Greek-Style Lentil Moussaka

Prep time: 40 minutes
Serves: 3 large portions or 4 smaller ones
Type: Vegetarian 🌱

A rich and satisfying veggie twist on the classic Moussaka—this dish is hearty, warming, and perfect for sharing. It’s layered with cinnamon-spiced lentils, roasted aubergine 🍆, crispy potato rounds 🥔, and topped with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce 🧀. Bonus: it’s naturally gluten-free and great for meal prep.

🛒 Ingredients:

1 aubergine 🍆
3 small or 2 large white potatoes 🥔
2 carrots 🥕
1 red onion 🧅
1 garlic clove 🧄
400g green lentils
200g chopped tomatoes 🍅
2 bay leaves 🍃
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon 🌿
2 tsp dried oregano
50g cheddar cheese 🧀
5g fresh parsley 🌿
1 vegetable stock cube or pod
250ml milk 🥛
Olive oil, butter (20g), flour (20g), salt & pepper 🧂
(Optional) 150g plant-based smoked bacon lardons (like La Vie or similar) 🥓🌱

👩‍🍳 How to Make It:

1. Roast the veg 🔥
Preheat your oven to 220°C (fan 200°C).
Slice the potatoes and aubergine into rounds. Spread them on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt 🧂, and roast for 15 minutes until golden.

2. Prep aromatics 🧄🧅🥕
Peel and finely dice the onion, garlic, and carrots. Rinse the lentils. No need to dissolve the stock cube/pod—just have it ready.

3. Make the lentil ragù 🍲
Heat olive oil in a wide-based pan. Cook the onion and carrot until softened. Then add the garlic, lentils, chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon, and stock cube/pod. Pour in 200ml water, bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened (3–5 mins). Season to taste.
🌱 Optional: Cook the plant-based bacon separately until browned and set aside.

4. Make the cheese sauce 🧀
Melt 20g butter, stir in 20g flour and whisk into a roux. Slowly add the 250ml milk, whisking until smooth and thickened (about 3–4 mins). Stir in the grated cheese and a pinch of salt.

5. Assemble and bake 🏗️
In an ovenproof dish:

Lay down the roasted potatoes
Spoon in half the lentil ragù
Add plant-based bacon (if using)
Add the aubergine slices
Add the remaining ragù
Top with the cheese sauce

Bake at 220°C (fan 200°C) for 15–20 minutes until golden and bubbling 🔥.

6. Rest & serve 🍽️
Let your moussaka rest for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and enjoy!

This dish is a warm hug in food form 💛. Easy to make, loaded with fibre, and full of flavour, it’s a perfect comfort dinner. The optional plant-based bacon adds an extra smoky edge if you want to spice it up 🌶️.

Let me know if you try this one! Tag @TheSecretStreet with your beautiful plates 📸🍽️✨