Divine Vegan Eggplant Parmigiana
By the Gracious Vegan
Hard to believe that you can have eggplant parmigiana with no oil. No breading, no frying. Just roasting the eggplant slices releases their flavor and keeps the dish clean-tasting. Vegan parmesan means you can also avoid heavy dairy. Light and delicious, this Parmigiana will please the eggplant lovers among us. This dish freezes well.
Makes 8 servings
Eggplant. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Slice the eggplant into 1/2” disks.
3 medium or 2 large eggplants, peeled or unpeeled (for those who are a bit hesitant about eggplant, I recommend peeling them)
Lay the eggplant slices on parchment-lined sheet pans, in a single layer.
Fork-whisk the following ingredients together in a measuring cup or other small bowl.
4 Tablespoons water
3 Tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
Brush both sides of each eggplant slice with the tahini mixture. Roast them in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip and roast another 10 minutes, until they are golden brown and soft. When they are cool enough, cut them into about 4 pieces each. Set aside and change the oven to bake mode at 375°.
Sauce. In the meantime, water-sauté the aromatics in a Dutch oven or large skillet with 1/4 cup water until onion is translucent, around 5 minutes. (What is water-sauté?)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
Add tomatoes and oregano, breaking up any whole tomatoes. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
Add and stir these in to finish the sauce.
1/2 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Use a 9” x 9” square or an oval (12” x 8” or so) baking dish. Spread thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the pan, then add a thin scattering of vegan parmesan.
2/3 cup vegan parmesan (store bought or Vegan Parmesan Cheese)
Then create a single layer of eggplant. Repeat until all ingredients are used, ending with a little sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.
1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs (whole wheat) mixed with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Bake at 375° until the mixture is bubbly, at least 35 minutes and maybe more. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Timing: hands-on time 45 minutes, total time 90 minutes
Nutritional information per serving: 156 calories, 5g fat, 1g sat. fat, 25g carbs, 237mg sodium, 9mg fiber, 6g protein
Gluten-free with gluten-free bread crumbs