Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Moussaka (Recipe + Tips)

Here is my cheap and easy Vegetarian Moussaka recipe, perfect for any season and occasion! It’s an absolute favourite of mine and always goes down a treat for whoever I serve it up to. Despite the number of steps involved, this vegetarian moussaka is not too complicated to prepare at all.

I have to admit, I spent 23 years of my life without ever having tried Moussaka (it wasn’t a regular in my parent’s British household). I instantly fell in love when a friend cooked it up for me one summer evening. Moussaka just ticks all the boxes: creamy béchamel sauce, tender aubergine and a flavour-packed lentil filling.

My recipe has made a few changes in the ‘authentic’ Greek recipe (of course, it wouldn’t be Low Cost Millennial without a few alternatives!). This vegetable moussaka recipe is made of layers of roasted vegetables, a rich tomato sauce with lentils in place of meat, and creamy béchamel to top it all.

Lentils are a tasty and cheap alternative to meat. They have a wonderful, creamy consistency, full-bodied and earthy flavour. Not to mention, they’re a great source of protein, iron, and fibre. I use some of my absolute favourite vegetables in this cheap Vegetarian Moussaka recipe. I’ve included aubergines, courgettes, carrots and mushrooms – but feel free to replace any with ones you prefer.

This cheap Vegetarian Moussaka recipe is also perfect for the freezer. Batch cook this recipe on a chill Sunday afternoon and pop in the freezer. Just remove one from the freezer on a morning, then bake as below for 35-40 minutes until cooked through and golden brown on top – perfect for weekday evenings or lunches.

So there you have it! A cheap and easy Vegetarian Moussaka recipe you can cook up yourself at home. Give it a go and drop a comment below about how this turns out for you!

Until next time – live your best life, low cost!

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Print Recipe

Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Moussaka

Course

Main Dish

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 large aubergine (or two smaller ones)
• 1 large courgette (or two smaller ones)
• 2 white potatoes
• 6 garlic cloves
• 690 g pasata
• 1 large onion (finely chopped)
• 250 g mushrooms (diced)
• 1 can cooked lentils
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 50 g butter
• 50 g plain flour
• 650 ml milk
• 150 g of grated cheese
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• a few cherry tomatoes to top (optional)

Course Main Dish Servings people Ingredients 1 large aubergine (or two smaller ones) 1 large courgette (or two smaller ones) 2 white potatoes 6 garlic cloves 690 g pasata 1 large onion (finely chopped) 250 g mushrooms (diced) 1 can cooked lentils 1 vegetable stock cube 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried thyme 3/4 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp paprika 1 tbsp dried parsley 50 g butter 50 g plain flour 650 ml milk 150 g of grated cheese 2 eggs salt and pepper to taste a few cherry tomatoes to top (optional)

Instructions

Béchamel Sauce

1. Start with the béchamel sauce so it has time to cool. First, melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat.
2. Add the flour to the saucepan and whisk to form a roux.
3. Add the milk at around 200ml at a time, constantly whisking, adding more as and when the sauce thickens. After all the milk added and the sauce has thickened, take off the heat.
4. Stir in a teaspoon of mustard and the cheese and leave to cool.

Roasted Vegetable Layer

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (fan)
2. Slice the aubergine, potatoes and courgette into 1/2cm rounds. Add to a mixing bowl and drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil and add dried thyme, dried oregano and black pepper until fully coated.
3. In a 9x13-inch baking dish, add 345ml of the pasata and 100ml of cold water and stir. Then line up the vegetables until the tray is full. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Whilst the vegetables are roasting in the oven, start on the sauce. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a large pan and cook the onion until sautéed. Add the mushrooms, courgette and garlic and fry for a 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon, paprika and dried parsley to the pan and stir. Add the lentils, pasata and stock to the pan and stir until mixed well. Bring to a simmer and leave to cook for about 30 minutes, until thickened.
5. After 30 minutes of the vegetables roasting, remove the foil and roast for another 30 minutes.
6. Once the vegetables have fully cooked, turn the oven down to 180C (fan).
7. Whisk the two eggs into the béchamel sauce.
8. Now it's time to assemble. In the same dish, top the roasted vegetables with the lentil sauce. Then carefully top with the béchamel sauce, spreading it to cover all of the lentil sauce. Top with some sliced cherry tomatoes if you want (totally optional!). Cook in the oven for around 35 minutes.
9. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and serve.