Classic vegan lasagne - this vegan lasagna is seriously good! A rich mushroom ragu is layered up with a creamy dairy-free bechamel sauce and sheets of pasta. It is hearty, filling, totally delicious and healthy too!
Lasagne is one of my ultimate favourite foods. I don't make it all that often as it is a bit of a labour of love but it is so worth the effort!
This classic vegan lasagne is the best vegan lasagna I have tried. It is rich and hearty and very, very moreish! Served with a side salad and some garlic bread it is the ultimate comfort food meal!
It consists of a rich mushroom ragu sauce which is layered up with a creamy vegan bechamel sauce and sheets of pasta. It does take a little bit of time to make but the results are absolutely worth the time and everything can be prepared in advance of cooking the lasagne if needed.
I replaced the usual mince in the ragu sauce with finely diced chestnut mushrooms which give it a lovely flavour and almost meaty texture. Red wine, sundried tomatoes and herbs give the sauce bags of flavour.
For the bechamel, plant milk and vegan butter replace the usual dairy versions, with some blended cashews for creaminess; but the cheese is a little more tricky.
I don't like supermarket vegan cheeses, but nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic and onion powder do a great job of replicating the savoury, tangy flavour of the cheese; making this vegan lasagna just as good as the original.
How To Make Classic Vegan Lasagne:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*
Start by putting the cashews for the bechamel to soak, cover them with boiling water and set aside while you get on with the ragu.
Very finely chop two medium brown onions; I like to do this in the food processor to save time. Fry them in some of the oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes in a large pan until softened.
Blitz some carrots, celery and a red bell pepper in the food processor until finely chopped (or finely chop them by hand). There is no need to wash the food processor after chopping the onions before doing this.
Add the chopped vegetables to the pan along with some crushed garlic and finely chopped fresh rosemary and thyme. Cook for another ten minutes until softened.
Cut your chestnut mushrooms* in half then blitz them in the food processor as before until they are finely chopped. It is best to do this in two or three batches so as not to overload the machine. Of course you can chop them by hand instead, it is just quite a lot of work!
(*you can use whatever variety of mushrooms you like; I just like the flavour of chestnut ones best).
Add the mushrooms to the pan along with some chopped sundried tomatoes and cook until the mushrooms are soft and most of the excess liquid has evaporated.
Add red wine, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar and dried oregano and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated then add a vegetable stock cube, two tins of chopped tomatoes and some water.
Bring the sauce up to a simmer and leave it to cook for half an hour, stirring every now and again.
While the ragu is cooking get on with the bechamel sauce. Place vegan butter in a saucepan and heat until it is melted then add plain flour. Stir over a low heat for a couple of minutes until you have a doughy paste.
Very gradually stir in warm plant-based milk. Only add a little at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition, that way you will avoid lumps.
Once all of the milk has been incorporated, bring the sauce up to a simmer. Stir constantly until it is thick and creamy, like custard. Remove the pan from the heat and add crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, onion powder, lemon juice and plenty of salt and pepper.
Drain the soaked cashews and place them in a blender with some water. Blitz until they are totally smooth and creamy. Add the bechamel sauce to the blender and blend again to combine. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper as needed.
By now the ragu should be ready; give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
At this point, both the ragu and bechamel can be covered and stored in the fridge for a day before you assemble and cook the lasagna.
Spoon some of the ragu into the base of a large lasagne dish, making sure that the base is completely covered. Lay lasagna sheets on top of the layer of sauce, breaking them as necessary to form a complete layer.
Spread a decent layer of the ragu over the top then pour over some of the bechamel sauce. Add another layer of pasta sheets then repeat this two more times, finishing with a layer of pasta sheets.
Pour the remaining bechamel over the top, making sure that the pasta is completely covered. Bake the vegan lasagne for 15 minutes then cover the top with tin foil and return it to the oven for a further 50 minutes. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
The leftovers will keep for up to five days in the fridge and are great microwaved for quick meals. Alternatively they can be frozen.
Can I Make This Vegan Lasagne In Advance?:
Yes! This lasagne is great re-heated. Alternatively, you can make both the ragu and bechamel sauces in advance and store them in the fridge for a day before assembling and cooking the lasagne.
