PastaQuick & EasyVeganVegan Bowls

Vegan Lasagna Perfect For Weekend Dinners

30 mins Cook
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I used to be skeptical of vegan lasagna. Does it really taste that good? This recipe proves it really works. This vegan lasagna tastes as good as it looks.

I usually make this lasagna on weekends when I’m done with eating everything else.

Even my husband, who is a big fan of creamy pasta, was skeptical of the concept of lasagna without cheese. I thought this recipe would convince him, so I took it home and put it in the fridge. I quickly spotted the man in the kitchen and backed away for a few seconds. Then the third.

If you’ve read my recipe substitute notes carefully over the years, you may have tried this technique. This is based on his vegan version of Cheesy Lasagna with Fried Eggplant.

You should also try my recipe of Broccoli Pasta I’m sure you’ll love the recipe!

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Vegan Lasagna Perfect For Weekend Dinners

How to Make the Best Vegan Lasagna

You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s why this recipe works:

1) Dairy Substitute Cashew Cream
Replaces traditional mozzarella and ricotta with cashew-based sour cream. Whisk easily with a blender. I’m still amazed that this “sour cream” mix replaces all sorts of creamy dairy-based cheeses and sauces. Other recipes recommend mixed tofu for this component, but cashews His cream tastes much better.

One caveat – if you don’t have a powerful blender, you’ll need to soak the cashews in water for several hours before blending. If you’re blessed with a Vitamix (affiliate link) or similarly powerful blender, you don’t have to worry about soaking.

2) Vegetables of Flavor and Nutrition
Sauté lots of vegetables and spinach for flavor. I used onions, carrots, and mushrooms, but feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand (zucchini, bell peppers, or even butternut squash work well). Mushrooms are especially good as they add a depth of umami to this meatless lasagna.

3) Garnish with more cashew cream, vegan parmesan cheese and fresh basil
Layer this lasagna and bake like regular lasagna. When you take it out of the oven, sprinkle the remaining cashew cream on top. The cashew cream inside is irresistibly creamy when baked.

Finish with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese made with hemp seeds, nutritional yeast and garlic onion powder. It’s the perfect salt enhancer. Add fresh basil leaves if you have them!

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Vegan Lasagna Perfect For Weekend Dinners

Vegan Lasagna Perfect For Weekend Dinners

ramsha
I used to be skeptical of vegan lasagna. Does it really taste that good? This recipe proves it really works. This vegan lasagna tastes as good as it looks.
prep time
35 mins
cooking time
30 mins
servings
9
total time
1 hour 5 mins

Equipment

Ingredients

  • Cashew cream

  • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • Vegetables

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium-to-large red onion, chopped

  • 2 large or 3 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

  • Everything else

  • 2 ½ cups marinara sauce, homemade* or store-bought

  • 9 no-boil lasagna noodles**

  • Suggested garnishes: vegan Parmesan

  • Fresh basil

Instructions

1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the cashews are soaked, drain and rinse until the water runs clear. In a
2
blender, combine cashews, water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and mustard. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy, pausing as needed to scrape down sides. If the mixture is difficult to mix, use only the amount needed and slowly mix up to ½ cup additional water. set aside.
3
Next, prepare the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it becomes soft, add onions, carrots, mushrooms, salt, and black pepper several times. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until most of the moisture is gone and the vegetables are tender and golden on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add a little more olive oil if needed to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4
Add a few handfuls of spinach to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until spinach is wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper
5
Spread 3/4 cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch casserole dish. Place 3 layers of lasagna noodles on top (fold edges to meet or overlap as needed). Spread 1 cup of cashew cream evenly over the pasta. Place half of the vegetables on top. Top with 3/4 cup tomato sauce. Add 3 sticks of
6
pasta and 1 cup of cashew cream (reserve remaining cream). Then add the rest of the vegetables.
7
Place 3 more pasta on top and pour 3/4 cup of tomato sauce over the top to coat the pasta evenly.
8
Wrap the top of the lasagna in parchment paper or aluminum foil and secure it so that it does not touch the top. Cover and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid, rotate the pan 180°, and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until steam and slight bubbles appear in the corners.
9
Remove pan from oven and allow lasagna to cool for 15-20 minutes, then cool to moderate temperature. Drizzle over remaining cashew cream (if it's too thick to drizzle, dilute with a little water beforehand).Sprinkle with vegan parmesan and fresh basil, slice and serve.

Notes

*HOMEMADE MARINARA SAUCE NOTE: You’ll need to double my marinara recipe to yield enough for this recipe, and then you’ll have extra. If you don’t think you’ll use it up within a few days, you can freeze it for later. **LASAGNA NOODLE RECOMMENDATIONS: I like to use DeLallo’s Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles (affiliate link) and Whole Foods’ 365 No-Boil Lasagna Noodles. See below for gluten-free suggestions. MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE: Substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles. Choose no-boil (oven ready) noodles if possible; if not, cook them according to package directions. (Fair warning, I tried using DeBoles brand of no-bake lasagna noodles and they weren’t quite done cooking in the time specified here. Reheated leftovers were ok, though.) CHANGE IT UP: Feel free to play around with the vegetables here. You’ll want to use about 3 cups chopped veggies total (excluding the onion). Butternut squash might be nice, or try one zucchini and one red bell pepper in place of the mushrooms. STORAGE SUGGESTIONS: Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Gently reheat individual servings in the microwave or oven as needed. Or, freeze it for later—it’s generally easier to reheat single servings than to defrost a big block of lasagna!
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