Eggplant Parmesan, parmigiana di melanzane in Italian, is a traditional southern Italy entree that may have originated in Naples. This scrumptious vegan eggplant parmesan recipe uses soy cheese to maintain the cheesy breadcrumb-crusted topping that's a signature of the dish. It is completely dairy-free and egg-free.
What You'll Need
- 2 large eggplants (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
- 4 pieces bread (whole grain)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- Salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Optional: store-bought dairy-free soy parmesan
- For the Cheese Sauce:
- 1 cup
- tofu (silken; blended until creamy in a blender or food processor)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup soy milk soy milk (plain, or almond milk)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoon tahini
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- For the Tomato Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 4 cups tomato sauce (or
- marinara sauce)
How to Make It
- Preheat the broiler. Lightly salt the eggplant slices and place them in a colander set over a bowl to drain for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread slices in a toaster until well done. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl and crumble into breadcrumbs.
- Toss with the dried oregano and dried thyme, and lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper and soy parmesan (if using). Set aside.
- Rinse the eggplant slices with cold water and pat them dry with paper towel. Lightly oil a large baking sheet, place the slices on the sheet and brush lightly with olive oil.
- Place under the broiler for about 3 minutes or until brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Turn down the oven to 350 F. In a blender, blend all of the ingredients for the cheese sauce in a blender until creamy, set aside.
- In a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, adding the onion once hot. Cook, stirring often until the onion is soft, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce to the pan and cook until just warm. Set aside.
- Assemble the casserole. Lightly oil a 9" x 13" baking dish with olive oil.
- Place half of the eggplant slices In the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 of the breadcrumbs, followed by half of the tomato sauce and half of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with soy parmesan.
- Top with the eggplant, followed by another 1/3 of the breadcrumbs and the remaining half of the tomato sauce and cheese sauce.
- Top with the remaining 1/3 of the breadcrumbs and a generous sprinkling of soy parmesan, if using.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Serve hot.
Ingredient Substitutions and Cooking Tips
Feel free to add more vegetables if you like; sometimes a bit of steamed broccoli or alternating the eggplant with zucchini slices is a nice touch.
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
Calories | 243 |
Total Fat | 11 g |
Saturated Fat | 2 g |
Unsaturated Fat | 4 g |
Cholesterol | 0 mg |
Sodium | 453 mg |
Carbohydrates | 29 g |
Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
Protein | 12 g |
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)