Lentil Moussaka (vegetarian twist on a classic!)

Hearty lentils, roasted eggplant, spinach and a creamy custard topping make this lentil moussaka utterly delicious! This veggie moussaka recipe is perfect for Sunday supper, a special occasion meal or when entertaining friends and family.

Hi friends!

Today I’m sharing a totally comforting lentil moussaka recipe.

Though making this veggie moussaka does take time to prepare, there’s nothing complicated here (much like my meat lasagna or veggie lasagna recipes).

It’s totally a labour of love, but SO worth it!

The lentils are flavoured with warming spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of clove, as well as savoury oregano and spicy chili flakes.

Plus, there’s roasted eggplant, spinach and a creamy custard topping with crumbly salty feta. Serve with a side of pesto pasta salad and you have yourself one belly satisfying meal!

Sounds good, right?

What is Moussaka?

Moussaka is a traditional Greek recipe, typically made with lamb.

I like to describe moussaka as a Greek lasagna.

It’s essentially a big casserole dish of comfort food with multiple layers.

Today, though, I’m sharing a vegetarian moussaka recipe. It has all the delicious flavours of a traditional moussaka, but it’s made with lentils.

Vegetarian Moussaka Ingredients

Essentially there’s:

• Potato
• Eggplant
• Spinach
• Lentils in a tomato sauce with warming spices
• A custard topping with feta cheese

How to Make Lentil Moussaka

Full details on how to make moussaka are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

Roast Eggplant

1. Cut the ends of your eggplants and discard (I find it’s easier to peel once the ends are cut off).
2. Peel the eggplants. You don’t have to get every last bit of peel off. Some left is ok.
3. Cut into ½-inch rounds.
4. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once.
5. Once the eggplant has cooked, carefully remove and set aside.

Cook Spinach

1. Add baby spinach and ground nutmeg to a pan. You can add a splash of water, if you like, to get things going.
2. Simply wilt the spinach and that’s it.
3. Remove spinach from the pan and place it in a fine-mesh sieve (or use a clean tea towel).
4. Push down on the spinach to squeeze out excess moisture. We don’t want the spinach too wet because it will water down the moussaka. Note: The spinach isn’t actually going through the sieve (only water).
5. Chop and set aside.

Lentil Sauce

1. In a skillet, cook some onion and garlic in a little olive oil.
2. Add minced mushrooms and cook those down.
3. Stir in tomato paste and seasonings and cook for a just a bit.
4. Add canned tomatoes, broth and bay leaves and cook until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and remove and discard bay leaves.
5. Stir in cooked lentils.

Custard Topping

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Whisk in flour to form a paste and cook about 3 minutes.
3. Slowly add warmed milk (half cup at a time) and cook until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon when a finger is drawn through it. Add more milk and continue until all milk has been used.
4. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.
5. Everything should be nice and thick. Let things cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Whisk in egg and egg yolks.

Layer the Lentil Moussaka

1. Grease a casserole dish and spread a layer of potatoes over the bottom. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
2. Sprinkle over some bread crumbs.
3. Layer half of your roasted eggplant on top.
4. Next, layer half of your lentil sauce.
5. Then, goes half of your cooked spinach. Repeat one more time, starting with eggplant.
6. Pour custard topping over top. If some seeps down the side, don’t worry about it.
7. Sprinkle crumbled feta over top.
8. Bake and garnish with some fresh oregano!

Yum! Talk about delicious!

What Type of Lentils Should I Use? Do I Need to Soak Them?

Use dried green lentils.

There’s no need to soak these.

Simply pick over and discard any foreign objects, like rocks, and any imperfect lentils. Then, rinse, drain and cook.

Rinse and drain lentils again after they’ve cooked before adding to the tomato sauce.

What to Serve with Moussaka

• Greek pasta salad
• Simple green salad
• Garlic bread
• Olives
• Greek lemon potatoes

More Tips & Variations

A small sweet potato was used as the base of this lentil moussaka recipe. You could opt for a regular potato instead if you like.

The eggplant was cut into rounds and distributed over top. You could cut length-wise into longer pieces if you like. I just find it easier to cut into rounds.

‘No salt added’ tomatoes were used. If you use anything otherwise, you may want to adjust the salt added.

Don’t have spinach on hand? Try some cooked kale instead.

Hope you love this meatless moussaka recipe as much as we do!

Did you make this lentil moussaka recipe? That’s awesome! Love it if you leave a comment below.

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