After my long and strenuous workout (ahem 10 minutes on the elliptical), I found myself with an itch to make an old favorite: vegan eggplant parmesan.

[I really was excited about my 10 minutes on the elliptical, although it felt so strange to go in the room with cardio machines and leave just minutes later. I think it might have been “let’s pretend to workout" day though- I swear there were about 6 women in there sitting on machines watching Dr. Phil. I have no idea what was so intriguing about the show.]

Anyways. Eggplant prep it was! I honestly believe getting the eggplant ready is a vital step in the process- so worth the extra time.

Just slice the eggplant up, coat in salt, and layer in a colander. Place the colander in a large bowl or sink, cover with a towel, and put something heavy on top. I usually empty about half my pantry and throw it on top- cans, jars, bottles, whatever I can grab. Let it soak for a few hours or as long as possible- some brownish liquid will drain out. It helps get rid of the bitter taste and lets the eggplant soak up more sauce (aka flavor) instead of making the dish watery.

Don’t worry- just rinse the salt off and pat the eggplant dry before you continue with the recipe.

Toss eggplant slices in seasonings of choice: I tend to use Italian seasoning, onion & garlic powders, and basil. Panko or breadcrumbs can give it a little extra crunch. 😉

I love to serve “parmesan” over a big bed of kale. Then I don’t have to worry about cooking pasta with leftovers, and it packs in extra veggies.

Layer the kale in a big baking dish, then layer some of the eggplant on top. Next, top it with your marinara of choice. Tonight I just used stewed tomatoes that I crushed up and heated with Italian seasoning. Spread a layer of sauce on the eggplant.

Next comes the fun part: the creamy-cheesy layer.

Mix together the following: [Darn, I forgot to measure again! I promise I will next time..] vegetable broth, almond milk, almond butter, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, and pepper. It should make a nice thick sauce.

Scoop a layer on top of the tomato sauce.

Repeat layers of eggplant, marinara, and creamy sauce until you’ve used everything up.

It may not be pretty, but 350 degrees and 20 minutes later you have a delicious, healthy, indulgent eggplant parmesan.

Optional, but a fabulous touch if I do say so myself: crushed almonds sprinkled on top.

I usually serve it over pasta the first night, then just eat it plain for leftovers. Mmm mmmmm.

Totally worth every step of the process. 🙂

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