The best vegan lasagna
When I take this vegan lasagna to a potluck, it is the first dish to disappear, even when there are non-vegan dishes on the table.
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 7 cloves garlic ((crushed and minced))
- 1 large onion
- 28 oz vegan ground beef
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 28 oz canned whole plum tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tbsp fresh basil ((optional))
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cups vegetable stock ((or water))
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews ((soaked 30 minutes, then drained))
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast ((optional))
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- ¼ cup parsley ((chopped))
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup water
- 16 oz lasagna noodles ((16 noodles))
- 16 oz vegan mozzarella shreds
- 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp parsley ((chopped, for garnish. Optional))
- Heat oil in a large skillet with garlic. Add the onions. Sauté until the onions soften, about five minutes.
- Add the meatless meat - ground vegan beef and ground vegan sausage - and sauté for a couple of minutes to brown.
- Place the plum tomatoes in a bowl and squish them to break with your fingers. Add to the skillet along with tomato paste and two cups of vegetable stock.
- Add the oregano, basil if using, red pepper flakes, salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook the sauce without covering for about 15 minutes or until it turns a bright orange-red. Turn off heat and check seasoning. Set aside.
- Place cashews in a food processor with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, salt and ground black pepper to taste, and water.
- Process for a couple of minutes until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente but not mushy. You can skip this step if using no-boil noodles.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/205 degrees Celsius.
- Spray a 12 X 9 inch lasagna pan or baking dish with cooking spray or oil. Ladle out a cup of marinara sauce into the pan and spread evenly. Layer on four sheets of the noodles into the bottom of the pan.
- Layer on one-fourth of the meat sauce over the lasagna noodles followed by one-fourth of the vegan parmesan.
- Follow this by a layer of one-fourth of the vegan mozzarella, then one-fourth of the vegan ricotta.
- Repeat the layers until you have built up three layers of the noodles, marinara and the cheeses. Over the fourth and final layer of lasagna noodles, layer the remaining marinara, parmesan, ricotta and mozzarella.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, place the lasagna pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake the lasagna another 30 minutes until bubbly and hot. Let the lasagna stand at least 15 minutes to firm up, then cut and serve.
Best vegan lasagna
Who doesn't love lasagna? With my vegan lasagna recipe you can enjoy this classic Italian pasta dish exactly as it was meant to be with zero compromises on flavor. In fact, I've had friends tell me they prefer it to their regular lasagna made with beef and cheese.
There is a lot to love here: layers of tender pasta, creamy cashew ricotta cheese and a savory marinara sauce (a heartier version of my everyday marinara) that unites all those amazing flavor. I pack in flavor at every step with herbs and veggies to ensure this lasagna tastes amazing, but I also pack in lots of nutrition. Every hearty slice has 21 grams of protein and seven grams of fiber.
If you like you can use whole wheat lasagna noodles to make it even healthier. The ricotta is tofu-free and you can make this recipe soy-free and gluten-free - see FAQs below for more on this.
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This recipe is quite simple and I like breaking down the process down into five straightforward steps:
- Blending the vegan ricotta cheese (no cooking needed).
- Making the vegan parmesan cheese (also no-cook).
- Boiling the lasagna noodles until al dente.
- Layering and baking the vegan lasagna.
Each of these goes by quickly. You can also make the ricotta, parmesan and sauce up to three days in advance, then assemble and bake the lasagna the day you plan to eat it.
Enjoy the recipe!
Five-Star Reader Review This is a bit of a challenging dish to make vegan due to the cheesy factor, but my dear, you knocked it outta the park!! Rave reviews from our family! In my opinion, there is no need to look further for a vegan lasagna recipe! - Heather.
Ingredients for meaty vegan marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 28 oz vegan ground beef (I used a combination of Beyond Sausage and Impossible Beef this time. I've used other brands, like Gimme Lean and Field Roast in the past with good results. Crumble the sausage into smaller bits.)
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil (optional)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
