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Vegan Moussaka with Aquafaba Béchamel

Name: Vegan Moussaka with Aquafaba Béchamel
Total time: 3 h 13 min
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin ovals; 3 large eggplants, trimmed and sliced into long, thin ovals; 90 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the vegetables, or as needed; sea salt, to taste; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 2 large red onions, chopped; 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 500 g cooked black beans, 3 cups, drained; 165 g canned chickpeas, 1 cup, drained from a 425 g (15 oz) can; keep the liquid for the béchamel; 360 ml canned chopped tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 120 ml dry red wine, 1/2 cup; 1 stick cinnamon; 2 leaves bay leaves, dried or fresh; 4 allspice berries; 1 tsp dried Greek oregano, to taste; 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 to 2 tablespoons; 2 tbsp petimezi (grape molasses); salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 180 ml aquafaba (liquid from the can of chickpeas), about 3/4 cup; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 4 tbsp all-purpose flour, scant; 480 ml unsweetened coconut milk, 2 cups; 480 ml unsweetened almond milk, 2 cups; salt, white pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, to taste; 60 g dry breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup; 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for the dish

Layers of roasted sweet potato and eggplant under a spiced black bean and chickpea ragù, crowned with a plant-based béchamel lightened with whipped chickpea liquid. Everything but the final bake can be done a day ahead.

YieldServes 6 to 8
Hands-on1 h 25 min
Total3 h 13 min
Difficulty

Ingredients

Vegetables

2sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin ovals
3large eggplants, trimmed and sliced into long, thin ovals
90 mlextra-virgin olive oil, for brushing the vegetables, or as needed
to tastesea salt

Bean ragù

3 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
2large red onions, chopped
4 clovesgarlic, chopped
500 gcooked black beans, 3 cups, drained
165 gcanned chickpeas, 1 cup, drained from a 425 g (15 oz) can; keep the liquid for the béchamel
360 mlcanned chopped tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups
2 tbsptomato paste
120 mldry red wine, 1/2 cup
1 stickcinnamon
2 leavesbay leaves, dried or fresh
4allspice berries
1 tspdried Greek oregano, to taste
1½ tbspbalsamic vinegar, 1 to 2 tablespoons
2 tbsppetimezi (grape molasses)
to tastesalt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegan béchamel

180 mlaquafaba (liquid from the can of chickpeas), about 3/4 cup
4 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
4 tbspall-purpose flour, scant
480 mlunsweetened coconut milk, 2 cups
480 mlunsweetened almond milk, 2 cups
to tastesalt, white pepper and freshly grated nutmeg

Assembly

60 gdry breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup
1 tbspextra-virgin olive oil, for the dish

Diet

Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
Vegan
Mediterranean

Contains

Gluten
Tree nuts
Almond
Sulfites
Legumes (any)
Chickpeas
Common beans (kidney, black, pinto, navy...)
Wheat
Olive
Grapes
Coconut
Nightshades (any)
Tomato
Eggplant (aubergine)
Onion family (any)
Onion
Garlic
Sweet potato
Oregano
Bay leaf
Black and white pepper
Allspice
Cinnamon
Yeast
Histamine (aged and fermented foods)
Alcohol

Taste

Sweet
Sour / bright
Salty
Umami / savory
Richness / fat
Herbal / fresh
Aromatic spice

Texture

Creamy
Tender-braised

Equipment

Oven
Stovetop
Stand mixer

Season

Fall
Winter

Occasion

Weekend project
Entertaining

Effort

45–90 min active
Over 3 hours total
Difficulty 3
Needs advance prep
Make-ahead friendly
Leftovers-friendly

Nutrition

Calories: high
Protein: high
Carbs: high
Fat: high
Fiber: high
Sodium: low

Budget

Budget: moderate

What it costs to shop for

Members can download a cost breakdown for any recipe in Excel: what to buy after trimming, how many packages, and the cost per serving, scaled to however many you’re cooking for.

Method

The method is for members

The timed method (mise en place, a cook timeline with minutes per step, and cook mode with timers) is delivered to members in their packages, adapted to how they cook.

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