Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2

Slice your eggplant into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Set aside.

Step 3

In a mixing bowl, add soy milk, all purpose flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, salt, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper and whisk it into a batter.

Step 4

In a second bowl, add panko breadcrumbs, salt and ground black pepper and mix together.

Step 5

Dip each slice of eggplant into the batter to coat it completely and then gently toss it in the breadcrumbs bowl to cover it completely with breadcrumbs.

Step 6

Place the breaded eggplant onto parchment lined baking trays. We used two trays.

Step 7

Bake in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes.

Step 8

While the eggplant is baking, start your vegan cheese sauce.

Step 9

Add olive oil to a pot on medium heat and let the oil heat up until hot.

Step 10

Add all purpose flour and fry the flour in the oil briefly, stirring vigorously the whole time.

Step 11

Add soy milk all at once and stir vigorously.

Step 12

Continue to stir, bringing the sauce to the boil and then continue stirring until it thickens. It will usually get to the right level of thickness a few minutes after the sauce has boiled.

Step 13

When the sauce has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and ground black pepper.

Step 14

Set aside. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Step 15

Add breadcrumbs to a bowl. Add melted vegan butter and mix in until the breadcrumbs are coated.

Step 16

Add roughly a third of the marinara sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 oven-safe dish.

Step 17

Top it with half the eggplant.

Step 18

Layer another third of the marinara sauce on top of the eggplant.

Step 19

Top that with roughly a third of the cheese sauce.

Step 20

Add the rest of the eggplant.

Step 21

Top it with the remaining third of the marinara sauce.

Step 22

Top that with the remaining two thirds of the vegan cheese sauce.

Step 23

Add the breadcrumbs on top.

Step 24

Place into the oven to bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Step 25

Serve topped with fresh chopped basil and ground black pepper.