A delicious lasagna packed with veggies, beans, lentils, and enriched with deliciously spiced flavours of cumin, coriander and garam masala. Perfect for batch prepping, everyday family meals, or as an alternative dish for a special meal such as Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years dinner.
200gramscarrots1 large, sliced lengthways into 4 sticks and chopped into small chunks
150gramsonion1 medium-large, chopped. Any type of onion is fine, especially red ones.
100gramscelery1-2 ribs, sliced into small chunks
4clovesgarlicthin sliced, use more if preferred
2cansdiced tomatoestwo 400g [14 oz cans] or a 500-600g carton or jar of tomato passata
1tablespoontomato paste[puree]
1tablespooncumin powder
2teaspooncoriander [cilantro] powder
1bay leaf
1litrevegetable broth[hot]
After sauce is cooked:
2teaspoonsgaram masala powder
2teaspoonslemon juiceoptional
12sheetslasagnadried, use more sheets as required
For the butternut cheesy sauce:
300gramsbutternut squashor pumpkin, sliced, grated or chopped into small pieces
480millilitreswater
150gramsfirm silken tofuthis is often found on the aisle section in supermarkets as it is a shelf-stable tofu
1tablespoonwhite miso paste
2teaspoonsonion powder
6tablespoonsnutritional yeast flakes
2teaspoonsapple cider vinegaror lemon juice
Garnish:
100gramsvegan cheesegrated, or replace with extra tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes. Or perhaps use some thin sliced tomatoes to cover the sauce.
8gramsparsleyfine chopped, or replace with coriander or, chives
Instructions
Prepare the filling:
Heat the oil or veggie broth in a non-stick pot.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add the onion, celery, carrots, and sweet potato. Sauté over a medium heat for 8 minutes.Stir frequently.
250 grams dried red split lentils, 1 can kidney beans
Pour in the hot vegetable broth along with the canned diced tomatoes. Add a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.
2 cans diced tomatoes, 1 litre vegetable broth
Give it a good stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes and stir frequently.
Meanwhile prepare the sauce (this step can be omitted if using a ready prepared vegan white or cheese sauce):
Place the butternut squash into a saucepan along with 2 cups [480 ml] of water.Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the squash is very soft.
300 grams butternut squash, 480 millilitres water
Once soft drain the squash or pumpkin over a sieve or colander, reserving the liquid. Push the squash around to squeeze out excess cooking liquid.
Place the squash into a food processer or blender. Pour 1 cup [240ml] of the squash cooking liquid into the processer (if you don't have this much just top up with some water). Or place the squash and cooking liquid in a bowl or pot suitable for using an immersion stick blender with.
Add the remaining sauce ingredients, along with ½ teaspoon of salt and some black pepper if liked.
Blend until smooth. Set aside until required. Don't worry if the sauce looks thin as it will thicken up a little as it sits and even more as it bakes on top of the lasagna.
Preheat the oven to 180 Fan, [200 C], [Gas 6], or [400 Fahrenheit].
After the lasagna filling is ready:
Once the lasagna filling has been cooking for 20 minutes remove from the pan from the heat.
Mix through the garam masala, along with the lemon juice if using, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2 teaspoons garam masala powder, 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Assemble the lasagna:
Cover the base of your casserole dish with the lasagna filling. Layer over lasagna sheets and then another layer of filling and repeat until the filling has been used up.I managed 3 layers of sheets but depending on your oven dish you may get 4 or more layers.
12 sheets lasagna
Pour over the butternut cheese sauce and spread it out to cover the lasagna top, it will drip down the sides into the lasagna but this is fine.
Bake for 25 minutes on the middle or top oven shelf.The sauce will form a thin crust but will be soft underneath, this is simply the tofu baking and will taste delicious.
Remove from the lasagna from the oven and sprinkle the vegan grated cheese over. Or instead sprinkle some nutritional yeast flakes for extra cheesiness without the cheese, alternatively add a layer of thin sliced fresh tomatoes.
100 grams vegan cheese
Place the lasagna back into the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the lasagna is at your preferred golden colour and crispness.
Garnish with chopped parsley, coriander or chives.
8 grams parsley
Notes
Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
Leftover vegan lasagna will keep fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days in the fridge. Add a layer of kitchen foil to cover if preferred, or store within a covered container. Or keep the lasagna within the casserole dish.
Lasagna can be frozen for 4-6 months if well wrapped in the freezer. Defrost completely before reheating, and if frozen within the baking dish allow the dish to come to room temperature, to avoid cracking the dish in the oven.
To reheat place the lasagna into a casserole dish and cover with kitchen foil to prevent the lasagna overcooking as it reheats. Reheat a notch down from the cooking temperature, for 25-30 minutes or until piping hot.
The vegan grated cheese can be replaced with a layer of thin sliced tomatoes. Simply add the tomatoes after the white sauce has been spread over the lasagna and bake for 40 minutes.
A few handfuls of fresh spinach leaves can be added to the lentil mix after it has finished cooking on the stove top. Or add some kale for the last 10 minutes of cooking the lentil mix.