The Best Vegan Lasagna
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I don’t say this lightly. This truly is the BEST Vegan Lasagna! Layered with a tofu-cashew ricotta, red lentil marinara and loads of fresh spinach, this lasagna is protein packed with 26 grams per serving and is sure to satisfy!
THE BEST VEGAN LASAGNA. After trying many different vegan lasagnas over the years since giving up animal products, I have finally come up with the WINNING RECIPE! At last, a lasagna that my whole family will eat without complaining.
Now, I adore a lasagna filled with zucchini, mushrooms, spinach and whatever other vegetables you’d like to put in it. However my children do not feel the same way! They just don’t want chunks of veggies in their lasagna. So I compromised.
There are still plenty of healthy ingredients in this vegan lasagna, such as red lentils, tomato sauce, tofu, cashews, spinach and whole grain noodles. And I promise, it’s delicious!
Let’s talk about red lentils for a minute.
They are my favorite lentil, especially for kids and picky eaters! Talk about a protein powerhouse. At 18 grams of protein per cup cooked, these add a TON of nutrition to this dish. And the best thing about them is that unlike green or brown lentils, red lentils kinda mush and mix in with whatever you put them in.
They are almost undetectable, and in pasta sauce they simply help create a “meaty” type texture without being very “beany”. Perfect for picky kids (or husbands)!
Do I have to pre-cook my lasagna noodles?
No, you don’t have to pre-cook your lasagna noodles! That is one thing I just really can’t be bothered with. I mean, they all stick to each other no matter what I do, and the lasagna turns into mush in the oven.
Trust me, this works and it’s the reason for the 2 jars of pasta sauce. I know it seems like a lot, but it works perfectly!
I think you are going to LOVE this Vegan Lasagna!! It’s:
- High Protein
- Nutrition Packed
- Creamy, Rich and Satisfying
- Hearty
- Comforting
- Easy to Prepare
Want more delicious vegan pasta recipes?
If you make this recipe, let me know how it goes! Rate it, leave a comment and tag a photo @noracooksvegan on Instagram. Enjoy!
The Best Vegan Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- (2) 25-ounce jars marinara sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 16 ounce firm tofu, patted dry with paper towels
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2-3 cups baby spinach
- 1 box lasagna noodles, whole grain or gluten free if needed
- Double recipe Easy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions
- First, cook your red lentils. Add 1 cup dried red lentils and 3 cups of water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain the lentils in a fine strainer, and then add to a large bowl. Add both jars of marinara to the bowl with the lentils and mix to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the Cashew-Tofu Ricotta: Add the cashews to a food processor and process until fine and crumbly. Then add the tofu in chunks, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, basil, oregano and garlic powder to the food processor. Pulse until well combined and pretty smooth.
- Assembling the lasagna: Add about 1 cup of marinara sauce (with the cooked lentils) to the bottom of a large 9 x 13 inch casserole dish or lasagna pan. Spread it around evenly. Next add 4-5 lasagna noodles (uncooked). Spread half of the Cashew-Tofu Ricotta on top of the noodles. Top with half of the spinach. Add about 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the spinach, then place 4-5 lasagna noodles on top. Spread the rest of the Ricotta over the noodles, then the rest of the spinach. Place 4-5 more noodles on top of the spinach, and then pour the rest of the sauce over the top, evenly.
- Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving. (see below if using optional mozzarella topping)
- While the lasagna is cooking, make your Vegan Mozzarella Cheese, if using.
- If using the mozzarella topping, simply remove the lasagna after 40 minutes of cooking in the oven. Spoon on the mozzarella, and pop it back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Remove, let cool for at least 15 minutes and serve.
Video
Nutrition
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723 Comments on “The Best Vegan Lasagna”
Hands down, this is the best vegan lasagna I have ever made! I’ve made a number of them over the years, and all were far more time-intensive, without the satisfying, comforting, traditional lasagna feel and taste. This is absolutely fantastic, I make it often and people always gobble it up. The faux mozzarella on top is the icing on the cake!
That’s so great to hear!
If I made this in advance and freeze it for later, what would you recommend for getting it ready to serve? What temp n how long to reheat it?
I would thaw it in the refrigerator a day in advance, then cover with foil and bake until warm throughout at 350 degrees, probably an hour or a bit longer. Thanks!
This is so delicious!!
Whole family loved it!
Will be making this dish again!!
I never leave comments or reviews. I made this for my vegan daughter and had the rest of the family try it……. nothing is left . It was fantastic. We all loved it!
I just had a question… can you use lemon concentrate instead of fresh lemons? and if so, should you use the same amount?
You probably could, yes. I would use the same amount. Thanks!
