Vegan Mains, Vegan Casseroles, Vegan Recipes with Lentils

Vegan Moussaka with Beluga Lentils

Name: Vegan Moussaka with Beluga Lentils
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients: For the casserole:; 750 g (1.66 lb) potatoes (waxy); 125 g (4.5 oz) beluga lentils; 2 eggplants; 2 tomatoes; For the lentil-tomato sauce:; 1 onion; 2 garlic cloves; 100 g (3.5 oz) sunflower seeds (optional); 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tbsp agave syrup; 1 tbsp dried oregano; 1 tbsp dried thyme; 1 tbsp dried marjoram; 1 tsp cinnamon; 100 ml (0.5 cup) vegan red wine (or red wine vinegar); 150 ml (0.66 cup) vegetable broth; 400 g (14 oz) chopped tomatoes; For the béchamel sauce:; 3 tbsp vegan butter; 2 tbsp wheat flour (type 405); 400 ml (1.66 cups) plant-based milk; 3 tbsp nutritional yeast; nutmeg; Also:; vegetable oil, for frying; olive oil, for greasing; salt; pepper

A recipe by Julia Justus | Photos by Anna Germek

There are dishes that just belong in your regular recipe rotation. Lasagna is one of them – and today, our vegan moussaka with beluga lentils joins that same family: Greece's answer to lasagna, just with potatoes, eggplant, and tomatoes instead of pasta. But don't worry: yes, it takes a few more steps than your average weeknight meal, but none of them are complicated. And in the end, you'll have a baked dish on the table that's worth every minute.

What exactly is moussaka?
Moussaka is a hearty casserole that originally comes from Greek cuisine, though similar versions are also known in Turkey and the Balkans. What makes this casserole so special is the way it's layered: pre-cooked potatoes, pre-fried eggplant slices, a vegan "ground meat" sauce (we use beluga lentils and sunflower seeds as a stand-in for ground meat), and a vegan béchamel sauce.

Why beluga lentils, of all things?
Beluga lentils hold their shape even after cooking, which gives the filling the structure it needs. If you don't have any on hand, you can swap them for brown or green lentils – just keep an eye on the cooking time. We'd steer clear of red lentils, though, since they fall apart quickly and can make the filling mushy. The sunflower seeds add a nice bit of bite, too.

Can you prep moussaka ahead of time?
Yes, really well, actually. The lentil-tomato sauce, the fried eggplant, and the béchamel sauce can all be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. The next day, all that's left to do is layer everything and bake. Moussaka also makes fantastic leftovers – just reheat it in the oven or microwave. And if you like, you can even freeze the fully baked moussaka in individual portions.

A few more cooking tips

It's really worth sprinkling the eggplant with salt and letting it release its water beforehand. Same goes for frying it before layering – it makes the flavor even more intense.
Use waxy potatoes. Once cooked, they're much easier to slice and won't fall apart when you layer them.
Don't forget the nutritional yeast. It gives your béchamel sauce a pleasantly savory, cheesy flavor.
You can leave out the red wine, of course, and just use a splash of dark vinegar to deglaze instead – that works well, too.
Maybe really split up the work with someone. Cooking together is always more fun!

Vegan side dishes for moussaka
We loooove a crunchy salad alongside a casserole, so as a fresh side for your moussaka, we can highly recommend our summer salad with grilled peaches or avocado cucumber salad with grapefruit and tofu.

We've updated this recipe
The original recipe dates back to our Zucker&Jagdwurst early days, so it's pretty old by now. To make it a bit more everyday-friendly, we've simplified it for you: instead of a cashew sauce, we now make a simple béchamel, the miso paste is gone, and we've given you alternatives for some ingredients. Plus, there are new photos to help you follow along with the steps as easily as possible. Enjoy!

You can see all the ingredients from above. The eggplant is being fried.

The lentil Bolognese is prepared in three steps.

Preparing vegan moussaka: eggplants in oil, spreading sauce with spatula, arranging tomatoes on eggplants

Vegan Moussaka with Beluga Lentils

5 servings

60 minutes (+40 minutes baking time)

Ingredients

For the casserole:

750 g (1.66 lb) potatoes (waxy)

125 g (4.5 oz) beluga lentils

2 eggplants

2 tomatoes

For the lentil-tomato sauce:

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

100 g (3.5 oz) sunflower seeds (optional)

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp agave syrup

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

1 tbsp dried marjoram

1 tsp cinnamon

100 ml (0.5 cup) vegan red wine (or red wine vinegar)

150 ml (0.66 cup) vegetable broth

400 g (14 oz) chopped tomatoes

For the béchamel sauce:

3 tbsp vegan butter

2 tbsp wheat flour (type 405)

400 ml (1.66 cups) plant-based milk

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

nutmeg

Also:

vegetable oil, for frying

olive oil, for greasing

salt

pepper

Instructions

Peel the potatoes, cover with salted water in a pot, and cook for approximately 20 minutes, until soft. In another pot, simmer the lentils according to the package instructions until tender. Season the lentils with salt only after cooking.
Meanwhile, cut the eggplants into slices approximately 1 centimeter thick, spread them out on a large baking sheet, and salt them. Let sit for approximately 10 minutes so they release some water, then pat dry. While that's happening, cut the tomatoes into thicker slices, and peel and finely dice the onion and garlic cloves.
Once the potatoes and lentils are done, drain both. Season the lentils with salt and set aside. Let the potatoes cool briefly, cut into slices, and set aside as well.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices on both sides until golden brown, then let drain on paper towels.
For the lentil-tomato sauce, fry the diced onion and garlic in the same large pan until the onion turns translucent. Add the sunflower seeds and fry along for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste, agave syrup, dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, and cinnamon, fry briefly, then deglaze with the vegan red wine. Let everything reduce for 2–3 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, chopped tomatoes, and the pre-cooked lentils, stir well, and let the sauce simmer for at least 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/374°F (convection). For the béchamel sauce, melt the vegan butter in a small pot. Stir in the flour and sauté for approximately 1 minute over low heat. Gradually add the plant-based milk while stirring constantly, so no lumps form. Once the sauce thickens, reduce the heat slightly and keep stirring until creamy. Season with nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. If the béchamel gets too thick, stir in a bit more plant-based milk.
Grease a casserole dish with olive oil. Layer the potato slices in the dish, then spread about half of the eggplant slices on top. Add the lentil layer evenly, then cover with the remaining eggplant and tomato slices. Finally, pour the béchamel sauce over the top and smooth it out.
Bake the moussaka at 190°C/374°F (convection) for 30–40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Let it sit for approximately 15 minutes before slicing.