Aubergine and Lentil Vegetarian Moussaka

One of the most beloved Greek comfort foods is called moussaka, kind of a lasagna, but Greek. Our version comes with aubergine and lentils. Obviously, we didn’t add any meat, but still, even non-vegetarians will be pleased.

The traditional ground beef layer is swapped for lentils to add protein and heartiness – and it works beautifully!

Anything good about the moussaka ingredients?

Eggplant is also a real biggie in our vegetarian moussaka recipe – it’s the classic base, like noodles in lasagna.

This veggie, or technically a fruit, has many surprising health benefits up its sleeve. Eggplants are nutritious, high in antioxidants and a great high fiber and low calorie addition to a weight loss diet.

We never cease to praise lentils. Check out this vegan lentil bolognese and creamy curried lentil soup to get more in your diet.

One cup of cooked lentils provides 17.9g of protein and 15.6g of fibre. So, this veggie moussaka is a pretty deece way of getting some extra nutrition for healthiness and satiety.

Simple moussaka recipe tips

1. Further down in the instructions we direct you to add a generous pinch of salt on top of the second layer of eggplants. Some mature eggplants can be bitter and call for salting – choose only firm eggplants if you want to skip this step.
   
2. You can serve this vegetarian moussaka straight away or let it cool and then reheat it in the oven. It’s also possible to freeze the dish and store it for a longer time but don’t forget to wrap it well!

Either use canned lentils or go for dried red lentils. Since they’re cooked within roughly 20 minutes, you can just add them to the casserole with an extra amount of water.

→ When using dried lentils, roughly use ⅓ of the amount of cooked lentils.
→ Then you need to add more water to cook those lentils through: 3 times the amount of lentils and you’re good!

3. Got an iron cast casserole dish? Perfect! Just use it for frying the onions as well – one pan saved!

Bottom line: this moussaka dish is quick and simple. You’ll need only 10 minutes for prepping. The rest is smooth sailing aka baking.

Hope you enjoy, peeps! Anything to share? Let us know in the comments 🙂

Aubergine and Lentil Vegetarian Moussaka

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4.78 from 9 votes

This healthy high protein vegetarian moussaka is a true veggie delight with Greek soul and full of flavour and texture!

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Cuisine:Greek, Middle East

Diet: egg-free

Prep Time:10 minutes minutes

Cook Time:40 minutes minutes

Total Time:50 minutes minutes

Servings:2

Calories:444kcal

Author: Abril Macías

Ingredients

• 9 oz eggplant (without the base)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ white onion (diced)
• 2 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp oregano, dried
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 can tomatoes, diced (1 can = 400g)
• 1 ½ cups lentils, cooked (or canned, 1.5 cups = 1 can)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• Salt to taste
• 1 ½ tsp sugar
• 4 oz low fat mozzarella (grated)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 F, 200 C.
• Cut the eggplant into 3mm-5mm slices. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Allow to rest.
  9 oz eggplant
• Meanwhile, in an ovenproof medium-large pan (a frying pan, for example), heat the olive oil over medium heat.
  1 tsp olive oil
• Now add cinnamon powder, oregano, bay leaf, and tomato puree. Mix and cook for 1 minute.
  1 tsp oregano, dried, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 1 tbsp tomato puree
• Add onion and garlic, cook until softened. Add diced tomatoes, cooked lentils, soy sauce, water, salt and sugar. Take it to a boil and then simmer for 8 minutes, the sauce should be consistent and thick.
  ½ white onion, 2 clove garlic, 1 can tomatoes, diced, 1 ½ cups lentils, cooked, 1 tbsp soy sauce, ¼ cup water, 1 ½ tsp sugar, Salt to taste
• Take the eggplant slices and remove the salt by washing them well with water. Place half the eggplant slices into the sauce, pushing them so they sink to the bottom and create a base (you shouldn’t be able to see their surface). Then add the remaining eggplants on top to create the second layer.
  
• Take the pan to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle grated mozzarella on top and take back for another 10 minutes. During the last few minutes turn the broiler on to brown the top.
  4 oz low fat mozzarella
  
• Take out and serve immediately. You can also cool this and reheat it in the oven.

NOTES

Looking for more healthy ideas?

High Fibre Avocado Citrus Salad

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Hot & healthy Vegan Pasta Arrabiata

High Protein Silken Tofu Omelette with Eggs

Hearty & Healthy Lentil Quinoa Salad

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Aubergine and Lentil Vegetarian Moussaka

Amount per Serving

Calories

444

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

12

g

18

%

Saturated Fat

 

6

g

38

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Cholesterol

 

36

mg

12

%

Sodium

 

1220

mg

53

%

Potassium

 

1442

mg

41

%

Carbohydrates

 

57

g

19

%

Fiber

 

19

g

79

%

Sugar

 

18

g

20

%

Protein

 

32

g

64

%

Vitamin A

 

699

IU

14

%

Vitamin C

 

29

mg

35

%

Calcium

 

586

mg

59

%

Iron

 

8

mg

44

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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