This is yet another awesome Nora recipe! My daughter and her college roommates are all music majors/vocalists, so none of them do dairy. When I told them I would make them a dairy free lasagna, there were almost giddy. They absolutely loved it, and I was smart enough to keep some pieces home for me! I made the recipe exactly per the instructions. It was cool to try the homemade cheese for the topping, but I don’t think it’s necessary. This meal is an absolute staple in our house!!
That’s so great to hear!
Super delicious! Will make again for sure
My family LOVED this recipe! I made it with gluten free lasagna noodles (boiled them ahead of time) and added in some zucchini!
It was so good! Loved the homemade mozzarella! Thanks for the recipe!
The lasagna was delicious! my boyfriend went back for more 3 times!!
I did make the mistake of buying Trader Joe’s lasagna noodles – they have egg in them. Word of warning.
I also chopped most of the spinach and added mushrooms to my food processor and then added it all to the sauce. With the rest of the spinach, I added it to each layer and it worked beautifully! We like spicy food so I added crushed red pepper to the sauce to spice it up a bit. We will definitely make this again this winter!!
I wasn’t a huge fan. I am sure some people like it but I followed the recipe and it was a little bland for me . Also the noodles didn’t good well with the sauce. Prefer to pre cook noodles
Hi Nora. I have loved every recipe I’ve ever made of yours. Thank you! Question, do I cook the lasagna before freezing or freeze before cooking ?
I have only ever frozen it after cooking the whole thing, but you could probably freeze it once assemble, before cooking as well. Thank you so much!
This is one of our favorite Nora recipes. Would join a cult if she started one because I know the food would always be so good.
LOL. Thanks so much!
Lived up to the good reviews! I didn’t have enough cashews for the ricotta, so I used almonds instead. Still turned out delicious! Not sure I will bother with the vegan mozzarella next time. It would be fine without it.
Very enjoyable would like more moisture in the cheese
I get so many compliments for this recipe! Love it and my meat eaters love it too!
Made it last night. Sooooo good.
Ok, I had my reservations but I made this (almost exactly but added some fresh basil (no dried on hand) Trader Joes Chickenless and Umami seasoning (I am always nervous that there won’t be enough Umami or depth in vegan thing)s. Anyway, not only was it not gross, but do I dare say it was delicous? Yes, I do, I really do, it was damn delicious! I also didn’t do the vegan mozzarella but it was so good without. I will definitely make it again! Wondering how it might be with Zucchini noodles….??? Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Well thank you so much, I’m glad it exceeded your expectations! 🙂
I’ll make it again but with precooked noodles. We can’t really chew these.
The noodles will cook all the way if you follow the instructions, I’ve made it many times and never had the noodles not cook and become soft. You have to use the full amount of sauce, or they will not cook properly. But sure, you could precook the noodles, just cut the time in the oven in half if you do.
I am allergic to nutritional yeast, just wondering if you know of any substitutes or how it will taste without the yeast?
Thanks,
Katie
It should be fine without the nutritional yeast.
This is one of my all time faves! I was planning to make it tonight but just realized I’m out of lemons. Any suggestions to substitute if we don’t have fresh lemons? Lime? Apple cider vinegar?
You could probably sub just a little apple cider vinegar, but lime juice would be better.
This is the absolute best vegan lasagna recipe ever. My boyfriend was eating the vegan cheese spread on bread while I was making dinner! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Just made this turned out amazing! Next time will just make 1 batch of vegan mozzarella cheese, was a bit heavy for me as the topping. Best vegan gluten free lasagna taste, stayed together perfectly when cutting, and not hard to prepare at all.
I made this a couple weeks ago and took it to my work friends to try and they couldn’t believe it was vegan! They still talk about it, and when I had to leave early to cook for a potluck, one of them asked if I was going to make the vegan lasagna haha. And indeed I am! I can’t wait to share this with my friends! Thank you so much for a recipe that beats even the most experimental vegan restaurants, with whole foods I can process myself! So much love for you and your mission!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for the great comment!
I have never commented on a recipe before but had to for this one – my husband and I made this last night for a small dinner with friends and it was EXCELLENT. I’m the only vegan in the group and everyone agreed – you would not even know it was vegan if someone didn’t tell you. We followed the recipe exactly, including the vegan mozzarella (which worked super well!) with one small exception – we added one package of vegan “ground meat” with the lentils just to give it a bit more of that traditional “meaty” texture. This is going to be a staple in our house and for entertaining from now on!
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for the comment!
This looks DIVINE! I am wondering, would I be able to home make my noodles and it still work? I could buy them if needed, I’ve just been super in to making my own lately!
Oh that sounds like fun! I’m sure it would work, yes. If they are fresh and don’t need to cook as long, you can use a bit less marinara and bake the lasagna for less time. Hope that helps!