What do you need to make the BEST ever Vegan Moussaka? I would say layers of roasted eggplant slices, a hearty tomato-based mince ragú sauce, and a creamy white bechamel baked together. We made this recipe with THREE different ground beef alternatives. All came out scrumptious.
Do you also like casseroles? They are so great for batch cooking. Why? Because usually the more they rest, the better they will taste. We love our Vegan Cabbage Lasagna, or Vegan Shepherd’s Pie, or this Lazy Vegan Pot Pie with Sliced Potato Crust.
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Is it easy to veganize moussaka?
There are several versions of Moussaka, but the one you might come across more frequently is the Greek Moussaka. The usual way to prepare this dish in Greece is layering a baking dish with
- sauteed eggplant slices (aka aubergine),
- minced lamb, and
- bechamel white sauce.
So is it easy to make a vegan alternative? Yes and no.
Bechamel sauce is a milked based white sauce thickened with flour, which is easy to replicate with plant-based milk and even with gluten-free flour. I will show you how in this recipe.
The harder part is the minced lamb. Bon Appetite even called it the “underdog of ground meats”. It is more chewy and fatty than any other alternatives, so most non-vegan home cooks don’t even use it to make moussaka. Replicating this texture and taste is not easy. But do we want to do it really? We will show you two ways to make a vegan mince that is perfect for this recipe, but still, neither of them will get you an exact fatty, chewy finish.
Best vegan ground beef for vegetarian moussaka
So I mentioned earlier that we have three alternatives for you to choose from. Hint: All of them make a delicious moussaka.
- If you are looking for a real beef-like vegan mince substitute, we recommend choosing TVP* (textured vegetable protein). This is the closest you can get to the real ground meat texture and taste without the fatty and greasy part nonetheless. We also used TVP in our Vegan Cabbage Lasagna recipe.
- If you are looking for a plant-based veggie alternative, then we recommend choosing lentil ragú. Obviously, the texture will not replicate ground meat at all, but it tastes just so damn delicious. Lentils are also easily accessible, allergy-friendly, and most people like them so they will not fell tricked if you presented it as a meatless meat alternative. We also use lentil ragu in our Super Easy Vegan Lasagna recipe. We show you there how to prepare it through step-by-step photos and instructions including a quick video.
- We make a killer walnut and cauliflower mince in tomato sauce in our Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese recipe. Cauliflower gives the minced texture, while walnut adds some meaty richness aka protein boost. This combination is also a yummy whole-foods plant-based option, but the mince is a bit smaller and less convincing in texture.
How to roast eggplant slices
Wash and slice eggplant into 1-inch (1-1,5 cm) thick. Sprinkle them with salt and let them sit for at least 20 minutes or until it releases moisture (see below picture). No need to peel them as without it the eggplant slices might disappear in your moussaka after baking. 🙂
You can also let the salted slices rest overnight. Don’t worry if they get brown, as they will get brown anyhow after cooking. For more info about why you need to salt and how to prepare them, read our Cooking with Eggplants Guide.
When ready, we recommend roasting them in a baking tray with grill rack*. For one, you need less oil, as the slices will not stick to the tray. Second, it is easier to get rid of any excess moisture as any liquid the eggplant releases will drip down the rack and will not stay with the slices. Pre-heat the oven for 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celcius) and roast them for 15 minutes. When ready, leave it to cool on the rack.
How to make vegan mince
TVP is really dry and neutral, so you need to soak them in hot veggie broth for 30 minutes to get some flavors in them. If the time is up, drain them and squeeze any additional moisture out with your hands. Now, they are ready to be used as “raw minced meat”.
Heat-up your frying pan and let’s make our Chunky Marinara Sauce. (more tips, photos, videos in the original post)
Peel and chop the onion and cook it lightly in olive oil until it turns glossy (photo #1). Add peeled and chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes (photo #2). Now, add the pre-soaked and squeezed TVP and stir it for a couple of times (photo #3). Finally, add the chopped tomatoes, the tomato sauce, the tomato paste, and the seasoning (parsley, salt, and pepper) and cook for 5 minutes (photo #4). You’re done!
If you prefer to make lentil ragú, visit our Super Easy Vegan Lasagna recipe. Or if you choose to make walnut and cauliflower mince, visit our Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese recipe. In both cases, we recommend substituting parsley for basil and oregano as Moussaka is by no means an Italian recipe. 🙂
Top tips to make perfect vegan ground beef from TVP
- If you soak them in cold water, you may need 2-3 hours to get them ready for cooking.
