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For a special occasion, this vegan moussaka is the ultimate hearty meatless entree. Free of meat and dairy yet full of flavor, it features layers of flavorful roasted vegetables, a lentil-mushroom filling, and a delectable baked hummus topping. No processed meat substitutes here! This all-natural, healthy, and flavorful casserole is sure to impress.
Love moussaka? Try my roasted vegetable moussaka, too!
I often work on developing hearty, dairy-free, and meatless vegan recipes for passover and other holidays, and this baked vegan moussaka is a new favorite. Inspired by my family’s love for Greek food, this dish delivers big, savory flavor without any animal products. I’ve served it to meat eaters with rave reviews, making it a show-stopping option for plant-based holiday meals or special occasions.
The creamy topping is a game-changer! It’s a hummus-béchamel sauce hybrid that mimics traditional moussaka’s richness without the need for dairy. While this recipe takes time and planning, it’s absolutely worth the effort. Assemble most of it a day or two in advance, then bake before serving. Whether you serve it as a vegan main dish or a hearty side, this recipe is guaranteed to impress.
What is Moussaka?
If you’re unfamiliar, traditional moussaka is a Mediterranean baked casserole known as a Greek specialty, though it has roots in both the Middle East and the Balkans. Classic moussaka features layers of eggplant and/or potatoes, a hearty meat sauce made with either lamb or beef, and a rich béchamel sauce. Baked until golden brown and bubbly, it’s a comfort food dish that can almost be thought of as a Mediterranean shepherd’s pie.
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the complete details!
Layered Ingredients
- Veggies – Zucchini, Russet potatoes, eggplants, garlic, onion, mushrooms, red bell pepper, and red tomatoes form the bulk of the moussaka, adding vitamins, fiber, and nutrients.
- Lentils – Use any type of lentils you like best in place of meat.
- Herbs and Spices – Fresh dill, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper create an herbaceous, savory flavor with lots of depth and a hint of spice.
- Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil adds health benefits to the dish and helps create a caramelized effect with the veggies, bringing out their natural sweetness without the need for butter. That said, vegan butter will also work, if preferred.
Hummus Topping
- Chickpeas – Blended until smooth, these create a creamy, dairy-free base for the topping, while adding plant-based protein and fiber.
- Milk – I use unsweetened almond milk to blend the ingredients while keeping the recipe vegan. However, any dairy-free milk you have on hand will work, such as cashew milk or oat milk.
- Herbs and Spices – Salt, pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and fresh parsley give the topping a warm, savory taste that pairs well with the filling.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This adds richness and helps sauté the aromatics, enhancing their flavor.
- Aromatics – Onion and garlic are sautéeed until golden and fragrant, providing a sweet, pungent taste.
- All-Purpose Flour – This helps thicken the topping, creating creamy vegan bechamel sauce. If needed, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour to keep your vegan moussaka gluten-free.
How to Make The Best Vegan Moussaka Recipe
This recipe requires a bit of planning and patience, but the end result is so worth it!
- Roast the vegetables. Spread the zucchini, potatoes, and garlic in an even layer on greased baking sheets. Roast in a preheated oven until the veggies are golden and tender.
- Prep and roast the eggplant. In the meantime, peel the eggplant skin. Then, slice them slightly thicker than ¼ inch. Spread the eggplant slices on greased baking sheets, season with salt and pepper, and roast until tender, switching the racks halfway.
- Sauté the mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add the sliced mushrooms, and sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes. Stir and cook for another minute, then remove from the pan and reserve.
- Make the lentil filling. In the same pan, sauté the diced onion until soft. Add the roasted bell pepper, chopped garlic, lentils, reserved mushrooms, diced tomatoes, dill, oregano, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cayenne, and salt. Cook to combine, stirring frequently.
- Layer the moussaka. Lightly grease a baking dish with oil or cooking spray. Layer half the eggplant on the bottom, followed by half the zucchini and potatoes, then all of the lentil filling. Top with remaining zucchini, potatoes, and eggplant.
- Pre-bake. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. If prepping ahead, refrigerate after layering and bake when ready to serve.
- Make the hummus topping. Blend chickpeas, almond milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth. In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic, then whisk in flour. Then, stir in the chickpea mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking until thick and creamy.
