The Best Vegan Lasagna
Vegan / Gluten-Free / High Protein
Imagine lasagna took a vacation to the Mediterranean where it had a beachy, Mediterranean makeover. This ultra creamy, dreamy vegan lasagna is lighter than your average lasagna at only 309 calories per heafty slice, but it packs a powerful punch–hitting all the same satisfying creamy and savory notes as the dairy-laden version I know and love from my childhood. Hands down, this is the best vegan lasagna I’ve ever tasted.
I’m talking layers of delicious homemade tomato, olive, and herb sauce; mediterranean veggies sauteed in extra virgin olive oil with gobs of garlic; green lentil lasagna noodles; and (the crowning jewel) layers and layers of creamy dreamy hummus.
Plus, it’s super good for you–which means you can savor every bite while knowing you’re fueling your body with all kinds of nutrients, healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbs. It’s packed with a whopping 16 grams of protein per 309 calorie slice, totally vegan, naturally gluten-free, and packed with vitamins from all those veggies.
As far as complexity, I won’t lie. Lasagna is never going to be as quick and easy as a one skillet dinner like my tuscan butter bean skillet or soul-warming red lentils. But this vegan lasagna is about as low maintenance as lasagna can get. No blending cashews into vegan cheese or pre-boiling lasagna noodles is required. Just cook some red lentils in diced tomatoes and herbs; sautee some veg; and layer it up with hummus and lentil lasagna noodles. And you’re done!
You’ll be rewarded with 9 hearty servings which are as perfect for hosting friends as they are for a healthy meal prep option you can portion out and pair with salads all week long.
The Best Vegan Lasagna
Begin by slicing the eggplant into round slices 1/8 of 1 inch thick. Lay the slices out on a paper towel, and salt them generously on both sides (about a Tablespoon of salt). Don't worry about using too much salt as you will wash it all off in 30 minutes once the eggplant has had time to sweat and become tender.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.
Move on to the marinara sauce. Pre-heat a heavy pot over medium-high. Then add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and allow it to warm for a minute before adding the diced onion. Sautee the onion for 5 minutes. Then add 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic and sautee for another 3 minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon dry oregano, 2 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, and 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme. Sautee 2 more minutes. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth (or 2 vegetable bullion cubes and 2 cups water), 1 cup of dry red lentils, 3 14 oz cans of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, and 2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped basil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium/low. Allow the sauce to simmer for about one hour.
Now prepare the hummus layer. Add 2 1/4 cups hummus and 3/4 cup water. Whisk together and set aside.
Next, prepare the vegetable layer. Dice 2 colored bell peppers. Rinse the eggplant and dice it. Then heat a large skillet over medium/high; add 1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; and add the bell peppers, diced eggplant, and 1 Tablespoon of diced garlic. Allow the vegetables to sautee for 5 minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons of fresh basil, turn the heat to high, and sautee another 3-5 minutes. When the vegetables are well sauteed and slightly browned, stir in 1 cup of chopped kale to wilt it slightly. Turn off the heat.
Return to the red lentil marinara sauce, and give it a taste. When the lentils are soft and mushy (about one hour), mix in about 25 chopped kalamata olives. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Begin layering the lasagna in a large cassarole dish. Add half the tomato sauce; half the vegetable mixture; one third of the hummus mixture; and 4 sheets of green lentil lasagna. Then repeat the layers. Reserve 1/3 of the hummus for later. Then (trust me on this) pour 1/2 cup of water gently over the top of the lasagna. Place foil over the dish and place the dish in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes. The extra water will help keep the lasagna perfectly moist, and the foil will help retain all that moisture.
After 60 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and remove the foil. Drizzle the remaining hummus mixture over the lasagna and sprinkle the top with 10 halved cherry tomatoes, 10 halved kalamata olives, and an additional Tablespoon of chiffonade basil.