Can I Freeze It?:
Yes, this lasagne freezes well, either whole or in individual servings. Allow to defrost before reheating in either the oven or microwave.
More Vegan Comfort Food Meals:
Lentil, vegetable and butter bean chilli
Vegan sausage casserole with lentils and farro
Chickpea, sweet potato and spinach curry
Vegetable and pearl barley stew with herby dumplings
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Classic Vegan Lasagne
Ingredients
Bechamel:
- 200 g (7oz) cashews
- 200 ml (½ + ⅓ cup) water
- 80 g (⅓ cup) vegan butter
- 65 g (½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 750 ml (3 cups + 2 Tbsp) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy) warm
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 50 g (scant cup) nutritional yeast
- 3 tsp onion powder
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
Ragu:
- 2 Tbsp oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes
- 2 medium brown onions peeled
- 380 g carrots (3 large) cut into chunks
- 2 sticks celery cut into chunks
- 1 red bell pepper deseeded and cut into chunks
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves (about 2 sprigs)
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (about 4 large sprigs)
- 750 g (26oz) chestnut mushrooms
- 150 g (5oz) sundried tomatoes finely chopped
- 300 ml (1 ¼cups) red wine
- 1 Tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 vegetable stock cube crushed
- 2 400 g (14oz) tins chopped tomatoes
- 400 ml (1 + ⅔ cup) water
- salt and pepper
- 500 g (18 oz) dried lasagne sheets
Instructions
- Start by putting the cashews for the bechamel to soak, cover them with boiling water and set aside while you get on with the ragu.
- Very finely chop the onions; I like to do this in the food processor to save time.
- Heat the 2 Tbsp sundried tomato oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion. Cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft.
- Meanwhile, blitz the carrots, celery and red bell pepper in the food processor until finely chopped (or finely chop them by hand). There is no need to wash the food processor after chopping the onions before doing this.
- Add the chopped vegetables to the pan along with the crushed garlic and finely chopped fresh rosemary and thyme. Cook for another ten minutes until softened.
- Cut the chestnut mushrooms in half then blitz them in the food processor as before until they are finely chopped. It is best to do this in two or three batches so as not to overload the machine. Of course you can chop them by hand instead, it is just quite a lot of work!
- Add the mushrooms to the pan along with the chopped sundried tomatoes and cook until the mushrooms are soft and most of the excess liquid has evaporated.
- Add the red wine, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar and dried oregano and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated then add the vegetable stock cube, tinned tomatoes and water. Bring the sauce up to a simmer and leave to cook for half an hour, stirring every now and again.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
- While the ragu is cooking get on with the bechamel sauce. Place the vegan butter in a saucepan and heat until it is melted then add the flour. Stir over a low heat for a couple of minutes until you have a doughy paste.
- Very gradually stir in the warm milk; only add a little at a time, stirring thouroughly after each addition, that way you will avoid lumps.
- Once all of the milk has been incorporated, bring the sauce up to a simmer. Stir constantly until it is thick and creamy. Remove the pan from the heat and add the crushed garlic, nutritional yeast, onion powder, lemon juice and plenty of salt and pepper.
- Drain the soaked cashews and place them in a blender with the 200ml water. Blitz until they are totally smooth and creamy. Add the bechamel sauce to the blender and blend again to combine. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- By now the ragu should be ready; give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed. At this point, both the ragu and bechamel can be covered and stored in the fridge for a day before you assemble and cook the lasagna.
- Spoon some of the ragu into the base of a large lasagne dish, making sure that the base is completely covered. Lay lasagna sheets on top of the layer of sauce, breaking them as necessary to form a complete layer.
- Spread a decent layer of the ragu over the top then pour over some of the bechamel sauce. Add another layer of pasta sheets then repeat this two more times, finishing with a layer of pasta sheets.
- Pour the remaining bechamel over the top, making sure that the pasta is completely covered. Bake the vegan lasagne for 15 minutes then cover the top with tin foil and return it to the oven for a further 50 minutes. Leave it to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Julie Cochran
Can this be frozen please?