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Vegan Lentil Lasagne

This recipe for rich, creamy vegan lentil lasagne is the ULTIMATE comfort food. Made using all regular ingredients that you know (no fake meat here!), and a ‘cheesy’ vegan béchamel, this is the hearty lasagne you expect but without the meat and dairy. Next time you’re craving lasagne, give this version a try, I know you’ll love it as much as I do.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 6 servings
Calories 367kcal
Author Sally

Ingredients

For the lentil tomato sauce:

  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 200 grams swiss brown mushrooms
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 x 400 gram can diced tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable stock
  • 1 x 420 gram can brown lentils rinsed and drained

For the vegan béchamel sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 3 tablespoons plain flour
  • 1 ½ - 2 cups oat milk
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon salt to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

To assemble:

  • 9 - 12 lasagne sheets approx. depending on size of the sheets and size of the dish you’re using
  • ½ cup vegan cheese
  • Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  • Start by making the lentil tomato sauce. Finely dice the onion and garlic and heat the olive oil in a large frying pan with deepish sides. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes until soft. Dice the mushrooms and add them to the saucepan with the onions. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms have reduced in size and are soft and brown.
  • Add the tomato paste, salt, and dried herbs to the pan and mix through. Cook for a couple of minutes until the tomato paste has slightly darkened in colour.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable stock and lentils to the pan and mix through until combined. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the sauce is really thick.
  • While the sauce is simmering, make the béchamel. Start by making the roux by melting the butter in a medium saucepan. Add in the flour and whisk until a paste forms.
  • Add in a little of the milk and whisk through. Slowly add a little more milk, mixing through until it thickens. Continue this process until the sauce is nice and thick but drizzles off the whisk.
  • Add the nutritional yeast, salt and nutmeg and whisk through until the nutritional yeast is completely combined. You may need to add a splash more milk if the sauce gets too thick. Taste and adjust salt and nutmeg to taste. Place a lid on the saucepan until ready to use as the sauce will form a skin on top if exposed to the air for too long.
  • Assemble the lasagne. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place enough of the tomato lentil sauce to cover the base of an oven proof dish. The one I use is 23x23cm (9inx9in). Drizzle over about ⅔ cup of the vegan béchamel over the top evenly. Finally, place a layer of the lasagne sheets over the top. You may need to cut some to fit depending on the size. Repeat this process 2 more times or until all of the lentil sauce has been used. The final layer should be a layer of lasagne sheets followed by a layer of the vegan béchamel (no lentil sauce). Top the lasagne with vegan cheese and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling. Let cool slightly and garnish with chopped fresh basil, before cutting into squares and serving.

Notes

Gluten Free Option: This recipe can be easily made gluten free by using gluten free lasagne sheets and substituting 1-1 gluten free flour for the flour in the béchamel sauce.
I use Nuttelex to replace butter in most of my recipes as it is vegan and gives a ‘buttery’ flavour without being greasy. As this is an Australian product, the closest US alternative I believe is Earth Balance. Otherwise any dairy-free spread will work.

Nutrition

Calories: 367kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.5g | Protein: 12.8g | Fat: 15.4g | Saturated Fat: 3.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.6g | Cholesterol: 2.5mg | Sodium: 727.8mg | Potassium: 425.8mg | Fiber: 6.6g | Sugar: 6.8g