Your Secret Weapon For The Best Vegan Lasagna

Lasagna is rarely ever just a regular dish. With gorgeous ingredients seamlessly melding together, you'll always find a spectacle of flavors and textures that leave you fuller and happier than ever when the meal is finished. This brilliance comes from well-matched components that work in perfect tandem with each other: tender pasta, hearty sauce, tangy cheese, and savory-rich meat. One thing goes missing and the dish won't taste the same. Hence, the dilemma of vegan lasagna, in which certain staples are removed from the picture. If there's anything that can fill in that massive gap, it's tofu cheese. Don't be fooled by tofu's unfair reputation for blandness — this could be just the game-changer your vegan lasagna needs.

Tofu cheese is exactly what you think it is: Tofu that mimics the taste and texture of regular cheese — a vegan substitute for the actual thing. Most often, its crumbled creaminess closely resembles ricotta. When combined with the right seasonings, it becomes a creamy, mildly tangy spread that's no less satisfactory than the beloved cheese.

If you're already wondering where to get it, the good news is tofu cheese can easily be made at home. As per instruction provided by recipe developer Miriam Hahn's vegan lasagna recipe, it's a simple one-step process of blending drained tofu (preferably the extra firm type) with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, oil, garlic, dried herbs, and salt. Once the texture is as creamy as desired, set it aside and use it whenever necessary.

Not only is tofu cheese so easy to make, but it's also customizable. Each time you make it, feel free to switch up some of the ingredients. Spinach, for example, brings a refreshing earthy touch. Leafy greens in lasagna are nothing new (and we've got a kale lasagna to prove it), but infused straight into the cheesy tofu? That's a tad bit more special. An aromatic edge is also possible, and basil is the top choice. Don't underestimate just how much impact a tiny sprinkle can make.

Don't forget to also have fun with the spices. Since we're making lasagna, a little Italian seasoning is quite fitting. It gives the tofu cheese a herby, slightly savory undertone that ties right in with the overall taste profile. That said, you can also use ingredients that are a bit foreign to lasagna to give it a newer spin. Miso paste, as unlikely as it seems, brings a delightful umami punch that works great for recipes with lots of earthy greens. Tahini, or even hummus, not only thickens the texture but also imparts a nutty undertone that gives the tofu cheese an unexpected depth.

Even with all of those changes, the tofu cheese never gets overwhelmingly flavorful and you can still load up the lasagna with all kinds of ingredients. All the usual choices, such as vegetables, mushrooms, legumes, plant-based sausages, etc. work marvelously. You can even swap out the tomato-based sauce for pesto or vegan béchamel sauce.