Vegan Lasagna Recipe with Easy Method
- Simon
- Last Updated on February 16, 2024
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
This lasagna may be completely vegan-friendly, but it is a meal that is perfect for everyone in the family. It is so filling and so tasty that no one can say no to a big slice of vegan lasagna! Made with a blend of vegan cheeses, tasty lasagna noodles and a doctored-up tomato sauce, you will soon discover how easy it is to make this delicious recipe.
Easy Vegan Lasagna with Vegan Cheese
There are two tricks to making a good vegan lasagna. First, you need to make a really good sauce. While you don’t need to make marinara sauce from scratch completely, you should at least add a little bit of flavor to your jar of sauce.
This recipe adds onions, garlic, spices and herbs to jarred sauce to liven it up and make it taste incredible. Plus, fresh eggplant is also added to the sauce, making it a little bit more healthy and hearty. A delicious marinara sauce doesn’t need to be complicated! It just needs to be made well.
The other important thing to remember when making vegan lasagna is the cheese. Regular cheese is made with dairy which is not in line with a vegan diet. The best vegan lasagna is made with vegan ricotta and mozzarella. You can typically find both of these ingredients in the grocery store or in your local health food store but we will also show you how to make vegan ricotta cheese at home. It is a little secret that really makes this vegan lasagna amazing!
Ingredients for Vegan Lasagna
Here is a quick look at the ingredients needed to make vegan lasagna. The exact quantities are listed in the recipe below but we wanted to give a little more detail about each ingredient so you can really understand how everything comes together to be the best vegan lasagna ever.
- Lasagna noodles – Most lasagna noodles are vegan approved so just choose your favorite pasta brand. You can also use whole wheat lasagna noodles or gluten free lasagna noodles to make your lasagna even more specialized.
- Olive oil – Use high quality olive oil for the best flavor.
- White onion – One medium sized white onion should be about one cup of chopped onion.
- Garlic – Buy pre minced garlic to make this recipe even more simple. Or, chop your own fresh garlic. About 8 cloves of garlic will make 1/4 cup.
- Eggplant – We add eggplant to the sauce to make it nutritious and to give the marinara sauce a little bit of flavor
- Salt and Pepper
- Dried oregano and parsley – Italian seasoning is key to making this recipe really tasty.
- Tomato sauce – Choose a high quality jarred sauce or make your own homemade sauce. Buying marinara sauce is much easier and will make this recipe for vegan lasagna quick and easy.
- Vegan ricotta cheese – Cashew ricotta is creamy and flavorful. If you didn’t know it was vegan, you may think it was just regular old ricotta!
- Vegan mozzarella cheese – Make sure to buy a vegan mozzarella cheese that melts. Some brands will not melt and then look a little funny on top of the lasagna. Read the label and make sure to get melting cheese!
- Fresh chopped basil – Fresh basil adds a little bit of flavor boost at the end of the recipe and a pretty green color. You can also use fresh parsley in place of basil.
How to Make Vegan Ricotta Cheese
If you can’t find vegan ricotta cheese, it is actually pretty easy to make. Here is a quick look at how to make vegan tofu ricotta that you will find yourself making again and again. Cashew cheese is good on everything!
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet and add 1 cup of chopped yellow onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent and the garlic begins to brown. Scoop the mix into a food processor.
Add 350 grams of extra firm tofu (drained) to the food processor along with 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup cashews and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Puree the mix until smooth and thick. Your homemade cashew tofu ricotta is done! Use cashew ricotta made with silken tofu to make lasagna, stuffed shells or any type of Italian pasta dish.
Skip the onion and garlic and just make creamy ricotta with the tofu, cashews and nutritional yeast. This makes a perfect vegan cheese for Italian desserts like cannoli or tiramisu. Once you make cashew cheese just once, you will never go back!
Variations
Here are a few recipe variations and ingredient substitutes that you may want to try.
- Stir a tablespoon of tomato paste into the sauce to make it thicker and more powerful.
- Use no boil lasagna noodles. Using no boil noodles not only saves time but also dishes! No big pot needed here and no need to wait for the noodles to cook.
- Stir in a teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the marinara sauce to make it spicy.
- Add 1/2 cup of vegan parmesan cheese to the ricotta mix. You can also add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast or vegan cream cheese to make the ricotta layer of the lasagna more flavorful.
- Replace the fresh garlic with two teaspoons of garlic powder.
- Add 2 cups of Beyond Beef crumbles to the skillet when you are cooking the marinara sauce. This will make a vegan meat sauce that is really tasty. You can also use vegan sausages, vegan turkey or vegan ground chicken to make the lasagna more hearty. Any type of vegan meat will work! Be sure to save any extra remaining meat sauce to add to any Italian pasta dish later in the week!
How to Make Vegan Lasagna
Take a quick look at how to make vegan lasagna so you know exactly what to expect when you start cooking.
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the noodles: Boil noodles according to the package directions. Toss the tender lasagna noodles in a little oil or vegan butter so they don’t stick together.
- Make the sauce: Saute the onions, garlic and chopped eggplant in olive oil over medium heat. The onions should be translucent and the eggplant should be fork tender. Add the marinara sauce and simmer.
- Make the cheese mix: Combine the ricotta and the mozzarella in a bowl.
- Assemble the lasagna: Add a little sauce to a 9×13 baking dish then top with a layer of noodles followed by a layer of ricotta mix. Continue to layer the ingredients in this order until the dish is full. Sprinkle with the extra shredded mozzarella.
