Vegan Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna is a classic dish. It's easy to make, can be made ahead of time, stores well, and everyone seems to love it. The typical ingredients, however, are not vegan friendly; so, for those living the plant-based lifestyle, this recipe is for you. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for vegan lasagna and says, "The key ingredient in this lasagna that makes it just as delicious as standard lasagna, is the homemade tofu ricotta. It's creamy and salty just like regular ricotta without the dairy."

"There is also quite a bit of flexibility with this recipe," Hahn says. "You can vary the vegetables that you use based on what your family likes, or what you have sitting in your crisper drawer. It is also great for meal prep." We love a dish that you can make on a weekend and have ready for weeknight meals. It's a complete meal on its own or pairs well with a simple green salad and some crusty bread.

To make this recipe, we'll need some fresh produce items — onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, and lemon. You can grab some extra firm tofu while you are in the produce department. Hahn says, "Extra firm works best here but firm will work also if that's all you can find. You are looking for the type that is packed in water and not baked." Then we'll need some oil, nutritional yeast, garlic granules, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and marinara sauce. Hahn shares, "There are lots of vegan cheeses on the market, so feel free to pick up some mozzarella and Parmesan if you want to include them." You also might want some fresh basil to top your lasagna.

Get started by preheating the oven to 350 F. Then heat up a large pot and cook the lasagna noodles. When they are done, drain and rinse them in cold water and lay out on a couple of cutting boards in a single layer until they are ready to use.

Take the tofu out of the package and discard the water that it is packed in. If you happen to have a tofu press, pop the tofu in and the press will do the job of pressing out the water. If you don't have a press, it's still an easy process. Just put the tofu block into a shallow bowl (so it can trap the water) and place a flat plate on top of the tofu block. Then put something heavy on top of the plate and let it sit for 20 minutes. This will press out the water and it will collect in the shallow bowl.

Once the tofu is ready, break it into smaller pieces and put it into a food processor with the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic granules, oregano, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Now we need to sauté the delicious vegetables that will be layered into our lasagna. Add the remaining oil to a frying pan and bring heat to medium high. Drop in the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-10 more minutes, or until the mushrooms are dark brown and glossy. Now add in the spinach and cook for a couple more minutes until it wilts.

Now all of the moving parts are ready to go. Take out a 9x13-inch pan and give it a spray of cooking spray. Pour in about ½ cup of sauce (add in some red pepper flakes on the sauce layers) and then place three cooked noodles on top. Now spread ½ of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles. "A butter knife will help in spreading this," Hahn advises. "If you are using vegan mozzarella cheese, add it on top of the ricotta." Then add half of the vegetable mixture. Start the process again by pouring on some sauce (be generous, we have a lot to work with), then more noodles, the rest of the ricotta, and the rest of the vegetable mixture. End with three more noodles and sauce on top. A layer of vegan mozzarella is good to layer on top if you are using.

Now cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Optionally, top with fresh basil and vegan Parmesan. Also, warm up the extra sauce for serving. You're going to love this vegan version so much you might never want the real thing again!