Serve and enjoy 🙂
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Servings 9
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 309
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 7g11%
- Saturated Fat 1g5%
- Potassium 702mg21%
- Total Carbohydrate 46g16%
- Dietary Fiber 13g52%
- Sugars 9g
- Protein 16g32%
- Vitamin A 99%
- Vitamin C 67%
- Calcium 22%
- Iron 14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Directions
Begin by slicing the eggplant into round slices 1/8 of 1 inch thick. Lay the slices out on a paper towel, and salt them generously on both sides (about a Tablespoon of salt). Don't worry about using too much salt as you will wash it all off in 30 minutes once the eggplant has had time to sweat and become tender.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.
Move on to the marinara sauce. Pre-heat a heavy pot over medium-high. Then add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and allow it to warm for a minute before adding the diced onion. Sautee the onion for 5 minutes. Then add 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic and sautee for another 3 minutes. Add 1 Tablespoon dry oregano, 2 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, and 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme. Sautee 2 more minutes. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth (or 2 vegetable bullion cubes and 2 cups water), 1 cup of dry red lentils, 3 14 oz cans of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes, and 2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped basil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium/low. Allow the sauce to simmer for about one hour.
Now prepare the hummus layer. Add 2 1/4 cups hummus and 3/4 cup water. Whisk together and set aside.
Next, prepare the vegetable layer. Dice 2 colored bell peppers. Rinse the eggplant and dice it. Then heat a large skillet over medium/high; add 1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; and add the bell peppers, diced eggplant, and 1 Tablespoon of diced garlic. Allow the vegetables to sautee for 5 minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons of fresh basil, turn the heat to high, and sautee another 3-5 minutes. When the vegetables are well sauteed and slightly browned, stir in 1 cup of chopped kale to wilt it slightly. Turn off the heat.
Return to the red lentil marinara sauce, and give it a taste. When the lentils are soft and mushy (about one hour), mix in about 25 chopped kalamata olives. Remove the sauce from the heat.
Begin layering the lasagna in a large cassarole dish. Add half the tomato sauce; half the vegetable mixture; one third of the hummus mixture; and 4 sheets of green lentil lasagna. Then repeat the layers. Reserve 1/3 of the hummus for later. Then (trust me on this) pour 1/2 cup of water gently over the top of the lasagna. Place foil over the dish and place the dish in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes. The extra water will help keep the lasagna perfectly moist, and the foil will help retain all that moisture.
After 60 minutes, remove the dish from the oven and remove the foil. Drizzle the remaining hummus mixture over the lasagna and sprinkle the top with 10 halved cherry tomatoes, 10 halved kalamata olives, and an additional Tablespoon of chiffonade basil.
Serve and enjoy 🙂
This lasagna is amaaaaazing!!!! I’ve tried many vegan lasagnas and this one truly is the best. Being a lazy chef, I simplified a few things: Shockingly my store had no eggplant on the day I shopped, and I did not feel like hunting, so I used 2 packages of these frozen marinated eggplant/zucchini/peppers which were delicious ! (I still added all the other herbs and spices in the recipe) https://www.walmart.com/grocery/ip/Green-Giant-Eggplant-Peppers-Zucchini-Marinated-Veggies-13-oz/939209392?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=3207&gclid=CjwKCAiAr6-ABhAfEiwADO4sfRGv0n5lRY61_yPgQXmq_SKl5oQC0thKW0xU9v7pX9hQ4Y8FrzVJwhoCXyoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I also added a package of frozen riced broccoli.
And I know the fresh herbs are amazing and more delicious, but I had dried ones already, so to save money I just used the dried ones.
I also could not find green lentil lasagna noodles (only checked my Walmart). I would like to try them, but I had my usual whole wheat ones at home so just used those. The kalamata olives would be great, but I’m the only one in the house who likes olives, so I also skipped those. I sadly forgot to put in the kale. I also am not much of a measurer, so I eyeballed all of the amounts. I probably doubled the broth, so then the water step didn’t seem necessary. Yet despite all this, it’s a very forgiving recipe and was a totally delicious hit!! Off to try more Verdant Feast recipes!