My Best Vegan Lasagne

Lasagne is one of those family meals I have been cooking for over 35 years in different guises, a long time.

In the beginning, it was the original lasagne, not vegan and no need for gluten-free pasta. I have always looked upon cooking this meal as a labour of love, carefully making a beautiful rich tomato sauce and a silky smooth velvety bechamel, it became my boys’ favourite dinner.

Now they have all left home I have been perfecting a gluten-free and vegan one, just for me and I think I have finally cracked it.

• Delicious
• Filling
• Rich
• Satisfying

I have made it twice in 3 days just to make sure, my freezer now has 10 portions of lasagne in it.

This recipe was born really from the rocketing price for groceries and trying to be more conscious of the money I spend. Looking in the freezer I realised I had a few packs of burgers left over from summer barbeques. I didn’t have any vegan mince

“Notes“

1.The vegan meat

If using burgers for this recipe then they need to be like the beyond burger. Other burgers that I have used are Garden Gourmet, Heura or Tesco plant based-burgers.

If you do not have burgers you could also use any type of vegan mince.

2. Dishing up Lasagne is notorious for not looking the prettiest when dished up straight from the oven. I normally let it cool down and then portion out and then warm slightly if need be.

3.To cheese or not to cheese

You do not have to sprinkle the top with vegan cheese, it is a matter of choice. I like the cheesy top so I use a little vegan parmesan along with either cheddar or my homemade mozzarella.

4. How Long does it keep

Lasagne will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can however freeze it in portions in individual freezer bags, as I do.

My Best Vegan Lasagne

• Preparation Time 30 Minutes
• Cooking Time 40-45 Minutes
• Serves 6

Vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian and nut-free and

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

• Around 350 g of defrosted vegan burgers
• 1 red onion finely diced
• 2 medium carrots diced
• 3 cloves of crushed garlic
• 1 stick of celery finely diced
• 1/4 tsp of smoked paprika
• 1.5 tsp of dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp of dried cumin
• 2 tbsp of tomato puree
• 2 400g tins of plum tomatoes
• 1 vegetable stock pot or cube
• 200 ml vegan red wine or hot water
• 1/2 tsp of sugar

Bechamel sauce

• 75 g of dairy-free butter
• 75 g of gluten-free plain flour
• 900 ml of dairy-free milk
• 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp of garlic powder
• Large pinch of black pepper and salt

• 12 sheets of dried gluten-free lasagne
• 35 g of vegan parmesan or vegan cheese of your choice

Homemade vegan mozzarella

Instructions

1. If you are using burgers then make sure they are fully defrosted and then break them apart to resemble mince,
2. In a large saucepan over a medium heat add a tbsp of olive oil. Once this is hot add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Sautee for 5 mins until the onion is translucent, you do not want it to brown.
3. Add the tomato puree, paprika, oregano and cumin and cook for another few minutes. Next, the vegan mince or broken down burgers, stir this and cook until the mince has started to colour.
4. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, wine or hot water and gel stock pot.
5. Bring to a good simmer and cook without a lid on for 30 minutes.
6. While this is cooking then it is time to make the bechamel sauce.
7. In a medium saucepan add the vegan butter and melt completely over a medium heat. Then add the flour, salt and pepper, nutmeg and garlic powder and whisk to combine. Cook for 5 minutes to cook the flour out.
8. Add a drizzle of milk to start and whisk vigorously until smooth and then the rest of the milk a little at a time, whisking between each one to keep it nice and smooth which will give you a glossy lump free sauce.
9. Continue to cook the sauce on a low simmer for around 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly, season to taste, and adjust if need be.
10. Preheat the oven to 180C
11. Now the hard work is done it is time to build the lasagne.
12. In a 9-inch x 1-inch roasting dish ladle some red sauce to cover the bottom, then lay on top 3 sheets of dry lasagne. Next top this with a layer of the bechamel sauce. Repeat these layers, ending with bechamel sauce. Sprinkle a little dried oregano over the top and the vegan cheese of your choice.
13. Place into the middle of a hot oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is bubbling and golden.
14. Remove and allow to cool slightly before you try to dish it up..

• Spicy Roasted Pepper Pasta Sauce
• Lemon & Pistachio Cream Cookies
• Custard Cream Biscuits
• Vegan Tikka Masala
• Vegan Cottage Pie

If you make this, don’t forget to tag me on twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I love seeing your versions of the recipes. I would love to hear your comments too.