Ok, so I think this is my favourite dish ever. Aubergines and tomatoes are pretty much my dream combo. They go incredibly well together. I know aubergines aren’t in season right now, but since going Vegan, parmigiana is a dish I was desperate to make plant based. I could not wait!

Parmigiana was one of the first recipes I posted on my blog. My original version contained aubergine slices dipped in egg along with fresh diary mozzarella. When thinking about veganising this recipe I remembered the way in which I used to make parmigiana whilst at Uni (who said parmigiana wasn’t a student thing?) and it was without egg! I don’t know when that switch happened, but it’s time to go back…So, the only thing I had to change in my new recipe was the mozzarella. Easy.

The verdict – Plant based parmigiana is waaaay better than the original. I know…controversial, right?! It is lighter (which means you can eat more, of course) healthier and packed full of nutritional goodness.

I’ve always said that if someone makes you parmigiana then they must love you. It does take a little bit of time to make this dish, as there are a few different elements to the recipe. But boy is it worth it. If nobody was looking I could eat the whole dish to myself. Maybe I will one day…

Ingredients

4          Large aubergines

Handful of Basil

Tomato Sauce (can be pre-made, recipe here)

For the Vegan Mozzarella

250ml Hot water

40g     Cashews (soaked overnight or boiled for 10 minutes)

40g     Tapioca flour

1          Clove garlic (crushed)

1tbsp  Nutritional yeast

1tsp    Apple cider vinegar

½ tsp  Salt

Method – Serves 4 – Oven 180*c

1. Make your tomato sauce using this recipe. You can pre-make this and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
2. Finely slice the aubergines lengthways. Place on a baking tray and brush them with olive oil. Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes, Turning them over halfway through and brushing them with a little more oil. You may have to cook them in batches depending on the size of your oven.
3. Make the mozzarella – If you forgot to soak your cashews you can boil them for 10 minutes until soft. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and stir on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes thick and sticky. Set aside to cool. You can also pre-make this and keep in the fridge up to 5 days.
4. In an ovenproof dish start to layer up the parmigiana. Firstly put a layer of baked aubergine slices into the bottom of the dish then spoon over some tomato sauce to cover them. Add some dollops of mozzarella and a few basil leaves. Then add your next layer of aubergines and repeat.
5. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until mozzarella has slightly browned. Sprinkle with some fresh basil leaves. Serve with a nice big green salad and/or bread.