Dairy-Free Lasagna Recipe

The quantities listed below make approximately 5 substantial servings.

Ingredients:

White Sauce:

1/2 cup soft tofu
1/2 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed butter / paste)
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
Solid pinch of sea salt
1.5 teaspoons of corn starch (optional)

Non-dairy ricotta-like cheese:

1 block of firm or extra firm tofu, crumbled
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
Solid pinch each of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Vegetables:

1 package of non-dairy cheese shreds - we use Daiya
1 cup of thinly sliced strips of carrots
1 small zucchini, sliced into thin strips
5 cups of baby spinach
1 package of lasagna noodles
Extra virgin olive oil

About 1.5 to 2 cups of marinara sauce

Directions:

1. To make ricotta-like cheese, use your hands to crumble firm or extra-firm tofu to make it resemble ricotta. To crumbled tofu, add 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and sea salt and pepper. Give everything a gentle mix with a wooden spoon and refrigerate.

2. Combine all of the ingredients listed under the White Sauce section in a blender and use the lowest setting to bring everything together until relatively smooth.

3. Lightly sauté julienned zucchini and carrots in olive oil over medium heat, then set aside. Lightly cook baby spinach in the same manner - stir regularly and cook until soft but still a vibrant green.

4. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F (about 205 degrees Celsius).

5. To assemble lasagna, lightly grease the inside of a casserole dish with olive oil - an 8 by 8 dish works well for the quantities listed.

Transfer about half a cup of marinara sauce to the casserole dish and use a spoon to distribute into an even layer. Gently place one layer of noodles - you don't need to pre-cook the noodles, and you can slightly overlap or trim them to make them fit. Then spread about half the ricotta-like cheese in an even layer. Next, evenly distribute about a third of a cup of Daiya cheese shreds.

Spread lightly sauteed spinach on top of Daiya cheese shreds. Then add half of white sauce in an even layer. Next, add about 3/4 cup of marinara sauce and use a spoon to spread both the marinara and white sauces to the edges of the casserole dish to ensure even cooking of lasagna noodle edges.

Arrange another layer of lasagna noodles perpendicular to the first layer of noodles for optimal holding of form. To this second layer of noodles, add the rest of ricotta-like cheese, another third of a cup of Daiya cheese shreds, and top all of this off with sauteed carrots and zucchini.

Finally, add remaining white sauce, half a cup of marinara sauce, and again, use a spoon to spread both sauces right to the edges of the casserole dish. Arrange a final layer of lasagna noodles and add the last of the marinara sauce, distributing evenly. Finish off with more Daiya cheese shreds.

6. Cover dish with foil and bake in pre-heated oven for 50 minutes. Then bake for another 10 minutes without the foil to allow the top layer to turn golden brown. Allow cooked lasagna to rest on stovetop or counter for about 15 minutes before serving.

Many thanks to one of our readers, Emma M. of Seattle, for sharing this recipe with us! Herbivores and omnivores alike will almost certainly love this highly satisfying vegan lasagna.