- Add the topping and bake again. Spread the hummus topping over the pre-baked moussaka, sprinkle with paprika, and bake again until bubbly. Optional: broil for 1–2 minutes to brown the top (avoid broiling if using a glass dish).
- Cool, slice, and serve. Let your vegan moussaka recipe cool slightly. Then, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and enjoy warm!
Tori’s Tips for Success
- Roast in layers for the best texture – Roast the vegetables in stages and on separate sheets so everything caramelizes instead of steaming. This adds rich depth to the final dish and prevents the filling from becoming mushy.
- Switch oven racks midway through baking – Rotating the baking sheets helps all the veggies brown evenly. Don’t flip the vegetables. Just switch the trays!
- Broil carefully – For a golden top, broil the moussaka for 1–2 minutes at the end. Skip this step if using a glass baking dish to avoid cracking!
- Rest before serving – Cooling moussaka for at least 15 minutes before slicing allows the layers to set, making for cleaner, sturdier portions.
Vegan Moussaka
A crave-worthy vegan casserole with layers of flavorful roasted vegetables, a lentil-mushroom filling, and a delectable baked hummus topping.
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Email Me RecipesServings: 12 servings
Ingredients
Layered Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium) sliced thin
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large) peeled and sliced thin
- 3 pounds small to medium sized eggplants
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 cups diced onion
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups cooked or steamed lentils
- 1 roasted red bell pepper, seeded, peeled and sliced thin
- 3 cups diced ripe red tomatoes OR 2 cans (15 oz. each) diced tomatoes – I like using fire roasted!
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you prefer a spicy kick you can use 1/2 tsp)
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 9 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper, more or less to taste
Topping Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups chickpeas (garbanzo beans), cooked and drained or canned and drained
- 3 cups unsweetened almond milk, or your favorite dairy-free unsweetened milk (soy, etc.)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons flour, or use gluten free cup-for-cup flour substitute
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
To Make Layered Moussaka Casserole
- Place racks on the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets with 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil each. Spread out the zucchini on one sheet, the potatoes on another, and add the 3 garlic cloves to one of the sheets. The vegetables may overlap in a few places, which is fine. Brush veggies lightly with a little more olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Place baking sheet with potatoes on the upper rack of the oven. Place sheet with zucchini on the lower half. Roast veggies for 10 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and place them back in the oven, switching racks (zucchini and garlic on top, potatoes on bottom). Do not flip the vegetables themselves. Roast for about 5 more minutes, until veggies are tender and turning golden brown (check the bottoms of the veggies for browning).
- While potatoes and zucchini are roasting, remove the stem ends from the eggplants. Peel strips from the eggplants so that they have thin stripes of peel remaining down the sides (they will be half-peeled).
- Cut the eggplants into slices a little thicker than 1/4 inch.
- When potatoes and zucchini are done roasting, remove them from the oven and scoop veggies into a bowl using a slotted spatula. Take the 3 roasted garlic cloves and chop them, reserve.
- Re-grease the baking sheets with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil each. Spread eggplant slices into a single layer across the two baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast for 10-15 minutes, switching the baking sheets on upper and lower thirds halfway through cooking, until the slices are tender and lightly golden (check the bottom edges of slices for browning).
- While eggplant is roasting, place a sauté pan or skillet with high sides on the stovetop. Warm up 2 tbsp olive oil in the pan over medium high heat. Add the mushroom slices and turn heat up to high. Let the mushrooms sear for 2-3 minutes without moving them.
- Begin to stir after 2-3 minutes, when the bottoms of the mushrooms turn golden. Sauté for another minute or so. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and reserve.
- Reduce pan heat to medium and add another 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan. Sauté diced onion until softened and translucent.
- Add roasted bell pepper slices and chopped roasted garlic, saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add cooked lentils, reserved mushrooms, diced tomatoes, fresh dill, oregano, cinnamon, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and 3/4 tsp salt to the pan; stir well. Reduce heat to medium and let mixture cook for about 5 more minutes until warmed through. If using fresh tomatoes, let the mixture cook for 10 minutes until tomatoes are soft. Add salt or pepper to taste if desired.When eggplant is done roasting, remove it from the oven. If you plan to continue baking the full moussaka now, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. If making ahead, you can turn the oven off at this point. Use a slotted spatula to scoop up the eggplant slices and place in a bowl.
