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The best vegan lentil lasagna with béchamel sauce – an absolute dream for all lasagna fans! Try this easy recipe and learn how to make vegan lasagna!
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This vegan lasagna recipe with white sauce, tomato sauce, green lentils, and dairy-free cheese is an absolute delight! It’s incredibly delicious, creamy, and cheesy – pasta comfort food at its highest level and the perfect dinner for the entire family. It would undoubtedly put Garfield in a good mood, even on Mondays! 😉
Let’s face it, who doesn’t love a decent lasagna? I think it’s one of the best pasta recipes ever as it comes with everything you dream of if you think of pasta! Feel free to serve it with a glass of red wine and this simple green salad for an unforgettable and relaxing dinner date.
Sure, lasagna is a bit time-consuming in the preparation because you first have to cook the lentil bolognese and prepare the béchamel sauce (also known as white sauce). We are not finished yet; you still have to layer it AND bake for an additional 30 minutes in the oven. So if you’re looking for a quick dinner, steer clear.
But if you still love homemade lasagna, stick with me. Every minute of preparation time is worth it. So, let me show you how to make arguably (in my opinion) the world’s best vegan lentil lasagna!
The great thing about lasagna is that leftovers reheat beautifully in the oven. Meaning, prepare a large batch of lasagna, and it will make you happy again for lunch or dinner within the next few days – assuming there will be leftovers (you never know when serving such a fantastic meal)! 😉
Lentil Filling
Meatless lasagna can be just as good, trust me. All you need for the filling is a handful of lentils, carrots, and fresh basil. The recipe is similar to a classic bolognese sauce but made with green Puy lentils (also known as French lentils) instead of meat. It’s inspired by this vegan lentil bolognese recipe!
Lentils have a wonderful bite, an earthy taste, and are rich in protein. Therefore, an excellent meatless alternative.
If you love a lasagna that is filled with vegetables, you can prepare the filling according to this vegetarian vegetable lasagna, but swap the parmesan cheese with dairy-free cheese!
Vegan Bechamel Sauce For Lasagna
Yes, béchamel sauce is a MUST when it comes to lasagna. Trust me, this creamy white sauce makes all the difference! It’s how I always cooked lasagna and how the Italian’s cook it. Sure, some recipes call for dairy-free ricotta cheese, which is way quicker to prepare, but oh my goodness, béchamel just makes everything better! It gives you this extra creamy texture between the lasagna layers!
Unsweetened soy milk (oat milk will work too) and plant-based butter do the trick for a dairy-free béchamel sauce.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Puy Lentils (Green French Lentils) → A protein-rich meat substitute! Puy lentils have a nutty herb taste and remain firm when cooked, which is fantastic in savory pasta dishes.
- Carrots, Onion, Garlic, Chili Pepper → These veggies are the basic ingredients of every decent tomato sauce!
- Bay Leave & Fresh Basil → Provide additional flavor!
- Canned Diced Tomatoes → Can be substituted with whole canned tomatoes.
- Red Wine → Deglazing your lentils with a sip of red wine enhances the flavor of the whole dish.
- Vegan Cheese →For an extra creamy and cheesy lasagna! Preferably, use a vegan cheese that melts easily. I used the vegan mozzarella cheese from Violife: It did melt wonderfully inside the lasagna, but the cheese on top didn’t melt that well, unfortunately. Plus, Violife cheese is made with coconut oil and thus has a distinct taste of coconut.
- Vegan Béchamel Sauce → Also known as white sauce. Responsible for the creamy texture in between the lasagna layers!
Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way on how to make vegan lasagna – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner!
Lentil Bolognese
- Heat a large pot with olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, chili pepper, and bay leaves, sauté for 5 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Add the lentils and red wine. Leave to bubble and cook away (2-3 minutes).
- Stir in canned tomatoes, water, and fresh basil. Pop on the lid and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Dairy-Free Béchamel Sauce
- Melt the dairy-free butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Pour in soy milk and bring to a boil while whisking constantly.
- Reduce heat and let it simmer for approximately 10 minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
How To Layer Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce in a baking dish (at least 11×7 inches or a little larger), followed by 3 sheets lasagna noodles. Spread about ⅓ of the lentil bolognese on top, followed by a layer of béchamel, and ⅓ of vegan cheese.
- Repeat layering two more times (pasta, lentil bolognese, béchamel sauce, vegan cheese).
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting & serving.
Recipe FAQ & Tips
How long does lasagna stay fresh? Leftovers can be stored for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container, or simply wrap the cold baking dish with plastic wrap (easiest to reheat).
How do I reheat lasagna? Reheat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven at 395°F (200°C).
Gluten-Free: Go for gluten-free lasagna sheets and use gluten-free flour to make the béchamel sauce.
Should I presoak the lasagna noodles? Not for this recipe. The tomato sauce is watery enough so that your no-boil lasagna noodles will cook through perfectly. Soaking the noodles in hot or boiling water beforehand would likely end up in overcooked pasta noodles.
More Italian Recipes You’ll Love
- Vegetarian Lasagna
- Fresh Tomato Sauce
- Vegan Lentil Bolognese
- Spaghetti Pomodoro
- Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Lentil Lasagna
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Ingredients
Lentil Bolognese
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots peeled & cut into small cubes
- 1 mild chili pepper optional, seeded & thinly sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup (100 g) dry Puy lentils (French Green Lentils)
- ½ cup (120 ml) red wine
- 1 (28 ounce) can (800 g) diced tomatoes
- ½ cup (120 ml) water or vegetable broth
- 1 bunch fresh basil chopped
Dairy-Free Bechamel Sauce
- 2 ½ tbsp dairy-free butter
- 2 ½ tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (480 ml) unsweetened soy milk
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Layer Lasagna
- 9 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 cup (90 g) vegan cheese
Instructions
Lentil Bolognese
- Heat a large pot with olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, chili pepper, and bay leaves, sauté for 5 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Add the lentils and red wine. Leave to bubble and cook away (2-3 minutes).
- Stir in canned tomatoes, water, and fresh basil. Pop on the lid and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Dairy-Free Bechamel Sauce
- Melt the dairy-free butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Pour in soy milk and bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Reduce heat and let it simmer for approximately 10 minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Layer Lasagna
- Preheat oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce in a baking dish (at least 11×7 inches or a little larger), followed by 3 sheets lasagna noodles. Spread about ⅓ of the lentil bolognese on top, followed by a layer of béchamel, and ⅓ of vegan cheese. Repeat layering two more times (pasta, lentil bolognese, béchamel sauce, vegan cheese).
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting & serving.
Notes
- Keeps fresh for 3-4 days. Store it in an airtight container, or simply wrap the cold baking dish with plastic wrap (easiest to reheat), in the refrigerator.
- Reheat for 20 minutes in the preheated oven (395°F/200°C).
- Gluten-Free: Go for gluten-free lasagna sheets and use gluten-free flour to make the bechamel sauce.
- Lentils: I highly recommend purchasing Puy lentils to make this recipe. Can be substituted with green lentils.
What could I use instead of red wine? I’ve been sober for three years, and the alcohol free wine in my country is not good!
Hi Sarah, you can use water or vegetable broth instead of red wine (I do this too if I don’t have any wine at home, and it’s still very delicious). 😍