Name: Rich Vegetable Moussaka
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 52 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: greek
Ingredients: 3.5 tbsp sunflower oil; 1 medium onion (peeled and finely chopped); 2 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed); 2 medium courgette (trimmed and thickly sliced); 2 null red peppers (deseeded and cut into roughly 2 cm chunks); 200 ml vegetable stock; 1 null vegan stock cube; 400 g chopped tomatoes; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 null bay leaf; 1 tsp sea salt (flaked, plus extra to season); 1 tsp caster sugar; 3 small aubergine; 600 ml soy milk (Free From); 0.5 medium onion (peeled and thickly sliced); 1 null bay leaf; 1 sprig fresh thyme (bushy); 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg; 75 g plain flour; 75 g vegan buttery spread (Free From sunflower spread)

Instructions

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1

Heat sunflower oil (1 tbsp) in a large nonstick frying pan. Add the onion (1 medium) and fry over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft and coloring. Add the garlic (2 cloves) and cook for 1 minute more. Increase heat, add the courgette (2 medium) and peppers (2 red), and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
2

Pour vegetable stock (200 ml) (made with stock cube (1 vegan)) into the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes (400 g), tomato puree (1 tbsp), dried oregano (2 tsp), dried thyme (1 tsp), leaf (1 bay), and sea salt (1 tsp) and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, until vegetables soften and sauce thickens.
3

While the vegetables simmer, prepare the topping. Pour soy milk (600 ml) into a saucepan, add the onion (0.5 medium), leaf (1 bay) and fresh thyme (1 sprig). Bring to a fast simmer, then remove from heat to infuse for 30 minutes.
4

Preheat the grill. Slice the aubergine (3 small) into 1cm thick diagonals. Arrange slices on a baking tray, brush with some remaining [sunflower oil]. Grill for 5 minutes until lightly browned.
5

Flip the aubergine slices, brush with the remaining [sunflower oil], and grill for another 5 minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all aubergine is cooked.
6

Preheat oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Strain the infused [soy milk] into a jug, discarding solids. Stir ground nutmeg (0.25 tsp) into the plain flour (75 g). Melt vegan buttery spread (75 g) in a saucepan over a low heat, then stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
7

Gradually add the strained [soy milk] to the flour mixture, stirring continuously until absorbed. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
8

Pour the vegetable sauce into a 2 litre ovenproof dish. Arrange the aubergine slices over the sauce, overlapping as needed. Pour the white sauce over the aubergine, ensuring it's fully covered. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbling and golden.