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Greek Vegan Moussaka

Vegan Moussaka with Celeriac and Potatoes

This moussaka is a savory and delicious Greek dish that will be loved by everyone at home.
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Prep Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Assembly Time 10 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 45 minutes
Course brunch, Dinner, lunch, supper
Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean
Servings 6 servings
Calories 492 kcal

Ingredients
  

For Roasted Vegetables

  • 1 Celeriac large peeled and sliced
  • 4 Russet Potatoes peeled and sliced
  • 4 Garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to season the vegetables

For Lentil Ragu

  • 2 ½ cup Black/puy lentils cooked
  • 4 Tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1 Bell Pepper seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 Onion large finely chopped
  • 4 Garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon Powdered Cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Oregano
  • 2-3 Thyme sprigs
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Powdered Cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoon Tomato Paste
  • 2 tablespoon Coconut Aminos
  • ½ cup Veggie Stock
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

For Bechamel Sauce

  • 1 ½ cup Raw cashews soaked overnight or in hot water for 4 hours
  • 2 Garlic cloves peeled
  • ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 teaspoon Powdered Nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Water
  • ½ teaspoon Powdered Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Salt adjust according to taste

Instructions
 

For the Roasted Vegetables

  • Soak the cashews overnight or in hot water for 4 hours. The cashews will almost double in size after being soaked.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 F. Placed the celeriac and potatoes on one or more sheet pans. There should be no crowding to ensure they are cooked evenly. Use a pastry brush to brush the olive oil over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and top with the sliced garlic.
  • Roast the vegetables for 7-8 minutes and keep aside to cool.

For Lentil Ragu

  • Heat a wide and deep pan. Add the olive oil. Once it is hot, toss in the bay leaves and thyme sprig.
  • After a couple of minutes, add the onions and garlic. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Now add the bell pepper and tomatoes. Cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Add the oregano, cumin, paprika and cinnamon. Mix well.
  • Now add the lentils and mix in the tomato paste. After a couple of minutes mix in the coconut aminos.
  • Slowly add in the vegetable broth and mix well. Let the mixture cook for 3-4 minutes and turn off the heat.

For Bechamel Sauce

  • Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend till it is a smooth mixture. Keep closed until the dish is ready to be assembled.

For assembly

  • Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 12 in x 9 in baking dish. Layer the bottom with the roasted vegetables. Top this with a layer of the lentil ragu.
  • Repeat the above step two more times which will result in a total of alternating layers of the vegetables and ragu. Top this layer with a thick layer of the bechamel sauce.
  • Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and let it cool before serving.

Notes

  1. Tip: If you have extra béchamel sauce leftover, it works great as a vegan white pasta  sauce. 
  2. Feel free to sub the vegetables with eggplant, zucchini, turnip, rutabaga or sweet potatoes. The flavor might vary depending on the vegetable(s) used.
  3. The number of layers in the final dish will depend on the size of the pan used along with the thickness of the layers. The quantity listed in the recipe should be enough to make up 6 layers in the 9x12 pan. 
  4. If you decide to make this ahead of time, prepare the dish minus the béchamel. Assemble and freeze it. Put it in the fridge the night before to thaw and top with the béchamel before cooking. 
Keyword Greek Moussaka, vegan, vegetarian