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Vegan Lasagna Recipe

The Best-Ever Hearty Vegan Lasagna Recipe

This is the best Hearty Vegan Lasagna recipe, a plant-based showstopper guaranteed to impress everyone at the table, vegan or not! It features layers of tender pasta, a rich and "meaty" lentil-mushroom ragu, a creamy herbed tofu ricotta, and a luxurious, golden-brown cashew béchamel sauce. It's the ultimate satisfying comfort food for a family dinner or for entertaining.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 550
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the Hearty Lentil Ragu:
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks finely chopped
  • 225 g 8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 120 ml ½ cup dry red wine (optional)
  • 1 can 800g / 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup 200g brown or green lentils, rinsed
  • 720 ml 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • For the Tofu "Ricotta":
  • 1 block 450g / 16 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed well
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast Hefeflocken
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • For the Cashew Béchamel:
  • 1 ½ cups 225g raw cashews, soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes
  • 240 ml 1 cup fresh water
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • For Assembly:
  • 1 box about 340g / 12 oz no-boil lasagna noodles (use gluten-free if needed)

Method
 

  1. Make Ragu: Sauté onion, carrots, and celery in oil for 10 mins. Add mushrooms and cook until browned. Add garlic, cook 1 min. Stir in tomato paste. Deglaze with wine. Add crushed tomatoes, lentils, broth, oregano, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 30-40 mins until lentils are tender. Season.
  2. Make "Cheeses": While ragu simmers, mix all Tofu Ricotta ingredients in a bowl. In a blender, blend all Cashew Béchamel ingredients until silky smooth.
  3. Assemble: Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Layer in a 9x13 dish: Ragu -> Noodles -> Half of Ricotta -> Ragu -> Noodles -> Rest of Ricotta -> Ragu -> Noodles -> Rest of Ragu -> Cashew Béchamel.
  4. Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbly.
  5. Rest: Let the lasagna rest for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Notes / Tips & Variations:
  • Pressing the tofu and soaking the cashews are crucial steps for the best creamy textures.
  • This lasagna can be fully assembled a day in advance and refrigerated before baking.
  • For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free lasagna noodles.