There’s nothing quite like a healthy vegetarian moussaka on a crisp winter’s evening. This delicious recipe warms your soul and nourishes your body with all the right foods.
Our healthy moussaka is a favourite among our guests, particularly in the cooler months as well as all year round. Find the recipe below, and try it for yourself at home.
Healthy vegetarian moussaka recipe
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
400g eggplant, sliced into 1cm thick rounds
1 tbsp sea salt
600g sweet potato sliced into 1cm thick rounds
2 medium zucchinis, sliced lengthways, 1cm thick
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup French (du puy) lentils or green lentils, soaked for 20 minutes
1 bunch basil leaves, chopped
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
2 cups baby spinach leaves
ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
1kg ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 red chilli
Sprig of rosemary
Sprig of oregano
1 cup filtered water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180°C. Sprinkle eggplant with the salt, leave for 20 - 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Pre-bake vegetables on a tray for 15 minutes, until softened.
For the tomato sauce, roast all ingredients in oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven then blend in a food processor. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Cook quinoa in a pot with water (a ratio of 1 to 1.5). Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 12 - 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Rinse lentils and boil in fresh water for 15 - 20 minutes, until softened.
While still warm, mix quinoa, lentils, basil, salt and pepper in a bowl with enough tomato sauce to generously coat and hold the mix together. Reserve remaining sauce for serving.
To assemble, layer ingredients into a baking dish, starting with sweet potato, then half the quinoa and lentil mix, zucchini and spinach, another layer of quinoa and lentil, finishing with a layer of eggplant.
Loosely cover and bake at 140°C for 30 minutes, then remove cover and spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on top. Return to oven to brown at 180°C for 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before cutting into squares.
Serve squares with tomato sauce and cashew cream.
If you love the look of this recipe, you’ll find plenty more inspiring Gwinganna recipes in ‘A taste of Gwinganna’.
