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
This recipe is Awesome! I used Rao’s arrabbiata sauce as my pasta sauce and it turned out amazing. I loved the tofu ricotta and the vegan mozzarella. I can’t wait to eat the left overs tomorrow.
I’m so thrilled you loved the lasagna! Thanks for fantastic feedback and review! Happy cooking!
This is a delicious lasagna! I made it for the first time tonight. It came out amazing and we had second helpings along with a nice salad with Italian dressing! I’ll be adding this to my recipe rotation. Thank you for the wonderful lasagna recipe!
You are welcome, Wynter! How terrific you loved the lasagna! It is a favorite recipe! Thanks for taking time to share your wonderful feedback and review!
Loved it so much I could eat it for breakfast! I’ve never commented but I’ve made a bunch of your recipes so I guess I’m a fan! Have you ever frozen the leftovers of this? Curious how the “ricotta” would hold up.
Hi Sammy. Yes, you can freeze the lasagna after it has baked with the cheese. Before reheating, let the lasagna thaw and then bake in the oven until warm. Thank you for your wonderful feedback and review!
I’ve made this once and loved it! I want to make it again tonight but only have frozen spinach on hand – would that work or make it too watery? Thanks in advance.
Yes, frozen spinach will work! It’s best to thaw it ahead of time, then dry it really well before layering it in the lasagna.
Amazing!! It makes so much and it’s delicious! I actually make it even easier by using 1 can of lentils that I just rinse and toss in the sauce! I make the “ricotta” exactly as written in the recipe, but then top the whole thing with Mykonos liquid mozzarella. It’s insane! Nobody believes it’s vegan
Your lasagna sounds SO delicious! Thanks for sharing your ideas and wonderful feedback!
Hello, I’m getting ready to make this recipe for our vegan guests and I can not find red lentils anywhere at the stores in our small town. Can I substitute regular lentils? Thank you!
Yes, they will work fine! The lentils will be more noticeable, but that’s OK! Thank you and enjoy!!
I made this tonight and it is DELICIOUS! I subbed the mozzarella recipe with a bag of shredded mozzarella throughout. This will be my go-to lasagna recipe. Thank you!
You are welcome, Amanda! Thanks for your awesome feedback and review! I’m glad you loved the lasagna!
Another fantastic vegan. recipe by Nora. Since it is just my husband and I, I made a smaller version of this with an 8’ by 11’ dish, and one jar of the marinara sauce. I also kept my cashew cheese separate, and just layered the thinly sliced firm tofu along with zucchini rondelles on top of the ‘cheese’. I didn’t add any extra salt to the recipe. It came out excellent! I could totally see adding sautéed mushrooms and onions and other veggies (if desired), but, again, the recipe was excellent without them. Five stars, Nora!
Hi Sandra. Thank you for sharing your fabulous feedback! How terrific you loved the recipe! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora,
My neighbors have raved about this recipe and so that is why I gave it 5 stars. I’m thinking of trying it myself soon and have a couple of questions:
1) I’ll be using a blender instead of a food processor to make the ‘ricotta’. Would it be better if I soaked the cashews first?
2) Should the lasagna be recovered with foil for the last 20 minutes after topping with the “mozzarella”?
Thanks so much!
I probably would soak them first if I used a blender. Keep in mind you might need to add more liquid to get it to blend; a food processor is preferred but a blender should work. You don’t need to add the foil back on once you top it with the mozzarella. I hope you love it yourself, thank you so much!
Hi Nora,
Thank you so much for your prompt answers to my questions. I finally made it and it was excellent and relatively easy! I can definitely see why my neighbors so highly recommended it.
After it was done cooking, I simply turned off the oven and let it rest inside and stay warm until we were ready to eat. Thanks to you and my friends next door, my first time serving a vegan meal to non-vegan guests worked out beautifully!
Hi! Im planning to make this and i was wondering if it would be possible to use silken tofu instead of firm tofu for the ricotta?
Hi Jaden. I haven’t tried using silken tofu, but you could try blending it with the ricotta seasonings. I think it would work ok. It may be thinner than usual. Let me know how it works for you if you use silken tofu! Thanks!
Hi again, i didn’t see your answer until now, sorry for the late reply 😅.
I ended up making the ricotta with silken tofu and it turned out great! I had some left overs which i used on bread sort of like a cream cheese which I totally recommend.
