Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

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Eggplant parmesan was always one of my favorite meals as a kid, and I realized I’ve never made a vegan version. Trader Joe’s has had incredible looking eggplant lately, so I knew it was time to give it a whirl. I made an easy marinara sauce and used a mix of TJ’s shredded mozzarella and Miyoko’s liquid mozzarella. I have heard great things about the liquid mozzarella and wanted it to help the TJ’s shreds melt in the oven. They sometimes struggle on their own to melt fully.

I couldn’t decide in panko or breadcrumbs so I did a 50/50 ratio, but you can use whatever you have on hand. I subbed out the egg bath for flax egg and it worked great Added health benefits even in the liquid batter. You can sub out the flour and breadcrumbs with gluten-free version if needed.

*There is some debate on whether you need to salt the eggplant before breading and cooking it. Some believe that it helps season it, mask the bitterness, and result in a creamier finished product. Most eggplant grown now is farmed in a way to help cut down on the bitterness, many believe you can cut out the salting step. I choose to do it anyways, just because that’s how I was taught to do it. I was too nervous to test the theory with this recipe but might do it one day.  

The leftovers are just as good as they are the first time, and this will definitely be added to my regular rotation of hearty meals. They can be kept in the fridge in a sealed container for up to five days.

Do you like eggplant? Have you ever had it like this, vegan or otherwise? Let me know how you make yours in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Jessica

Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

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Yield: 6-8

Author: Jessica Morton

Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 3 Hour

Ingredients

Breading Ingredients

• ½ Cup all-purpose flour (you can sub oat flour or gf flour if needed)
• 4 Flax eggs (4 tablespoons of flax meal to 12 tablespoons of water. Add 4 tablespoons of water to mixture after it has thickened, about five minutes)
• ¼ Cup sunflower oil for pan frying
• 1 ½ Cup panko crumbs
• 1 ½ Cup vegan breadcrumbs
• 2 TBSP Herbes de Provence
• 1 ½ TBSP Garlic powder
• 1 ½ TBSP TJ’s Green Goddess seasoning
• 1 ½ TBSP TJ’s Mushroom Umami seasoning
• 2 TBSP Nutritional yeast

Marinara Sauce Ingredients

• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil (herb oil if possible)
• 1/3 Cup diced yellow onions
• 3 TBSP minced garlic
• 2-28 ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes
• ½ TBSP salt
• 1 TSP Sugar
• 1 TBSP Herbes de Provence
• Fresh cracked pepper
• 1 ½ TSP TJ’s Green Goddess seasoning
• ¾ TSP Garlic powder
• 2 TSP TJ’s 21 Seasoning Salute
• 2 TBSP Fresh basil
• ½ TBSP Fresh thyme
• 3 TBSP Fresh parsley

Remaining Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants, cut into ½ inch thick rounds
• 1 bottle Miyoko’s Liquid Mozzarella
• 1 Cup TJ’s shredded mozzarella
• ¾ Cup Violife parmesan block, shredded
• 2 TBSP fresh basil, chopped for garnish
• 1 TSP fresh thyme, chopped for garnish
• 2 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Instructions

Instructions

1. Wash and cut eggplants into ½ inch rounds. Lay out on baking sheets and cover both sides with salt. Rub the salt in some before flipping sides. Let sit for an hour give or take. *See notes above this.
2. Rinse eggplant well to get all the salt off and pat dry.
3. You can make the marinara while the eggplant is sweating to make use of the time, otherwise you can start it now if you want to make a quick sauce.
4. Add olive oil to a large pot on medium heat. Add the onions and let them sweat down for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Add garlic and stir for a couple of minutes. Avoid burning the garlic.
5. Add tomatoes and all the dry seasonings to the pot and stir well. Cook covered for at least ten minutes, stirring occasionally to break down the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Add fresh herbs in the last couple of minutes and stir well. If the tomatoes are still in large chunks, use a whisk to stir up the sauce and break down those large pieces.
6. Mix flax egg mixture together and set aside to let solidify for a couple of minutes.
7. Mix breadcrumbs and panko crumbs with seasonings all together in a large bowl.
8. Mix flour with 1 TSP of garlic powder and sprinkle of salt and pepper.
9. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. Once flax egg has firmed up some, first dredge eggplant in flour, flax egg next, breadcrumb mix last. Make sure to coat the eggplant with all the layers completely and evenly.
11. Dredge all the eggplant rounds and place them back on the baking sheets.
12. Heat a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil to a large skillet or frying pan. I like to add more oil every couple of batches as needed to make sure each batch is well coated with oil and doesn’t just burn. This part takes some time but is totally worth it to get that golden brown you are looking for.
13. In a large baking dish (I used my 15x10x2 baking dish) add a layer of marinara sauce to evenly coat the bottom. Add a layer of eggplant, more sauce, drizzle the liquid mozzarella all over the eggplant and sauce (shake well first and be careful it doesn’t pour out fast) sprinkle shredded mozzarella and shredded parmesan. Add another layer of eggplant, the remaining sauce, and top with remaining three cheese blend.
14. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. I like to broil the top for five minutes at the end.
15. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy.
16. You can freeze leftovers for up to three months in a sealed container. I like to top the eggplant with plastic wrap/aluminum foil before adding the lid to help keep it covered.
17. Keep leftovers in fridge for up to a week if not freezing.

Notes:

**Cook time includes frying the eggplant and baking time.