- Bake: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Serve: Slice and serve the lasagna a while hot. It will be absolutely delicious!
How to Store Vegan Lasagna
If you have leftover vegan lasagna, you can wrap the whole dish in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for about a week. This amazing recipe will taste just as good when reheated. Reset the oven to 350 degrees and reheat the whole lasagna dish for about 10 minutes to freshen it up.
You can also freeze the uncooked lasagna for up to a month. Assemble the lasagna then wrap the whole dish in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer. Bake the lasagna whenever you are ready to eat, adding about 10 minutes of baking time. You’ll have a traditional lasagna recipe ready in no time!
What to Serve with Lasagna
Lasagna goes well with so many other dishes. Serve it with an Italian salad appetizer or a bowl of warm vegan tomato soup. It also goes well with garlic bread or fresh dinner rolls. You can also just sprinkle a little bit of nutritional yeast over the top of your lasagna as a final finishing touch.
Of course, don’t forget to make an Italian dessert to serve with your lasagna. Try using your homemade ricotta recipe with raw cashews to make vegan cannolis or vegan tiramisu. You will be amazed by the Italian vegan recipes you can find!
Easy Homemade Vegan Lasagna
We hope you give this vegan lasagna a try because it really is extremely delicious. It is a great Italian dish to make to feed a crowd and one that everyone can enjoy. Give it a try and we know that it will be one of your favorite easy vegan dinners. Enjoy!
If you have a pescatarian in your family and you want to make him happy why not making a seafood lasagna for them, you can find our recipe here!
Italian Cooking Classes
If you love making this Italian vegan lasagne, you may want to try taking a local cooking class or two. Check out all of the amazing cooking classes near you using our awesome website. You can learn how to cook like a true Italian with lessons from some seasoned pros. Look for vegan cooking classes too so you can make even more incredible diet-friendly recipes.
Vegan Lasagna
Ingredients
- 16 lasagna noodles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 1 medium eggplant peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 42 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 cups vegan ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded vegan mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions. Cook lasagna noodles to al dente. Drain, toss in a little bit of olive oil and set aside.
- Add the olive oil and onions to a large pot and saute the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and eggplant to the pot and saute. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to soften the eggplant.
- Stir the tomato sauce, salt, pepper and herbs into the pot. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, stir the vegan ricotta and 2 cups of the vegan mozzarella cheese together.
- Scoop about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the 9x13 casserole dish and spread it to coat the bottom of the dish. Cover the bottom of the pan with 4 of the lasagna noodles, overlapping them a little bit. Spread about 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the noodles then top with 1/3 of the remaining sauce.
- Repeat layering the lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese sauce and tomato sauce until the pan is full. Sprinkle the reserved cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the lasagna.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. The cheese should be completely melted and the sauce should be bubbling around the edges of the pan.
- Serve while hot.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that the food images displayed on this website are for illustrative purposes only. They do not represent the actual dishes or presentations you might achieve when following our recipes. While we strive to inspire your culinary journey, the appearance of your dishes may vary.
Frequent Asked Questions
What is vegan lasagna made of?
Our vegan lasagna is made with vegan cheeses, no meat and no eggs. We add eggplant to the sauce to make it more hearty and filling. Our recipe does have options for adding vegan meat and also gluten free noodles. It is a flexible recipe that will allow you to make the best vegan approved lasagna ever!
What is a good substitute for lasagna noodles?
If you do not have lasagna noodles, you can use zucchini strips or eggplant strips. You can also use jumbo pasta shells that are flattened like lasagna noodles.
How long does vegan lasagna last in the fridge?
This lasagna will keep for about a week in the fridge. You can even assemble the lasagna in advance and bake it within a day or two when you are ready to eat. It is a fantastic meal-prep recipe that will be perfect to serve for lunch or dinner.
How do you keep veggie lasagna from getting soggy?
Make sure you keep your eggplant pieces about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch in size so they do not get soggy when cooking. Also, try not to overcook the eggplant when you are sauteing it in the pan. Eggplant can get soggy when overcooked and then become completely mushy in the sauce. Let the veggie get a little bit tender in the oil then stop cooking.
If you are using zucchini strips or eggplant strips in place of lasagna noodles, make sure you do not over bake the tray of lasagna. Once the cheese on top has melted, it is done and ready to come out! This will prevent the veggies from being too soggy or soft.
Are lasagne sheets vegan?
Yes! Most lasagne sheets are vegan. Make sure to check the label of your noodles to be sure they are not made with eggs or dairy. Most pasta is typically made with just flour, water and salt so you can bet that the noodles you have in your pantry are vegan-approved.
What does lasagna contain?
Lasagna is a classic Italian dish made with layers of thin noodles, pasta sauce, and a creamy cheese mixture. The cheese sauce is usually made with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, herbs and eggs. To make this recipe vegan, we use all dairy-free cheeses (like cashew ricotta) and skip the eggs in the filling.
How do you make veggie noodles for lasagna?
If you would rather not use no boil noodles or regular lasagna noodles, you can try making veggie noodles instead. Use a mandolin slicer or a very sharp knife to cut a zucchini or a peeled eggplant into 1/8-inch thick long strips. Use these veggie strips to layer into the lasagna, replacing the noodles in any lasagna recipe with these veggie strips. Veggie noodles are a great way to cut back on carbs and add a little bit of nutrition to your lasagna.
