This vegan moussaka layers tender roasted eggplant & potatoes with hearty lentil ragu and a creamy bechamel sauce for a cozy, comforting, crowd-pleasing family dinner! The recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and made with wholesome ingredients.
Creamy, Cozy, Comforting Vegan Moussaka Recipe
For years, Greek moussaka was a dish I had to order if it was on a menu. However, with fried eggplant, a meaty beef/lamb filling, and dairy bechamel topping, the traditional version is not even slightly vegan-friendly and sat heavy in my tummy. Luckily, it turns out it’s fairly easy to make a vegan moussaka recipe that’s every bit as decadent and delicious in a simple, healthier way.
This healthy moussaka combines roasted (rather than fried) eggplant and potatoes with a hearty tomato lentil ‘meat’ sauce and cornstarch-thickened creamy vegan bechamel. It’s soy-free, nut-free, and made with only simple, wholesome ingredients that will fill you up without weighing you down.
Even better, it’s fairly nutrient-packed, with the combination of lentils, potato, eggplant, and tomatoes supplying several vitamins & minerals, antioxidants, gut-friendly fiber, and plenty of plant-based protein. The result is a comforting, hearty, satisfying dish that’s wonderfully indulgent and great for impressing family, friends, and guests at a mid-week meal or on special occasions.
Looking for more ways to enjoy budget-friendly, protein-dense lentils? Check out my comforting lentil shepherd’s pie, hearty vegan Bolognese, and cozy lentil stew or lentil dal. Or browse my list of 24 Best Vegan Lentil Recipes.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
The Eggplant Potato Topping:
- Potatoes: Use an all-purpose variety like Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes.
- Eggplant: Use medium-large eggplants free from brown or soft spots and heavy for their size. You may need an extra one, depending on their size.
- Olive oil: Or another neutral cooking oil, like avocado oil.
- Sea salt & black pepper: To season the veg.
- Fresh herbs: To garnish – like flat-leaf parsley or dill.
The Lentil Filling:
- Lentils: It’s best to use canned (or home-cooked) green or brown lentils, as they hold their shape best when cooked for meatier consistency.
- Olive oil: Or another neutral cooking oil, like avocado oil.
- Tomatoes: This ragu-like sauce relies on both tomato passata and chopped tomatoes for richness, flavor, and texture.
- Aromatics: Combining yellow or white onion and garlic creates a flavor-packed base.
- Seasonings: A few simple pantry herbs and spices are all you need for heaps of flavor.
- Bay leaves
- Dried thyme
- Oregano
- Paprika
- Cinnamon
- Sea salt & black pepper (or use soy sauce for extra umami flavor)
- Sweetener: I use a little coconut sugar (brown sugar will work, too) to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Adjust the amount or omit it to taste.
Creamy Vegan Bechamel Sauce:
- Vegan butter: Use a high-quality unsalted vegan butter, like Miyoko’s/ Earth Balance.
- Plant-based milk: Use unsweetened dairy-free milk. E.g., soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk.
- Cornstarch: This starch will help to thicken the sauce for a tasty gluten-free moussaka. However, regular flour works too. Or potato starch – though you’ll need less.
- Nutritional Yeast: A small amount of nutritional yeast helps add a subtle cheesy flavor.
- Nutmeg: While subtle, this addition adds a little ‘something special’.
- Sea salt & Pepper: To season to taste.
- Vegan cheese: (Optional) Use meltable shredded cheese for extra ooey-gooey deliciousness.
Alternatively, substitute the béchamel sauce with mashed potatoes, like in my vegan Shepherd’s pie recipe and double up on the eggplant for beneath.
What Could I Add to a Vegan Moussaka?
- Mushrooms: Optionally add finely chopped mushrooms (cremini, button, etc.)/ dried mushrooms to the lentil ragu for an even meatier, umami-rich flavor and texture.
- For spice: Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to the ‘meat’ sauce.
