Vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan
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This vegetarian eggplant parmesan is easy to make and so delicious. It’s a lot like lasagna, only made with eggplant. You will LOVE it!
See this delicious pan of bubbling cheese and omg goodness? Ya, that. That’s easy-to-make vegetarian eggplant parmesan, and it’s one of the best things in the world.
We’ve been making this recipe for YEARS, and it continues to be one of our favorites. It’s based on an eggplant parmesan recipe in the vegetarian cookbook, The Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. Sadly, we’ve lost the cookbook, so we can’t say for sure how similar it is. But it is 100% based on our memory of it.
What makes this vegetarian eggplant parmesan special
- The marinara sauce is heavy on the veggies.
- Feta cheese. This is not a typical ingredient, but the saltiness is the perfect vegetarian substitute for the typical parmesan cheese.
- The eggplant is breaded in milk rather than eggs, so it’s ideal for anyone who doesn’t eat eggs.
- It is crazy delicious and loved by everyone we’ve served it to!
Make this vegetarian eggplant parmesan in 3 easy steps
- Sauté some onions and veggies, add a can of tomatoes, and then let it simmer. Easy!
- Coat the eggplant in some panko and roast it in the oven. Also easy!
- Assemble the eggplant parmesan, put it in the oven, and walk away. Super easy!
See how easy it is to make easy vegetarian eggplant parmesan? We know you can do it. And when that pan of bubbling, cheesy deliciousness comes out of the oven, you are going to be so happy you did.
It will take you about 40 minutes of actual cooking time before you put the pan into the oven. Once the pan goes in, you can sit down and chillax and let it do its thing until it’s done.
Recipe FAQs
How long do the leftovers keep?
Leftovers will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in your fridge.
Can I freeze vegetarian eggplant parmesan?
Yes! This recipe freezes beautifully.
Wait … is there no parmesan cheese in this recipe?
Technically, parmesan cheese, like cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, and many others, is not vegetarian as it’s made with rennet, an animal product. But many people who are vegetarian still eat cheeses that are made with rennet. Since this is a vegetarian eggplant parmesan recipe, we’ve chosen to use feta as it’s easier to find vegetarian versions. If you’re avoiding rennet, look for rennet-free feta or substitute ricotta cheese.
Vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan Recipe
Ingredients
The Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 2 medium bell peppers (diced (any color))
- 1 large carrot (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (very finely minced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons honey
The Eggplants
- 2 cups panko (or sub gluten-free breadcrumbs, if needed)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup milk
- 2 large globe eggplants (cut into ¾-inch rounds (see notes))
- 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, carrot, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 6-8 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 2 medium bell peppers, 1 large carrot, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the tomato paste, sea salt, and oregano to the pot and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and the honey to the pot, reduce the heat, and let it simmer gently until the eggplants (from the next step) have finished roasting.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 2 teaspoons honey
- While the sauce is cooking, prepare the eggplants. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the panko, oregano, black pepper, and sea salt. Pour the milk into another bowl.2 cups panko, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ cup milk
- Dip each eggplant round first into the milk and then into the panko. Place the panko-coated eggplant rounds onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake the eggplant in the oven for 20 minutes.2 large globe eggplants
- Spread a couple of small scoops of the tomato sauce in the bottom of an 11×9-inch baking dish. Lay half the eggplant rounds over the sauce and then cover with half of the remaining sauce and half of the feta and mozzarella cheese. Finish assembling the vegetarian eggplant parmesan with the remaining eggplant, sauce, and cheese. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until it is hot and bubbling.3 cups grated mozzarella cheese, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Remove the vegetarian eggplant parmesan from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
There doesn’t seem to be any sort of temperature setting(s) in this recipe for baking. I’m a happy chef and did cook mine at 425*F for 15 minutes. Then I checked the dish for how done it was…. It was perfect, but I did adjust up to 450*F for 5 minutes in order to allow a golden brown on top!
We bake ours at 375 Fahrenheit – the same as the eggplants. Good call on browning the top!
One question–is there parmesan in this recipe? I didn’t see it.
As parmesan isn’t a vegetarian cheese, we’ve left it out of this recipe. You could certainly add some though!
This was delicious! I would have liked to see if you were right about it being better the next day, but every morsel was enthusiastically devoured. I did make two slight changes based on what I had on hand: 1) I used cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella, and 2) I added a layer of fresh basil between the eggplant layers. So glad to have come across this recipe!
Can I substitute mushrooms instead of bell peppers? If so, how much would you recommend? Thank you!!
Sure! I would think that a cup or two of sauteed mushrooms would be delicious. 🙂
I don’t like too much cheese. It turned out very good.
I sure will make IT again.
How do you use it in making lasagna with pasta sheets? Thanks
I would suggest finding a lasagna recipe and simply using this tomato sauce for the lasagna recipe. 🙂
I’ll make this one again. It came together easily, and the simmering sauce added a lot of goodness.
I’m so happy to hear that the recipe was a hit!
Amazing recipe. Never liked eggplant parmigiana before like this. Thanks for sharing the recipe
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!
Looks like a great recipe and easy to prepare – my only concern is the parmesan cheese since many contain rennet. I will have to search for a vegetarian alternative cheese. .
That’s a good point, Mary. I always overlooked that when I was a vegetarian, but you’re totally right. Any hard cheese would work in this recipe. 🙂
Eggplant parmesan is one of my favorite dishes to make when entertaining a large group. It is comforting and I’ve never found a person that doesn’t like it. I’ll have to try your version…I’ve never thought of adding honey to the sauce.
It’s so good, isn’t it?! I love adding a little honey to tomato sauces. It brings out a hint of sweetness and cuts the acidity just a little.
She is! I lived off her recipes when I first became vegetarian. They were all amazing!
Ha ha that’s awesome! Kitchen disasters make the best stories!
This definitely sounds like a easy dish that is loaded with flavor. Love anything that has that much cheese in it.
Me too! I don’t normally eat a lot of cheese so when I do it feels like a total treat. 🙂