Vegan Lasagna with lentils & spinach (soy-free)
Autumn is coming! Time to put warm socks on and to hide under warm blankets in the evening. It's hard to say goodbye to late-summer .. but we're looking forward to many comfort dishes we hardly missed: soups, stews, casseroles and above all: vegan lasagna!
After showing you our [favorite vegan lasagna with soy meat filling] (https://www.zuckerjagdwurst.com/en/recipes/vegan-lasagna-with-bechamel-sauce), we add a soy-free version to your meal plan today. Instead of using soy granulate, we used lentils, walnuts, spinach, and carrots. The result is a great, comfy filling with a dash of red wine and lots of vegan béchamel sauce.
Vegan Lasagna with lentils & spinach (soy-free)
8-10 servings
40 minutes (+40 minutes baking time)
Ingredients
- about 10 vegan lasagna plates
- 100 g vegan, grated cheese (optional)
- fresh basil (to serve)
filling
- 1 large onion (or 2 small ones)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 big carrot
- 150 g baby spinach
- 500 g brown, cooked lentils (drained weight)
- 100 g walnuts
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 100-150 ml red wine
- 700 g chopped tomatoes (tinned)
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp paprika powder
- vegetable oil for frying
- salt&pepper
béchamel sauce
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 tbsp plant-based butter
- 250 ml oat milk
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- salt&pepper
- pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
filling
- Peel the onion and garlic and finely chop both. Roughly chop the walnuts.
- Wash the carrot and spinach and then dice the carrot.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan and sauté the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the carrot pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes.
- Drain the cooked brown lentils and add together with the chopped walnuts. Simmer for about 7-8 minutes, until the excess liquid is overcooked.
- Now add the tomato paste and the agave syrup and let it roast for about 3 minutes.
- Deglaze with red wine and simmer for about 2-3 minutes before adding the tomato pieces from the tin. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the spinach and spices, season well with salt and pepper, and simmer on a low heat until the béchamel sauce is ready.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F (circulating air).
Béchamel Sauce
- For the béchamel sauce, melt vegan butter in a small pot and stir in flour thoroughly, so it doesn't get clumpy.
- Heat for approx. 1-2 minutes over low heat, then add plant-based milk little by little. Always keep stirring as the sauce thickens really fast, and you want it to get silky.
- Season to taste with nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. If your béchamel gets too thick, just add more plant-based milk.
Layers
- Get your baking dish ready. Start with a thin layer of your tomato and lentil sauce, then cover it with dry lasagne sheets, another layer of the tomato lentil sauce, and a layer of béchamel sauce.
- Keep repeating with lasagna sheets, tomato lentil sauce, and béchamel until everything is used up and you end with a final layer of béchamel sauce.
- If desired, you can add vegan grated cheese on top. But mix the vegan cheese first with 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Then add to the lasagna.
- Bake the lasagna at 180°C/355°F for approx. 40 minutes, or until the lasagna sheets are soft. Remove from the oven, but let the lasagna rest for approx. 5 minutes before cutting. This way, your layers will firm up. Serve with fresh basil.