- Wine: A splash of vegan dry red wine to de-glaze the pan after sauteing the aromatics adds wonderful richness and depth to the ragu.
- Vegetables: To make a mixed vegetable moussaka, boost the nutrients and texture with shredded or finely diced carrots, zucchini, shredded cauliflower/broccoli, peas, and/or several handfuls of spinach or kale.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Regular or gluten-free for a crispy topping.
- Lemon wedges: To serve with the veggie moussaka for added ‘brightness’ and depth.
Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.
How to Make Vegan Lentil Moussaka
1: Prepare the Eggplant and Potatoes
- First, preheat the oven to 390 °F/200 °C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Then, slice each eggplant into 4-5 lengthwise slices (about ¼-inch thick) and the potatoes into ½-inch (1 cm) thick slices.
- Once sliced, arrange the slices in a single layer across the baking sheets, lightly brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake them for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
2: Prepare the Lentil Moussaka Filling
- Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and mince the garlic while heating a little oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, sauté the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes, until translucent.
- Then add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, and all the spices (including salt and pepper to taste). Stir, add the lentils, and let it simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
3: Prepare the Vegan Bechamel Sauce
- Add the plant-based milk to a small saucepan/skillet with the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper, and whisk well.
- Then, add the dairy-free butter and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately lower to a simmer and stir/whisk constantly until it thickens. Remove it from the heat and set aside.
4: Assemble and Bake the Vegan Moussaka
- Grease a 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish with vegan butter or oil and arrange half the potato and eggplant slices across the bottom of the dish.
- Top that with the lentil mixture, followed by the remaining eggplant and potato slices.
- Pour the bechamel sauce over the top and spread it evenly. Then, optionally, sprinkle some vegan cheese over the top.
- Transfer the potato eggplant moussaka to the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top with tender eggplant/potato and a bubbling filling. Finally, optionally garnish with herbs, and enjoy!
Leave it to rest for about 20 minutes for even better flavor and easier slicing.
What to Serve with Vegan Moussaka
Enjoy a portion of this vegan lentil moussaka alone, or make a heartier and/or more well-rounded meal with a side of:
- Vegan yogurt: Just a dollop for creaminess.
- Bread: Like pita bread, flatbread, or garlic bread.
- Salad: Like a leafy green salad, Greek salad, or tabbouleh.
- Vegetables: Add extra nutrients to the meal with grilled/roasted red peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, etc.
- Mezze: Like vegan tzatziki and hummus with pita bread, olives, stuffed grape leaves, etc.
- Grains: Like my Greek tomato rice, veggie quinoa pilaf, couscous, etc.
Storage Information
Make ahead: Prepare and assemble the moussaka 1-2 days in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. When baking, let it come to room temperature first for 40-60 minutes.
Store: This tastes amazing right out the oven but also makes delicious leftovers, too. Leave it to cool, cover the dish, and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freeze: Once cooled, separate the veggie moussaka into portions in freezer-safe airtight containers/ Ziplock bags, and freeze for 2-3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Reheat the lentil moussaka in individual portions in the microwave (1-2 minutes) or in larger amounts, covered with foil, in the oven at 350F/175C (15-30 minutes based on size).
FAQs
Can I substitute the lentils?
You could use TVP or your favorite vegan mince alternative instead of lentils if preferred. Tofu or bulgur wheat will also work.
Can I use dried lentils?
Dried lentils will require pre-cooking first. Otherwise, you’d need to make changes to the recipe, adding broth to the ragu layer and leaving it to simmer for longer for the lentils to cook.
Should I salt the eggplant slices?
I’ve tried this vegan moussaka recipe with and without salting the eggplant and didn’t find enough difference to warrant the extra time and effort.
However, if you’re using Heirloom eggplant/have issues with bitter eggplants where you live, feel free to salt the slices for 30 minutes before roasting.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Don’t omit the oil: While you don’t need loads, a little oil to bake the eggplant helps produce the best, most tender (not rubbery at all) texture.
