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–+ servings

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

A comforting and cheese vegan dish! Eggplant gets layered with loaded tomato sauce & creamy vegan mozzarella sauce.
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Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 3 medium eggplants about 3 1/2 pounds, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
  • Sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil plus extra for brushing

For the marinara sauce:

  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 2 small zucchini and or summer squash chopped
  • 2 roasted red bell peppers chopped
  • 1 28 ounce jar vegan tomato sauce (such as Rao's)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons bread crumbs for sprinkling

For the Mozzarella sauce:

  • 3/4 cups raw cashews*
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoons lemon juices
  • 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to broil, set to high. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.
  • Generously salt the eggplant and place in a strainer. Let sit and sweat for about 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce by heating oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft and lightly browned. Add garlic and zucchini and let cook for 1 minute. Add roasted red bell peppers, tomato sauce, thyme, oregano, basil, balsamic vinegar, and granulated sugar. Cook and stir for a few more minutes.
  • Wipe or dab the eggplant with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Arrange the eggplant on the baking sheet and brush with oil. Broil for 4 to 6 minutes until browned on top.
  • While eggplant is broiling, make the mozzarella sauce.
  • In a blender, combine cashews and water. Blend on high until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, salt, garlic onion powder, and corn starch
  • Lower the oven temperature to 350F degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch pan.

To assemble the casserole:

  • Arrange half of the eggplant slices, overlapping the slices, in the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs. Layer half of the cooked quinoa, half the tomato sauce, and half of the mozzarella sauce on top of the bread crumbs. Repeat the layers. Bake, uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Top with fresh basil and serve.

Notes

If you are not using a high powdered blender, soak cashews overnight or boil for 10 minutes and drain. This will soften them and ensure silky smooth cream.