Moussaka-stuffed eggplant with lentils
45 min · 30 g protein · 393 cals / serving
Everything you love about moussaka, without the layering: soft, roasted eggplant halves piled with a cinnamon-scented lentil and soy mince tomato sauce, then blanketed in a silky tofu "béchamel" with nutmeg and baked until golden.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup textured vegetable protein (tvp), dry, dry soy mince (TVP)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
- 2 cups cooked brown or green lentils lentils, canned, drained, is fine
- 1 can (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Tofu béchamel
- 1 1/4 cups silken tofu soft tofu
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated
To serve
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Brush the cut sides of the eggplant with the oil, season lightly with salt and roast cut-side down on a lined tray for 20–25 minutes, until the flesh is completely soft.
- Meanwhile cook the onion in a nonstick pan with a splash of water over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the garlic for a minute. Stir in the TVP, water, lentils, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes, until thick.
- Blend the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, nutmeg and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Turn the eggplants cut-side up and press the soft flesh down with a fork to make a hollow, mixing a little of it into the filling. Pile the filling on top and spread the tofu béchamel over each one.
- Return to the oven for 12–15 minutes, until the topping is set and golden in spots (a minute under the grill helps). Scatter with parsley and serve.
Good to know
Will it set like a real béchamel?
The cornstarch makes it set into a soft custard as it bakes, a lot like the egg-thickened topping of a Greek moussaka. Blend it well so it is completely smooth.
Can I leave out the soy mince?
Yes: use 3 cups of cooked lentils instead. The filling is softer and less meaty, with about the same score and a little less protein.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 72
- Protein
- (31%)
- 5 g
- Fat
- (19%)
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- (50%)
- 11 g
- of which sugar
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 152 mg
More meals
Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1572 kcal goes into the pot and 2622 g of ingredients comes out as about 2180 g of food: 72 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.