- Leave it to rest: It’s important to give it time to slightly thicken/set for cleaner slicing.
- Potatoes vs. no potatoes: You can make this vegan moussaka recipe entirely with eggplant, only potato, or even replace the potato (or eggplant) with zucchini.
More Hearty Vegan Dinner Recipes
- Vegan Lasagna Soup
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Pasta Bake
- Curried Cauliflower Casserole
- Mexican Pinto Bean Soup
- Vegan Goulash
If you try this easy vegan moussaka recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan #elavegan—I love seeing them.
Vegan Moussaka
Ingredients
Eggplant and Potatoes
- 2 pounds (1 kg) potatoes peeled
- 3 large eggplants
- Olive oil to brush
- Sea salt & pepper to sprinkle
Lentil Moussaka Filling
- 3 cups (600 g) cooked lentils (about 1 1/2 cups dried)
- 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
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- Sea salt & pepper to taste
Vegan 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
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- Vegan cheese to taste (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Eggplant and Potatoes
- Check the video in the post for visual instructions.First, preheat the oven to 390 °F/200 °C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Then, slice each eggplant into 4-5 lengthwise slices and the potatoes into ½-inch (1 cm) thick slices.
- Once sliced, arrange the slices in a single layer across the baking sheets, lightly brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake them for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Prepare the Lentil Moussaka Filling
- Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion and mince the garlic while heating a little oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Once hot, sauté the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes, until translucent.
- Then add the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, and all the spices (including salt and pepper to taste). Stir, add the lentils, and let it simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.
Prepare the Vegan Bechamel Sauce (see recipe notes)
- Add the plant-based milk to a small saucepan/skillet with the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper, and whisk well.
- Then, add the dairy-free butter and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Immediately lower to a simmer and stir/whisk constantly until it thickens. Remove it from the heat and set aside.
Assemble and bake the Vegan Moussaka
- Grease a 9x13-inch (23x33cm) baking dish with vegan butter or oil and arrange half the potato and eggplant slices across the bottom of the dish.
- Top that with the lentil mixture, followed by the remaining eggplant and potato slices.
- Pour the bechamel sauce over the top and spread it evenly. Then, optionally, sprinkle some vegan cheese over the top.
- Transfer the potato eggplant moussaka to the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top with tender eggplant/potato and a bubbling filling. Finally, optionally garnish with herbs, and 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.
- Leave the finished dish to rest for about 20 minutes for even better flavor and easier slicing.
- Recipe serves 6. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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Hi I want to cook this tonight but was wondering could I replace the lentil layer with a walnut/mushroom meat?
Hey, I never tried it, but I think it should be fine. 🙂
Delicious moussaka, even my man aaproved it, so that’s a big deal ???????????? But it took me at least two hours to make it… Also bechamel souce was quite strange and not really thick (probably because I did not disolve it first in the a milk… Also had no nutritional yeast). Anyways thanks foe the this rich and comforting food recipe!
You are very welcome!
Sauce taste great but is very runny. Even when I used less milk and more cornflour. I am not sure how to get it right.
Hi Mar, did you use cornflour or cornstarch? There is a difference.
Hi Ela! I love the taste of eggplant but am not a fan of leaving on the skin and for some reason, I don’t like big slices of eggplant, but prefer smaller pieces. So, do you think, it’s ok to peel the eggplant and to cut it in cubes (before roasting)?
Hi Christine, I think that should be fine too! 🙂
What is passita?
It’s called passata, and it’s a tomato sauce. You can use Google image search for more info. 🙂
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! 🙂
Hi there
Can you freeze the moussaka for later? And how long would it last in the fridge?
Also I forgot to roast the eggplant in the oven, I’ve sliced the eggplant about 0.5cm thick would that cook the eggplant through?
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried freezing it, but it should be fine. And yes, the eggplant should be cooked through.
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. 🙂