If you are looking for keto vegetarian recipes, you would likely come across the keto eggplant lasagna. This dish is popular among keto dieters for various reasons.
Aside from being delicious, this vegetarian comfort food is so easy to make and can make for a great low carb alternative to a real lasagna recipe.
Not only that, eggplant, called aubergine in the UK, is an often overlooked non-starchy vegetable that’s ideal for your keto or low carb diet. Apart from being low in carbs, it is rich in nutrients and comes with many health benefits.
I have already written about the health benefits of eggplants in the post for a low carb and keto Spicy Eggplant Recipe.
Where do eggplants come from?
There are various accounts on the internet about where eggplants originated but according to The Natural History Museum website the plant was first domesticated in Asia, but most of its wild relatives are from Africa.
The fruit which we treat as a vegetables was actually first called aubergine. The word was saif to be derived from Vergina, a historical city in Greece.
The name eggplant was given to the fruit by the Europeans in the middle of the 18th century. They had a small white and yellow variety that resembled goose eggs.
This delicious recipe is from EasyToKeto mother and daughter team Hetal and Sejal. They like to share their journey on the keto diet through their easy and delicious low carb recipes.
Recipe notes
You can use fresh herbs in place of the dried if you have them. If you are not too concerned about the number of carbs you are eating you can use more of the marinara sauce.
Each serving of the dish as per the recipe contains about 9 g net carbs and about 401 calories.
If you eat meat you can add some mince to the cheese mixture that you are using to sandwhich the eggplant rounds.
Keto Eggplant Lasagna
Makes approx 4 servings
Ingredients
- 5 pounds of eggplant
- 2 tbsp. extra avocado oil
- Himalayan pink salt or Redmond Real Salt
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp crushed red chilli pepper flakes
- 1 organic/pastured egg
- ½ cup sugar free marinara sauce
- Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnishing
Directions
1. Wash the eggplants well and cut into discs around ½ inch thick. Sprinkle them with salt to draw out the moisture and set aside .
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C)
3. Combine the ricotta cheese and half the mozzarella in a bowl. Add the garlic powder, red chilli flakes, Italian seasoning, and salt to taste. Mix well.
4. Add the egg and mix in well. Set aside.
5. Blot the excess moisture from the eggplant with some paper towel. Brush the discs with avocado oil on each side. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for around 25 minutes in the preheated oven or until they are tender.
7. Place the eggplant discs in a baking pan lined with parchment paper or spray with cooking oil.
8. Place half the discs in the pan.
9. Next, spoon the cheese mixture on each of the eggplant discs dividing it equally to cover all of them.
10. Form a sandwich by placing the remaining eggplant discs on top. Place 1 spoonful of the marinara sauce on each sandwich and top with the remaining mozzarella.
11. Cover and bake at 350°F (176°C) for about 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese starts to bubble.
12. Finish by putting them under the broiler on high for about 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese begins to caramelize.
13. Before serving, garnish your eggplant lasagna with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
Check out this video demo of how to make this keto eggplant lasagna.
