This vegetarian moussaka with plant based meat is really delicious and tastes just like the traditional famous Greek dish. With eggplant, potatoes & creamy béchamel it will be your new favorite casserole.
I have been incorporating plant based meat for a while in some of my recipes with great results. I was overjoyed when my vegetarian moussaka came out absolutely perfect! I couldn’t believe it! It tasted so close to the traditional Greek moussaka without a hint of real meat.
What is plant based meat?
Here is what I learned from wikipedia:
Plant based meat is made from vegetarian ingredients, and without animal products. Some meat alternatives are soy-based (e.g. tofu, tempeh) or gluten-based, and now are made from pea protein.
I used Beyond Beef, some of the ingredients are peas, mung beans, fava beans, brown rice, cocoa butter, coconut & canola oil and color from beet juice extract. For more info and full list of the ingredients please visit beyondmeat.com. Another option of plant based meat is impossible burger, please visit impossible foods.com for ingredients and more information.
Step by step
I followed the traditional Greek way of making moussaka with the exception of using plant based meat instead of real beef. The béchamel is rich and creamy made with real butter and whole milk. You can certainly opt out from lightly frying the potato slices and use them raw if you prefer, just remember to season well and cook the moussaka for the full 1 hour. My suggestion would be to fry them because it will add flavor to this particular recipe due to the extra fat missing from using plant based meat.
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the eggplant slices, drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil all over. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake in the oven for 15 min or so, until eggplant has a slight golden color. Don’t overbake! When ready, remove from oven and let them cool. 2. In a frying pan add 2-3 tbsp light olive oil. In high heat fry the potato slices for approximately 1-2 min, both sides. Remove slices and place in a paper towel to absorb extra oil.
3. Remove the light olive oil from the pan, wipe excess with a paper towel. Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. In medium heat, add the onions. Season with a pinch of salt. After 2-3 min add the garlic. Stir well. Add the tomato paste. Season with another pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper and 1-2 pinch of dry oregano. Stir well. Add 1-2 pinches of chili flakes.Stir well. 4. Add the plant based meat. Break it to small pieces, just like you would do with ground beef. Mix everything well. Add the wine. Allow the wine to evaporate a little for 2-3 min. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Add a layer of potatoes slices to the bottom of the baking pan. Season potato slices with salt and pepper. 6. Add a layer of eggplant. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese al over. Repeat a layer of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add another layer of eggplant slices. Sprinkle a generous amount of grated parmesan.
7. Add your “meat” on top of the eggplant. Spread evenly. 8. Add a generous amount of grated parmesan. Set aside.
9. Place a medium sauce pan on medium to low heat. Add the butter. 10. When butter is melted add ⅓ of the flour. Stir well with a whisk.
11. Add ⅓ of the milk. Keep whisking. Add more flour. Keep whisking. Add more milk. Repeat alternating between flour and milk. 12. Season with salt and pepper. Grate a good amount of nutmeg. Keep whisking. The béchamel should be smooth and velvety but thick enough to remain distinct atop the ragù in the moussaka. Turn the heat off. Add a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese. Stir well with the whisk. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Note about the bechamel:
Always have some more milk and flour around if you need to thicken or dilute the bechamel. Bechamel is tricky and has a learning curve, that is for sure. You might need to add a little more or less of either flour or milk to reach the correct consistency, or if you need to make a little more to cover your pan and create a nice layer on top of the meat and veggies.
13. Pour the béchamel on top of the "meat". Spread evenly. 14. Grate a good amount of parmesan cheese on top, sprinkle some chili flakes and fresh ground pepper.
Bake in a 350 F oven for 45 min to 1 hour or until top is a nice golden color. Let moussaka sit for 15 min before serving. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- You can transform this dish into a vegan moussaka recipe. Instead of béchamel you can use mashed cauliflower with your favorite vegan cheese on top.
- Some Greek cooks fry the eggplant slices but I prefer baking them. That way the eggplant does not absorb so much olive oil.
- The “beef” ragù is made just like I would make it with real meat. I season every step to allow flavors to develop and the addition of wine really enhances the sauce.
- If you don't have eggplant you can substitute with zucchini or yellow squash. Check out this moussaka with yellow squash recipe on how to prepare them.
You may also try
- A very flavorful vegetarian Greek bell pepper pie is super easy and quick to make.
- This roasted tomato & olives appetizer is my go to when I want something tasty and comforting that reminds me of Greece. I often make it for dinner paired with a nice green salad.
- The original Greek summer food is gemista – stuffed tomatoes & peppers. An absolute must as the weather warms up.
- Arakas, Greek sweet peas, is a great vegetarian dish mostly served as a main course but can be an awesome side dish as well.
If you’ve tried this recipe or any other on The Greek Foodie, then don’t forget to rate it and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it.
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Vegetarian moussaka with plant based meat
Equipment
- medium sauce pan
- Rimmed baking sheet
- 8“ square baking tin
- frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 plant based meat package like Beyond beef
- 3 potatoes sliced
- 1 large eggplant sliced
- 1 red onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 oz parmesan cheese
for the béchamel
- 1 cup all purpose flour plus some more in case you need to thicken the bechamel
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1 pint whole milk plus some more in case you need to dilute the bechamel
you will also need
- light olive oil for frying
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- nutmeg whole or grated, your choice
- dry oregano I love Greek oregano
- red chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the eggplant slices, drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil all over. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake in the oven for 15 min or so, until eggplant has a slight golden color. Don’t overbake! When ready, remove from oven and let them cool.
- In a frying pan add 2-3 tbsp light olive oil. In high heat fry the potato slices for approximately 1-2 min, both sides. Remove slices and place in a paper towel to absorb extra oil.
- Remove the light olive oil from the frying pan, wipe excess with a paper towel. Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. In medium heat, add the onions. season with a pinch of salt. After 2-3 min add the garlic. Stir well. Add the tomato paste. Season with another pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper and 1-2 pinch of dry oregano. Stir well. Add 1-2 pinches of chili flakes.Stir well.
- Add the plant based meat. Break it to small pieces, just like you would do with ground beef. Mix everything well. Add the wine. Allow the wine to evaporate a little for 2-3 min. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble the eggplant and potatoes.
- Add a layer of potatoes slices to the bottom of the baking pan. Season potato slices with salt and pepper.
- Add a layer of eggplant. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese al over. Repeat a layer of potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add another layer of eggplant slices. Sprinkle a generous amount of grated parmesan.
- Add your “meat” on top of the eggplant. Spread evenly.
- Add a generous amount of grated parmesan. Set aside.
Make the béchamel.
- Place a medium sauce pan on medium to low heat. Add the butter.
- When butter is melted add ⅓ of the flour. Stir well with a whisk. Add ⅓ of the milk. Keep whisking. Add more flour. Keep whisking. Add more milk. Repeat alternating between flour and milk.
- Turn the heat off. Add a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese. Stir well with the whisk. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Final steps
- Pour the béchamel on top of the "meat". Spread evenly.
- Grate a good amount of parmesan cheese on top, sprinkle some chili flakes and fresh ground pepper.
- Bake in a 350 F oven for 45 min to 1 hour or until top is a nice golden color.
- Let moussaka sit for 15 min before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
