Greek Comfort Food: Authentic Vegan Moussaka
Moussaka is the national dish of Greece, a tasty aubergine/eggplant dish, in this case blended with vegan mince or lentils, and topped with a cheesy bechamel sauce. It’s really easy to make animal-kind and cholesterol-free vegan versions.
Read up on food safety for people and pets (many foods including nutmeg – often in moussaka- are unsafe near animal friends). Before recycling tins, rinse/remove lids (or pop ring-pulls over holes) then step on can to ‘pinch’ inner rims together, to stop wildlife getting trapped.
Although it’s good to compost food scraps, unless you have a food waste bin (turned into biogas), just bin allium scraps (onion, leeks, garlic, shallot, chives), citrus/tomato/rhubarb scraps and tea/coffee grounds. To avoid too much acid/caffeine affecting compost creatures.
Reasons to try vegan moussaka
Smoky Vegan Moussaka (Full of Plants) is easy to make, prepared with aubergine, a meaty tomato sauce and a rich bechamel. A family-friendly meal to all the family.
- Roasted vegetables. Everyone loves roasted veggies, and this is an easy way to get your five-a-day, as they make up a good part of the dish: aubergines and potatoes.
- High in plant protein. Unlike real meat, vegan mince is free from cholesterol, as are tasty lentils, depending on which version you choose. But both pack a nice protein punch.
- Easy to make. This is also a dish that you can store leftovers in the fridge, and they taste just as good the next day (as the spices meld together and the structure gets firmer).
- High in fibre. Plants foods (unlike animal foods) have fibre. So not only good for gut health, but this will keep you fuller for longer, than a meat version.
Tips for good vegan moussaka
Vegan Moussaka (The Veg Space) combines a rich lentil and red wine ragu, layered with roasted aubergine and topped with sliced potato and a creamy vegan bechamel. Contains nutmeg.
- Salt the aubergines? Sprinkling the slices with salt and leaving them in a colander for 30 minutes then patting dry to draw out excess moisture, is often recommended to bring out best flavour. This was to remove bitterness, but modern versions tend to be mild anyway.
- Roast the aubergines to bring out flavour, rather than frying them that absorbs oil, and can make your moussaka too greasy.
- Don’t skip the sweet spices. Cinnamon, allspice and cloves make a real different to flavour. Keep nutmeg/mace, allspice and cloves well away from pets.
- Deglaze with some vegan red wine. A splash added to your onion/garlic base before adding the tomatoes can mimic the depth of a slow-cooked meat sauce.
- Boost the umami. Add a tablespoon of tomato puree, a splash of soy sauce or a spoonful of nutritional yeast, to replace the savoury richness of minced lamb.
- Don’t cut immediately. Let your moussaka rest before slicing, at least 15 minutes. This lets the layers firm up, to cut into nice squares.
Root Kitchen’s vegan moussaka (UK)
Root Kitchen is a vegan meal delivery company, and one of the meals you can choose is this moussaka, which combines layers of aubergine and potato with a plant-based ragu, seasoned with basil and mint. Topped with a soya milk and cashew nut béchamel sauce, and finished with vegan cheese. Meal for one.
Keep dry ice away from children and pets, and recycle as instructed.
