Vegan Moussaka

Here comes one of my favorite Greek dishes veganized. Besides using only plant-based ingredients, I made a few simplifying changes to the original way it is prepared. Instead of pan-frying potatoes and eggplants in batches which is very time- and oil consuming, I let my oven do the work. You get the same wonderful taste without oil splattering all over the place. On top of that, your waistline will thank you. Check out my notes for a soy-free idea!

Remember to:

• soak cashews for at least 4 hours
• freeze tofu and thaw ahead of time (*please see notes!)

You need: 

• a high speed blender
• large casserole dish, about 14 x 9″ (35 x 23 cm)

Ingredients: (for about 8 servings)

• 3 lbs (1300 g) all purpose potatoes (I used a red skin variety), cut into ¼ inch (½ cm) slices
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 eggplants (about 2 lbs/900 g), cut into scant ½ inch (1 cm) slices
• 1 cup vegetable broth (preferably with homemade veggie broth concentrate)

For the red sauce:

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 lb (450 g) super firm tofu, frozen and thawed
• 8 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• two 18.3 oz (520 g) jars crushed tomatoes (I use this brand)
• 2½ tsp Celtic sea salt
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 tsp maple syrup
• 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves (optional)

For white sauce:

• 2 generous cups (280 g) raw, unsalted cashews, soaked in filtered water for at least 4 hours, drained
• 1½ cups (350 ml) water
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast

Garnish (optional):

• halved grape tomatoes
• fresh Mediterranean herbs like oregano, basil, thyme

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C.

In a large bowl, toss potato slices with 3 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp Celtic sea salt, and 1 tsp dried oregano. Transfer to the casserole dish.

Place eggplant slices onto a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle evenly with 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth. Make sure they are well coated.

Place casserole dish with potatoes and baking sheet with eggplants in the oven (middle rack) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until potatoes are slightly browned and eggplants are soft. Flip everything after 20 minutes and make sure that eggplants don’t burn. If necessary, add a little bit more vegetable broth.

While potatoes and eggplants are in the oven, make the red sauce.

Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the tofu. After freezing, it feels a little bit like a sponge. Use your fingers to make tofu crumbles.

Preheat a large pot or saucepan over medium heat.

Add olive oil, diced onion, and tofu crumbles. Sauté for 10 – 15 minutes until onion is soft and tofu is slightly crispy. Add garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes.

Now add remaining red sauce ingredients, except for fresh oregano, and cook for about 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. You might also have to reduce heat to medium low. Season to taste and stir in fresh oregano at the end of cooking time.

When eggplants and potatoes are done, remove from oven but don’t turn it off.

Place all the white sauce ingredients into your high speed blender and blend at highest setting for about 3 minutes until hot and creamy.

Now it’s time to put everything together and layer the moussaka.

Pour red sauce over baked potatoes into the casserole dish and distribute evenly.

Place eggplants on top of the sauce layer.

The white sauce makes the last layer. Pour it over eggplants and distribute evenly.

If you want, you can add some halved plum tomatoes.

Bake moussaka at 400°F / 200°C in the oven for about 40 minutes.

Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!

Notes:

• *Freezing and thawing tofu changes its texture and makes it more chewy. Make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. I always keep some tofu in the freezer, so I have it on hand when I need it.
• For a soy free version, you can use 1 lb (450 g) cooked chickpeas instead of tofu. In this case, sauté diced onion in olive oil for only 7-10 minutes. Add garlic, sauté for 2 minutes, then add chickpeas with remaining ingredients and continue to follow the recipe.