- TVP doesn’t need to be cooked long as they are already soft after soaking. That is why the cooking time is like 5 minutes. Especially since it will also be baked in a casserole.
- We used canned chopped tomatoes as it is not always easy to get juicy fresh tomatoes.
- You can use red onion instead of purple onion.
How to make a creamy Bechamel sauce
It is super easy to make a veganized Bechamel sauce. You need a bit of vegan butter, flour, any plant-based milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. As we eat gluten-free, we use the combination of rice flour and corn starch to make a white sauce.
First, heat your frying pan on medium heat and melt the vegan butter (photo #1). Turn down the heat to low and add rice flour. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the “batter” is boiling up (photo #2). In a small bowl combined ½ cup of milk and corn starch. Add it to the pan and stir until combined (photo #3). Add the next ½ cup of milk and stir until combined. You need to go in small batches to make sure you get a smooth sauce. Go until you run out of milk. When the sauce has thickened (you need it thick so that it firmly stands on top of your moussaka), add the salt, nutmeg, and white pepper (photo #4). Stir to combine.
Troubleshooting tips to make a vegan white sauce
- Not thick enough? -> Add more flour but make sure you first dissolve it in a bit of milk. Like 1 Tbsp flour or starch – 2 Tbsp milk. Alternatively, you can take it off the heat, wait for it to cool a bit and add flour or starch directly in the sauce and stir vigorously with a whisk to avoid any lumps. Note: The sauce will thicken a bit more when it is cooling down.
- Too thick? -> Add more milk, like ¼ cup at a time.
- Can you use any other flour or starch? -> Yes, you can make this vegan bechamel sauce with any type of flour or starch, but the thickening power of each and every one of them is different. The measurements I gave in the recipe card may not be the same if you use wheat flour, or almond flour or tapioca starch, etc.
- Why flour AND starch? -> If you only use starch, then the sauce will end up more like a pudding than a sauce. If you use only one type of flour, like rice or oat or almond, the sauce will not thicken properly. I also have this experience with rice flour, that you thicken a soup or something with it, but after reheating the dish the next day, all the thickening has gone. That is why I recommend combining flour and starch or use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend which contains usually both.
Baking vegan moussaka
If you have roasted your eggplant slices, made the vegan mince, and the bechamel sauce, you are ready to assemble your veganized Greek Moussaka.
FAQs and Substitutions
How to store moussaka?
All casserole-type dishes are great for batch cooking. You can easily store it in the fridge for 3-4 days without any problem.
Can you freeze it?
Store any leftovers per serving (in an air-tight container) in a freezer and thaw whenever you need it.
Can you use other flours/starches for the bechamel?
Yes, you can make this vegan bechamel sauce with any type of flour or starch, but the thickening power of each and every one of them is different. If you only use starch, then the sauce will end up more like a pudding than a sauce. If you use only one type of flour, the sauce may not thicken properly. I also have this experience with rice flour, that you thicken a soup or something with it, but after reheating the dish the next day, all the thickening has gone. That is why I recommend combining flour and starch or use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend which contains usually both.
What to serve with a vegan moussaka?
This moussaka is creamy, hearty, and filling for sure. We find it so rich sometimes that the go-to side dish we add is cooked brown rice or some simple mixed salad with balsamic vinegarette. Of course, any other grain would do, like quinoa, millet, buckwheat etc. Other recommendation would be:
- Mashed potatoes
- Kale Quinoa Tabbouleh by Vegan Yack Attack
- Spanakorizo (Greek rice and spinach) by Akis Petretzikis
- Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes by Recipe Tin Eats
- Cucumber and Tomato Salad by Delicious Everyday
- Vegan Greek Salad by Yum Vegan Lunch Ideas
- Greek Pasta Salad by Strength & Sunshine
- Mediterranean Quinoa Chickpea Salad by The Green Loot
We also have some creative variations for flavored rice side dishes in our What to serve with ratatouille article that would also go perfect with any meatless moussaka.
This Vegan Moussaka recipe is meat-free, dairy-free, and egg-free, not to mention gluten-free.
This recipe is WFPB-friendly 1) if you cook the onions in water or in veggie broth or directly in the tomato sauce and 2) if you use oil-free dairy-free cheese.
