Imagine sitting by the Mediterranean on a hot summer afternoon, enjoying layers of silky roasted eggplant, tender potatoes, juicy tomatoes, and feta sauce. While most people know moussaka as a warm baked casserole, many Middle Eastern versions are served cold, making them perfect for warm-weather meals. Instead of a heavy meat filling and rich béchamel sauce, this vegetarian version combines roasted vegetables with a creamy Kalamata feta sauce for a lighter, fresher take on a classic Mediterranean dish.
My dear friend Einav (of the vegetarian biryani and okra fame) still speaks with envy of the time she sat with friends in Greece, on the shores of the Mediterranean sea, and watched them digging into their moussaka.
This dish was the stuff of dreams - except it was laden with spiced ground beef. And like me, Einav does not eat meat. So on that day on the beach of Kos, moussaka was just beyond her reach.
But with this vegetarian, lightened up cold moussaka with kalamata-feta sauce, she won't have to be jealous anymore. If you want a more traditional moussaka recipe, try my gluten-free vegetarian moussaka adaptation.
Moussaka has a turbulent history in the Middle East. Claimed by Greeks, the Balkans, the Lebanese and the Egyptians, it has also made appearances in Claudia Roden's game-changing Book of Middle Eastern Food and other seismic works exploring the region's cuisine. Though it looks a little bit different each time, the basic premise is such: eggplant, potatoes/meat, and sauce. Oh yeah, and it usually comes out of the oven warm.
But in the Palestinian kitchen, the dish of choice is cold moussaka. Taken from Levantine recipes, the moussaka of my country is usually served cold, on hot summer days, eggplant and potatoes interspersed with tomatoes and covered in delicious sauce that ranges from tomato to bechamel.
And that's exactly the moussaka I chose to make for a recent recipe with Litehouse's new OPA line of sauces. With 53 per cent calories less than traditional mayonnaise sauce, and about a bazillion per cent less than in bechamel, the kalamata feta sauce I tried was tangy, interspersed with delicious bites of olive and tomato, and rich in all the right ways. I have been ladling it on everything from corn on the cob to a simple heirloom tomato salad, but my favourite way to eat it has been in this cold moussaka.
What Makes This Cold Moussaka Different?
Unlike the traditional Greek moussaka recipe, which is typically baked with ground meat sauce and béchamel sauce, this cold moussaka highlights the vegetable-forward roots of the dish.
This version is:
- Vegetarian and gluten-free
- Perfect for warm summer days
- Easier to prepare ahead of time
- Lighter than traditional moussaka
- Packed with Mediterranean flavors
- Great for picnics, potlucks, and meal prep
- Rich in fiber from eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes
Serving the dish cold allows the flavors of the eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, and feta sauce to fully develop and meld together.
Variations
- Make it vegan: Replace the feta sauce with a dairy-free Mediterranean-style yogurt sauce.
- For extra protein: Add chickpeas, layer cooked chickpeas between the vegetables.
- Use zucchini: Swap some of the eggplant for zucchini to create a lighter summer casserole.
- Add fresh herbs: Fresh mint, parsley, or dill work beautifully with the Mediterranean flavors.
Serving Suggestions
This cold moussaka makes an excellent centerpiece for a Mediterranean-inspired meal.
Serve it alongside:
- Mediterranean chickpea salads
- Fresh cucumber and tomato salads
- Grilled vegetables
- Warm gluten-free pita
- Greek salad
- Marinated olives
- Roasted red peppers
- Fennel and Mango Slaw
- Hot and Sour Shredded Napa Cabbage Salad
- Tomato Avocado Salad with Dukkah
- Roasted Green Cauliflower Salad
The fresh, bright flavors complement the richness of the eggplant and feta beautifully.
Top Tips
Slice vegetables evenly - Uniform slices help the potatoes and eggplant cook at the same rate and create beautiful layers.
Let the moussaka cool completely - The flavors improve as the dish chills. For best results, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Salt the eggplant - If using large eggplants, lightly salt them before roasting to reduce bitterness and improve texture.
Use ripe tomatoes - Fresh, ripe tomatoes provide the best flavor and balance the richness of the feta sauce.
FAQ
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freezing is not recommended, as the vegetables may release excess moisture when thawed.
Whether to peel eggplant for moussaka is a matter of preference. The skin is edible but can be tough or bitter. Many traditional Greek recipes keep the skin for better shape and color contrast in the dish.
You can use Greek yogurt sauce, tahini sauce, labneh, or a dairy-free yogurt dressing if needed.
To get the recipe and cold moussaka with kalamata feta sauce and to see more photos, head on down to the Food Blogggers of Canada website, where you can also find more mouth-watering recipes, advice for bloggers, and information about their upcoming bloggers' conference - where you just might meet me!
Disclaimer: I have received payment and the products for this recipe from Litehouse, but all opinions expressed here are my own. I am proud to work with companies whose products I truly love. To find out more about working with me, check out my about page, or email me to request a media kit.
Recipe
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Cold Moussaka With Kalamata and Feta
Ingredients
- 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes sliced into thin pieces
- 2 eggplants sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 6 beefsteak tomatoes sliced into thin pieces
- 1 jar OPA by Litehouse Kalamata Feta Dressing Or 1 cup Greek yogurt, diluted with 2 TBs water and mixed with 2 TBS each of finely chopped kalamata olives and ¼ cup feta.
- 6 tsps dried oregano
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh oregano for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and drizzle it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread oil evenly.
- Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer, and bake for 15 minutes on one side.
- Add 2 tablespoons more oil to the sheet, turn slices over and cook an additional 12 minutes on the other side.
- Repeat until all eggplant is baked and golden-brown in parts.
- Lower oven temperature to 375℉.
- On a large baking sheet, layer eggplant slices, potato slices and tomato slices. Sprinkle with salt, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, and 2 tablespoons of OPA by Litehouse Kalamata Feta Dressing. Repeat until you run out of vegetables.
- Mix 3 teaspoons dried oregano with 1 teaspoon of water, and let hydrate for a couple of minutes.
- On the last layer, pour ¼ cup of OPA by Litehouse Kalamata Feta dressing and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with rehydrated oregano, salt and pepper.
- Cover and bake at 375℉ for 45 minutes, until potatoes have cooked through (test with fork). Let cool for 4 hours, or overnight.
- Serve cold kalamata feta moussaka drizzled generously with more Kalamata Feta Dressing, and topped with fresh oregano.
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation says
I really love that 4th shot with the ingredints and cloth and dish. So pretty
Also dead impressed you've got sponsors and get paid for blogging. well done girl.
Keep it up 😉
kseniaprints says
Thanks, Kim. It's a lot of work, and it's really nice to be able to price it accordingly by supporting brands I truly love!