Vegan Cheesy Lentil Lasagna {gluten-free}

Simple plant-based ingredients create a satisfying cheese flavor and meaty texture in this vegan, gluten-free, cheesy lentil lasagna recipe.

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What are your plans for Christmas dinner? A few years ago I decided to make things easy for myself by serving an assortment of lasagnas. I made them the day before and simply popped them in the oven on Christmas day. They were a big hit. But the vegan option—while delicious and well received—was labor intensive. It was also quite different from the meat-filled cheesy lasagna I favored in my pre-plant-based life. This Vegan Cheesy Lentil Lasagna recipe comes closer to the mark. With a little planning, it’s also easy to prepare.

Make Ahead Ingredients

If you make a few key ingredients ahead of time, this Vegan Cheesy Lentil Lasagna can be assembled in mere minutes. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce
• Cashew “Ricotta Cheese” (see recipe below)
• Vegan Parmesan

You could make the Lentil Bolognese Sauce a day or two in advance. The Cashew Ricotta Cheese and Vegan Parmesan come together more quickly.

Cooked or Uncooked Noodles

I also like to use uncooked lasagna noodles. This shortens prep time, but extends cooking time. I find it easier to spread the ingredients on uncooked noodles. You can go either way with this recipe. If you opt to boil the noodles, simply shorten the baking time and maybe use a little less sauce. You’ll likely end up with a juicier lasagna…

Optional Ingredients

If you are fond of gooey, stringy cheese, you might want to include some Daiya mozzarella-style shreds, as the recipe suggests. I usually try to avoid these kinds of processed vegan foods, but sometimes it’s better to satisfy a craving in a healthier way than to deny yourself completely. Complete denial can lead to bingeing.

On the other hand, if you are immune to the siren call of gooey, stringy cheese, the recipe works just fine without it!

The meaty Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce and garlicky Cashew “Ricotta Cheese” work well on their own to create a satisfyingly hearty lasagna.

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Vegan Cheesy Lentil Lasagna {gluten-free}

Simple plant-based ingredients create a satisfying cheese flavor and meaty texture in this gluten-free recipe.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 10 oz gluten-free lasagna noodles uncooked, I use Tinkyáda brown rice pasta lasagna
• 8 cups Vegan Lentil Bolognese Sauce – see recipe
• 2 cups Basic Raw Cashew Cheese – see recipe above
• ¼ cup Vegan Parmesan – see recipe
• 2 cups baby arugula or baby kale or baby spinach
• 1 cup Daiya mozzarella style shreds optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place arugula in a food processor fitted with the S blade and pulse until finely minced.
• Combine minced arugula with Cashew "Ricotta Cheese" and stir to mix well.
• Add about 1 cup of Lentil Bolognese Sauce to a 9×13 baking dish and spread to cover the bottom.
• Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. (Leave a little space around each noodle – they will expand.)
• Spread ⅓ of Cashew "Ricotta Cheese" mixture on top of lasagna. (I find it helpful to hold a lasagna noodle in one hand while I spread the cheese on with the other hand—this is the reason why I like to use uncooked noodles.)
• Spread about 1½ cups of the Lentil Bolognese Sauce over the cheese covered noodles.
• Sprinkle about ¼ cup of Diaya shreds over sauce if desired.
• Repeat steps 5 through 8 two more times.
• Place the final 3 lasagna noodles on top of the last layer. Top with remaining sauce and Diaya shreds.
• Sprinkle ¼ cup of Vegan Parmesan over the top and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees F or until sauce is bubbling and top noodles appear tender in the center of the pan.
• Remove foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more.
• Remove from oven and let rest uncovered for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

*Sauce quantity and cook time are based on the assumption that you are using uncooked gluten-free brown rice lasagna noodles. If you use oven-ready or cooked lasagna noodles, you may need to reduce sauce quantity and/or cook time.

Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate for special dietary needs. I subscribe to the theories presented in the book Whole and believe we should focus on eating a variety of whole foods instead of counting calories or keeping track of individual nutrients.

Nutrition

Calories: 442kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 1082mg | Potassium: 1160mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1910IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 239mg | Iron: 10mg