Vegan Moussaka With Lentils Recipe
By Earth of Maria
🔪Prep Time: 30 mins
👩🍳Cook Time: 25 mins
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant
3 medium potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup red lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, diced
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp tamari
1 lemon, juice of
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups plant based milk
Instructions
1Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
2Prepare the potatoes and eggplant by slicing them into thin circles, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and stir together well.
3Arrange the vegetables on the baking tray, and bake for 25 minutes, until crispy and fully cooked through.
4Cook the red lentils for 8-10 minutes, until softened but not mushy. Drain and rinse when done.
5Heat olive oil in a large frying pan or saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, bell peppers, and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
6Now add the fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, paprika, dried oregano, and tamari. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
7At the last minute, stir in the cooked lentils together with the lemon juice.
8Melt the vegan butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and 1/4 cup of the plant based milk. Whisk together and once no lumps remain, gradually add the rest of the milk and whisk continuously. The Bechamel is done when it's very thick and smooth. The whole process should take about 5 minutes.
9Add a layer of the roasted potatoes and eggplant circles to the bottom of a large rectangular dish. Next, add the lentil filling and flatten it down gently. Follow this up with the rest of the vegetables and the Bechamel sauce.
10Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