I also added mushrooms to the marinara sauce along woth the lentils which i think worked great. I just cut up a bunch of champignons into pretty small pieces and cooked them for a while in a pan untill the liquid in them had been cooked out before adding them to the sauce. Overall, i was super happy woth the lasagna, I think it turned out great and so did the people i made it for. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, I made this lasagna before and it is amazing. This time I would like to bake the lasagna a day ahead of a family gathering. I plan to leave the lasagna in the fridge overnight after baking it. What temperature do you suggest that I reheat the lasagna at and for how long? Also, when reheating the lasagna should I cover it with foil? Thanks!
Hi Sonia. Cover the lasagna with foil and reheat it at 350ºF for about 30 minutes or until the cheese and sauce is bubbly again. Hope this helps!
I’m always questioning the BEST in front of a recipe…..But this is absolutely amazing. Even better the second day.
Thank you for your awesome feedback! Glad you are loving the lasagna, Nicole!
Hi Nora,
I am fairly new to vegan cooking but have tried several of your recipes. They are amazing! My vegan daughter can’t wait for an invite whenever I tell her I am trying another one of Nora’s recipes.
Do you have a cookbook out?
Welcome to my site, Nancy! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes and that your daughter loves them! I have a couple of e-books which are available on my website. No published cookbook yet! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and I wish you lots of happy cooking! Please reach out with any recipe questions you may have.
This is by far THE BEST lasagna I have ever tasted, hands down!! I add mushrooms and extra veggies in the layers, just because I usually have a few things I need to use up when I make this. My non-vegan friends request it all the time. I’ve tried other vegan lasagna recipes, but none hold a candle to this one. Thank you for this staple!
Hi Celeste. Thanks for your fantastic feedback and review! I’m thrilled that you guys are loving the lasagna!
Just wondering if you cook the mushrooms before adding them, thanks
Hi, Kim! I do sauté the mushrooms any other extra veggies that I add.
Is it freezer friendly
Yes, the lasagna freezes very well before or after baking. Cover it with foil and freeze. When ready to serve, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking until warm. Enjoy the lasagna!
Is there any way of making this without the cashews? We have nut allergies.
I haven’t tried this recipe but giving it five stars because I love your recipes – everything I’ve tried so far has worked so well!
Hi Julie. Thanks for the feedback, and I am glad you are enjoying my recipes! Check out my Easy Vegan Ricotta. As indicated in the recipe, you can replace the nuts with tofu. Enjoy!
Can the lasagna be assembled the day before and baked after sitting in the fridge overnight? Would the noodles soften? Thank you!
Yes, you can assemble it the day before and then cook the next day. It won’t be a problem.
Quick question: How many servings does this make? Thanks so much! I have made it twice and love it! Just checking out the nutritional info!
Hi Jackie. This recipe makes 8 large servings.
This looks great! I haven’t made it yet but plan to.
If one wanted to replace the red lentils with a meat substitute like Beyond, how would one go about that?
Hi Hilary, one pack of the Beyond ground beef should be enough to replace the lentils here (or you can use 2 packs for an extra meaty sauce). Saute the “meat” in a pan over medium heat until it’s browned, then mix it with the marinara sauce. Hope this helps!
Thanks! One more question, would I be able to use chickpea lasagna noodles and if so would the instructions remain the same?
Yes, the recipe should stay the same as long as the chickpea noodles do not need to be cooked before assembling the lasagna. The package should have helpful instructions 🙂
This is an excellent recipe that my family enjoys. However, my food processor is small and the ingredients for the Tofu Ricotta get stuck and gummy. I end up hand mixing in a bowl. Do you have an alternative suggestion to using a food processor? If I chop up the cashews first in the food processor and then move everything to a Kitchen Aid Mixer, will I get the consistency needed? Thanks for your feedback, and a great recipe.
Hi Bob, you can try pulsing the ricotta in batches if your food processor is too small for the full amount. Sometimes adding a teaspoon of water at a time can help loosen it up, too. Or, if you have one, make it in a high-powered blender instead. Hope this helps!
What type of lasagna noodles do you use? The type that you usually pre cook or oven ready?! Tks
I just used regular lasagna noodles, not the oven ready or no bake ones. The extra sauce cooks them just fine. You can use the oven ready kind though, but you won’t need to bake it for as long if you do.
We made this vegan lasagna for a family supper! Everyone enjoyed it! We’ll be making it again. Thanks for this recipe!
My mom found this recipe when she was looking for food to make when I visit. It is unbelievably delicious. My son even eats it and he’s 12 and not vegan so there’s that lol. I have never left a recipe review before but this one really does deserve it. Great job!!