great John
That’s awesome, John! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Danke für das Rezept! Gibt es irgendeinen Käse den du empfehlen würdest? Habe bisher noch nicht den perfekten gefunden.
Ich verwende meine eigene Käsesoße. Aber es gibt bei euch in Deutschland bestimmt einige Anbieter die guten veganen Käse verkaufen. 🙂
Hast du gesehen, dass ich auch eine deutsche Seite habe? elavegan.com/de
I love, love your recipes,and vegan food,love eggplant and Greek food, this one looks delicious,will try it for sure, thank you for sharing.!
Awesome, I hope you will love the recipe, Marcy! 🙂
What kind of potatoes? Russet ok?
I used Yukon Gold but Russet should be fine too! 🙂
Hey! Thanks for the recipe it looks amazing!
I live in a remote area, any idea what I could replace the vegan butter with?
Margarine definitely works. You could also use coconut oil. 🙂
I just want to say WOW!!! what a delicious recipe!!, its so flavour and yummy! for sure going to do it again. Thanks a lot for share all that comes out in your brilliant mind!
I am so happy you loved the recipe, Camila! Thanks a lot for your feedback. 🙂
Ela this is delicious, all your recipes have been fab! Now have a few meals in the freezer, have been busy Collingwood food! Xx
That’s awesome Caroline! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback. 🙂
Made the recipe but without the béchamel sauce (mostly cause it was getting late a needed to get the food prep done before bedtime )
After cutting and placing portions in containers for the week I had some potatoes and lentils over in the dish so I got a taste of the results. So good that my cat didn’t get to lick clean the rest.
Thanks again for another delicious meal.
Awesome! Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback, Valeria. 🙂
Made it – love it! Is it ok to freeze leftovers?
Yes, it should be fine! 🙂
Hi, would oil work instead of vegan butter in the béchamel sauce? We are cutting back on oil so I don’t want to buy a box of butter to just have it sit in the fridge. Love the recipe and will be doing it today!
Hi Monika! I never tried making the sauce with oil but it should work. The taste might be different though. I hope you will like the recipe. 🙂
Fab comfort meal! Will be making it more often 🙂
Awesome! So glad you liked the vegan moussaka. 🙂
I have cooked this today for my parents as they are visiting for Mothering Sunday here in the UK. They are 82/84 years old and not vegan, but were super excited to ‘try something different’ and were fascinated to see what I do actually eat, now I’m eating plant based only! We all loved it! The recipe is so easy to follow ( I made half the quantity and omitted the potatoes) and along with various salad options, it made for a terrific lunch! Thank you so much and I will definitely take a few moments to look through your other recipes! PS. May I add how super helpful having the actual weight marked against the recipe is for us non cup savvy peeps!
Aww, that’s awesome, Caroline! I am so glad you all enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for your sweet comment! 🙂
Hi! Ithis freezable? 🙂
I haven’t tried it but yes it should be freezable! 🙂
Hi Ela, what kind of lentils the you used? green, red, brown?
Hello! I typically use brown lentils. 🙂
Rating done. I didn’t realize that feature was there. 😮
Thank you very much! 🙂
I am typing between mouthfuls of this gastronomic delight. I made a few changes because I wanted less starch and I worked with what was on hand. Here goes: I added sliced button mushrooms to the onions halfway through cooking them…I am addicted to mushrooms, they are meaty and satisfying and added bulk. My two aubergines (eggplants) were small, so I used courgettes (zucchini) as well. I sliced and roasted both vegetables as you instructed. I added tomato paste because the lentil mixture was looking a bit pale. Also added a little Scotchbonnet pepper for heat and because it’s in my Jamaican DNA. Added extra nutritional yeast to the cheese sauce, plus some grated almond cheese that melted well and was hanging around in my fridge way too long. 🙂 I suspected the bean mixture would be too runny and it needed something starchy to absorb the excess liquid, so I added one layer of lentil, lasagne pasta close to the bottom. It was the most delicious Moussaka or Lasagne 😉 EVER. Your seasoning was perfect. Your boyfriend is correct, it’s also delicious cold. I’m having a cold slice with coffee at this very moment. BTW, the none vegans loved it and I had to hide this one slice for today. Thanks for sharing this deliciousness that I will be making at least once per week. I’ll save a slice for you on Instagram.
