Dairy Free Eggplant Parmesan
This delicious dairy free eggplant parmesan is baked with layers of whole wheat breaded eggplant, creamy cashew ricotta, and your favorite marinara sauce. Eggplant is not only delicious in this recipe, it also has high antioxidant content, providing vast health benefits. A win-win! Slicing into this hot eggplant parmesan will create an oozy mess, so make sure to let it rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Makes 5-6 Servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Cook Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
For Cashew “Ricotta”
2 cups raw cashews or slivered almonds!
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp water
1 tsp kosher salt
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
For Eggplant
1 lg eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 in thick rounds
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
For Assembly
3 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
Fresh basil leaves (for garnish)
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 425*F.
Lightly season eggplant all over with salt. Place eggplant slices in a single layer on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Let the eggplant sit for 20-30 minutes to release excess liquid. Dab eggplant with paper towels to dry.
Meanwhile, soak cashews in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes to soften. Drain and add cashews to a high-powered blender. Add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, fresh water, salt, and garlic to the blender as well. Pulse until a smooth and creamy consistency is reached. Add more water if necessary to thin. Transfer to a bowl and gently fold in chopped fresh basil.
Place flour in a shallow bowl and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add eggs in a second shallow bowl, and bread crumbs into a third shallow bowl. Mix the Italian seasoning with the breadcrumbs. Dredge one eggplant at a time in flour, followed by dipping it in egg, and coasting it in breadcrumbs. Place all eggplant on a plate until ready for assembly.
In an 8x8 pan, spread a few tablespoons of marinara across the bottom. Top with eggplant slices. Spread a few tablespoons of cashew ricotta on top of the eggplant. Top with marinara and spread evenly. Repeat layers with remaining eggplant, cashew ricotta, and marinara, making sure to reserve enough marinara and cashew ricotta for the top layer. Bake for 25 minutes, uncovered, until browning starts to develop on the top layer.
Cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Top with fresh basil. Enjoy!
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