⇒ Get our FREE 7-DAY VEGAN MEAL PLAN now! or check out all vegan meal plan recipes here! ⇐
More dinner recipes featuring eggplants
You can browse through our Vegan and Gluten-free Dinner Recipes or our Quick Vegan Meals collection or check out
Vegan Moussaka
Ingredients
Vegan mince
- 1 ½ cup TVP (Soy) -> What is TVP?
- 4 cup Veggie broth
- 1 Onion (medium)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 ½ cup Chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup Sieved tomato puree aka Tomato sauce
- 6 tsp Tomato paste
- 2 tsp Dried parsley
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Vegan Bechamel
- 2 Tbsp Vegan butter
- 2 Tbsp Rice flour
- 2 Tbsp Corn starch
- 2 cup Dairy-free milk
- ⅛ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Pepper
Roasting eggplants
Optional topping
Instructions
Initial preparations
- Soak TVP in hot veggie broth for 30 minutes. If they softened, drain the water and squeeze any additional moisture out with your hands. Now, they are ready to be used as "raw minced meat".
- Wash and slice eggplant into 1-inch (1-1,5 cm) thick. Salt them and let them sit at least for 20 minutes. (You can do overnight and don't worry if you turn brown. The slices will be brown after roasting and baking.)
Roasting eggplant slice
- We recommend roasting them in a baking tray with grill rack*. Pre-heat the oven for 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celcius) and roast them for 15 minutes. When ready, leave it to cool on the rack.
Making vegan mince
- Peel and chop the onion and cook it lightly in olive oil until it turns glossy. Add peeled and chopped garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the pre-soaked and squeezed TVP and stir it a couple of times.
- Finally, add the chopped tomatoes, the tomato sauce, the tomato paste, and the seasoning (parsley, salt, and pepper) and cook for 5 minutes.
Making vegan Bechamel
- Heat frying pan on medium/low heat, and melt vegan butter.
- Take the heat to low and add rice flour. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the "batter" is boiling up.
- In a small bowl combined ½ cup of milk and corn starch. Add it to the pan and stir until combined.
- Add the next ½ cup of milk and stir until combined. You need to go in small batches to make sure you get a smooth sauce. Go until you run out of milk. (Troubleshooting tips in the Notes section below.)
- When the sauce has thickened, add the salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Layering and baking moussaka
- To ensure that the eggplant slices do not stick to the bottom, we grease the bottom of our 9 x 7 x 3 inch (23 x 18 x 8 cm) oven-safe glass dish with vegan butter.
- The first layer is roasted eggplant slices (not overlapping). Then comes the whole red ragu sauce with vegan mince. Then again a layer of the remaining roasted eggplant slices.
- Top it with vegan white sauce generously. Optionally, add grated vegan cheese.
- Pre-heat oven for 390 F (200 degrees Celsius) and bake it for 15 minutes.
Notes
Other vegan mince alternatives
If you prefer to make lentil ragú, visit our Super Easy Vegan Lasagna recipe. Or if you choose to make walnut and cauliflower mince, visit our Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese recipe. In both cases, we recommend substituting parsley for basil and oregano as Moussaka is by no means an Italian recipe. 🙂Top tips to cook with TVP
- If you soak them in cold water, you may need 2-3 hours to get them ready for cooking.
- TVP doesn't need to be cooked long as they are already soft after soaking.
- We used canned chopped tomatoes as it is not always easy to get juicy fresh tomatoes.
- You can use red onion instead of purple onion.
Troubleshooting tips to make a vegan white sauce
- Not thick enough? -> Add more flour but make sure you first dissolve it in a bit of milk. Like 1 Tbsp flour or starch - 2 Tbsp milk. Alternatively, you can take it off the heat, wait for it to cool a bit and add flour or starch directly in the sauce and stir vigorously with a whisk to avoid any lumps. Note: The sauce will thicken a bit more when it is cooling down.
- Too thick? -> Add more milk, like ¼ cup at a time.
- Can you use any other flour or starch? -> Yes, you can make this vegan bechamel sauce with any type of flour or starch, but the thickening power of each and every one of them is different. The measurements I gave in the recipe card may not be the same if you use wheat flour, or almond flour or tapioca starch, etc.
- Why flour AND starch? -> If you only use starch, then the sauce will end up more like a pudding than a sauce. If you use only one type of flour, like rice or oat or almond, the sauce will not thicken properly. I also have this experience with rice flour, that you thicken a soup or something with it, but after reheating the dish the next day, all the thickening has gone. That is why I recommend combining flour and starch or use a store-bought gluten-free flour blend which contains usually both.
Annette
This was delicious!! Saving it.