Wonderful! Thanks for your thorough feedback! It’s very helpful. Would you mind also leaving a rating for this recipe? Thanks! 🙂
Made it today, and it was so fabulous! My mom loved it too, so it’s 100% approved 😉 Being fully whole food plant-exclusive, I didn’t use any oil or salt, swapped the coconut sugar for homemade date syrup, and made a thick cashew milk to substitute for the plant milk + vegan butter for the béchamel sauce. Also didn’t have any nooch on hand, but it turned out so fantastic anyways! Only had red lentils, cooked them with the sauce and it went really well. Really, really tasty and wholesome 🙂 Also had to exchange thyme and oregano for marjoram and basil since that’s what I had, which worked nicely too 🙂 I left it for quite a bit longer in the oven actually, was doing some baking and didn’t want the moussaka to get cold until I could eat it, haha. Lowered the heat tp 175 C/350 F for that after it had been in there the suggested time, it didn’t get bad or anything and just got a little more colour 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing, my mom always sees your posts on Instagram and gets so excited for the food, it’s such a great way for her to get ideas for what she wants me to make 🙂 Wishing you a lovely day <3
Awww, that’s awesome! I am super happy you loved this recipe! Thanks so much for your fantastic feedback. I really appreciate it! 🙂
This was so delicious! I’ve tried a couple of your recipes now and your blog is quickly becoming a favourite! Thanks for sharing your recipes
So happy you liked the recipe! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
This inspired me to make a lasagna, I just swoped the potatos for lasagna sheets. I love this is low fat and so easy to make! The bachemal sauce was delicious, but for my own twist, I added some garlic powder to it. Thank you for the recipe!
Wonderful! Thanks for your amazing feedback, Abby! 🙂
Lecker ????
❤️❤️❤️
I just made it this lunch cause i love greek food, specially moussaka, and as i’m vegan, was looking for a good recipe ! And everybody liked it, and i was happy to have a bit of the greek vibes ! As i’m a eggplantlover, i will say to put more haha ! Thank you for the recipe, i will do it again !
That’s wonderful! Thanks for your excellent feedback! 🙂
Made the Moussaka yesterday, it was very delicious! Thank you for the recipe! (and all the others!)
Hi,
I’m new to your blog but I’ve been vegan for a few years. I made this recipe today and it is so delicious!! It did take me about an hour of prep time but I think as I make it more it will be faster.. still worth taking the time to get a hearty healthy meal! I added garlic vegan buttered bread crumbs to the top though!! Im excited to make more of your recipes!
Thanks for your great feedback, William! I really appreciate it. 🙂
Just made it! I am in Ironman training, and vegan the nutritional value from this is perfect! Especially during the winter months. I have tried making Bechamel sauce before and failed so was a little sceptical! This recipe was easy and it turned and great!!! Thank you!
Amazing! Thanks a lot for your fantastic feedback! I am glad you like my recipe. 🙂
Ela, this dinner looks incredibly easy and healthy. I love lentils, recently we are eating a lot of them, and wow, much energy after a lentil meal so thanks for this great recipe! Dee xx
Thank you very much, Dee! Yes, I agree, lentils deliver so much energy, they are amazing. 🙂
This looks so good! Love that you made it with lentils ???? so healthy and delicious!
Lots of love, Bianca ❤️
Thank you, Bianca! I wish I could share it with you. 🙂
I’ve already tried it today, great! ????
Yay! I am so glad you liked it, Ana! Thanks for leaving a great feedback. 🙂
Hi!
Firstly I’d like to say that I truly love your recipes. They are very easy to make and I find them super delicious! As I am estonian living in Greece and kind of a super fan of this food, it makes me really sad that people have this misconception about greek food not having vegan dishes. It is true that most people love their meat here. But there are loads of vegan options everywhere you go! Pita gyros and souvlaki are fast food, not real and healthy greek food. No one used to eat that 30 years ago. Just like no one used to eat big chain garbage food in Estonia same amount of years ago. I’m just going to name some of my favorite vegan options: horta, gigantes, zucchini keftedes, chickpea patties, gemista (is made with and without meat), dolmades, fava, fava soup, fakes, spanakopita (is made with and without feta cheese and butter), spanakorizo (rice and spinach dish), you can always ask greek salad without feta), grilled mushrooms with garlic. These are just ones I consume in an ordinary week. Most loved fat that is used is olive oil, greek grannys tend to make vegetables swim in it ???? And almost every family has their own olive oil and claim it to be the best there is. (That is in island at least). Healthy neighborly competition. Anyway. I guess the best is to come and see yourself. I know I fell in love with this food. Haven’t met anyone who didn’t! ????
-A
Hi and thanks for your thorough comment! I am excited to learn about these vegan Greek dishes. I visited Greece when I was 16 and still remember the good food. I wasn’t vegan back then (I was vegetarian though). I wish I could travel to Greece again, now many years later, and check out all the vegan dishes you mentioned. Would be wonderful! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I’m so glad you shared all the vegan Greek options. I’m of Greek background (living in Australia) and have been vegan 20 years. I would say sooooo many of the traditional dishes are vegan. There’s so much variety!