- Lightly grease your baking dish or pan. Place a single layer of half of the roasted eggplant slices on the bottom of your dish.
- On top of that, place a layer of half the potatoes and half the zucchini.
- Spread the lentil mixture evenly in a single layer across the surface.
- Place the rest of the potatoes and zucchini in another layer on top of the filling.
- Finish with a layer of the remaining roasted eggplant slices. If you are making ahead, at this point you can cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or wax paper. Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 days prior to cooking. If you are cooking the moussaka now, place it in the oven without the topping for 20 minutes to bake at 375 degrees F. Meanwhile, while the moussaka is baking, make the hummus topping.
To Make Hummus Topping
- Blend together the cooked chickpeas, almond milk (or other dairy-free milk), salt, pepper and nutmeg for 1-2 minutes until very smooth. Reserve.Heat up 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan. Cooked the minced onion for several minutes over medium/medium high heat, until the onion is very soft, translucent, and starting to turn golden. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes longer until fragrant.
- Whisk in your flour or gluten free flour substitute. It will clump together a bit.
- Add the blended chickpea mixture to the saucepan and whisk over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Continue whisking frequently until it boils around the edges and thickens. Remove from heat. Add additional salt or pepper to taste if desired.
Bake Assembled Moussaka
- Note: The moussaka should be baked without a topping for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F before adding the hummus topping. If you have made your moussaka ahead, take it out of the fridge, uncover it, and bake it for 20 minutes prior to adding the topping.Remove the moussaka from the oven. Pour hummus topping evenly over the top of the moussaka. Your 2 quart dish may seem quite full, but that is what makes for hearty slices. The topping will not puff up much during baking so it shouldn't overflow unless you fill the dish to the very top. Only use as much of the hummus topping as you need. Sprinkle with 1 tsp paprika.
- Put moussaka back in the oven. Cook for another 30 minutes until the moussaka is cooked through and the edges are bubbly. If the top isn’t evenly browned, you can turn on the broiler and broil it for a minute or two– keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn. Don’t broil if using a glass baking dish.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve warm.
- It will slice more cleanly and pieces will hold together better after it has cooled off a bit. Enjoy!
NOTES
You will also need: Medium saucepan, 2 baking sheets, medium bowl, sauté pan, blender, whisk, large deep 2 quart baking dish or pan (deep 9×13 dish)
TIME SAVING/MAKE AHEAD NOTES: This vegan moussaka takes quite a bit of time to prepare, but you can cut down the prep time substantially with a few simple modifications. Buy jarred roasted peppers so you don’t need to roast them yourself and buy pre-steamed or canned lentils. Prep all of your vegetables in advance and have all of your items ready to assemble for both the moussaka and the sauce; pausing to hunt for or measure an ingredient every few minutes will increase your cooking time quite a bit. The better you are organized from the beginning, the faster the process will be!
I also highly recommend making this dish a day or two ahead, roasting the vegetables and assembling everything before the hummus topping. Cover the assembled vegetables and refrigerate for up to two days ahead. It’s best to make the topping when you are ready to bake.
Nutrition Note: if watching sodium intake, you can cut the sprinkle of salt on the roasted vegetables, though I do recommend it for flavor. I have calculated about 3/4 tsp of salt total for all of the roasted vegetables, so cutting this will bring the sodium down quite a bit.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Moussaka
Amount Per Serving
Calories 328
Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 528mg23%
Potassium 1038mg30%
Carbohydrates 40g13%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 640IU13%
Vitamin C 26.6mg32%
Calcium 138mg14%
Iron 3.3mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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FAQs
Can I make homemade vegan moussaka ahead of time?
Yes, this recipe tastes even better the next day. Assemble it fully (without the topping), cover, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking. Then, proceed with the instructions as usual when ready to serve.
Or, bake the dish completely, and store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To serve, reheat in the microwave, a skillet over medium heat or medium-low heat, or in the oven just until warm.
How should I serve this recipe?
With protein, veggies, and healthy fats, this vegan moussaka recipe is plenty filling enough to serve on its own. However, if enjoying it for a special occasion or feeding a particularly hungry crowd, I often add a light Israeli salad along with appetizers such as matbucha or falafel.
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