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5 from 1 vote

Vegetarian eggplant and chard moussaka

Eggplant, chard, & ricotta béchamel freshen up this delicious version of Greek moussaka
Prep Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: make-ahead, moussaka, vegetarian
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Vegetables

  • 5 eggplants about 1.6 kg / 3.5 lb
  • 600 g potatoes sliced ¼ inch (½ cm) thick
  • 3 tbsp oil

Tomato sauce

  • 2 onions
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Chard leaves from 1 bunch 300 g of leaves, stems removed
  • 1 ¼ tsp salt
  • Black pepper
  • 120 ml dry white wine (½ cup)
  • 400 g canned diced tomatoes unsalted
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 stick of cinnamon about 3 cm or ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 30 g ricotta

Ricotta béchamel sauce

  • 30 g butter (2 tbsp)
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 300 ml milk (1 ¼ cup)
  • 220 g ricotta
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 egg yolk

Cheese

  • 100 g shredded pizza mozzarella (low-moisture part-skim, not fresh)
  • 30 g grated Parmesan

Instructions

  • Prepare the eggplant and potatoes. Slice the eggplant into 1 cm (½-inch) thick rounds. Sprinkle with salt on both sides and let stand 30 minutes.
  • While the eggplant is waiting, wash and chop the chard, onion and potatoes. Preheat oven to 200 °C (390 °F), convection mode.
  • Blot the eggplant dry. Brush both sides of the eggplant and potatoes with 3 tbsp oil. Sprinkle some salt on the potatoes. Place the eggplant and potato rounds on two large baking sheets and bake 25 minutes. Continue preparing the sauces (steps 4 & 5) while the eggplant and potato bake.
  • Prepare the chard-tomato sauce. In a large pot over medium heat, heat 2 tbsp oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the chard leaves and ½ tsp salt. Cook uncovered until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the ½ cup wine, stir, and let cook 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, pepper, and ¾ tsp salt (if your canned tomatoes contain salt, reduce salt to taste). Cook uncovered about 10 minutes or until thick. Stir in 30 g ricotta. Set aside.
  • Prepare the béchamel sauce. Melt the butter over medium low heat. Whisk in the flour. Let cook about 1 minute, whisking frequently. Slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil for about 30 seconds to thicken, then off heat. Whisk in remaining ricotta, ¼ tsp salt, and a pinch of nutmeg. Whisk in the egg yolk, being sure to whisk it in immediately after adding.
  • Keep the oven heated to 180 °C (350 °F).
  • Assemble. Butter a large (9x13 inch) baking dish. Place the potatoes in a single layer, then layer on half the eggplant. Next add all of the chard-tomato sauce, then the rest of the eggplant. Top with the ricotta béchamel sauce. Smooth out the sauce with a spoon. Finally sprinkle with the grated cheeses.
  • Bake at 180 °C (350 °F) for 50 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving, and enjoy!