Vegan Veggie Lasagna

Ms*Bindy's Note:

This veggie lasaga is packed with veggies. I started with a tofu mixture from How It All Vegan, and then went from there. (I expect that the nutrition info is off on the cholesterol. Regular lasagne noodles are vegan, and would have no cholesterol..the Zaar nutritional content is showing cholesterol. However, if you use the no-bake lasagne noodles, those are not vegan, so if that is important to you, then keep that in mind.)

• Total Time: 1 hrs 55 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 8 ounces lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

Tofu Mixture (from How it all Vegan)

• 14 ounces extra firm tofu
• 1/4 cup soymilk
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cups spinach, chopped

Veggie Mixture

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 medium carrots, sliced very thin (or shredded)
• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. In a blender or food processor, combine the tofu, soy milk, oregano, basil, salt, lemon juice, garlic, and onion. Blend until the mixture has the consistency of ricotta cheese.
3. Stir in the chopped spinach and set aside.
4. In a large saucepan, saute the red pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, carrots in the oil until crisp-tender. (Feel free to add any other veggies that you like. I just use the ones listed as a starting point.).
5. Stir in the tomato sauce and water.
6. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you find that the veggie mix is too thin, uncover for last 5 minutes.).
7. Cover bottom of lasagna pan with 1/2 cup tomato sauce.
8. Layer with lasagne noodles, trimming to fit, if needed.
9. Cover with a layer of 1/2 the tofu mixture, then layer of noodles, then layer of 1/2 the veggie mixture, then layer of noodles, then remaining tofu mixture, another layer of noodles, and then top with the remaining veggie mixture.
10. Bake, uncovered for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Reviews

[omJane]

I mixed together the tofu, and veggie mixture in a sauce pan and put it on spaghetti. It was delicious. :D

[Marina K]

This was fantastic! I was very impressed by the consistency of the tofu/soy mix and how much it resembled ricotta. The only thing I did differently was use whole wheat noodles, which I soaked first before baking. Consequently I also used different sauce to water amounts (according to the package), but it still turned out wonderfully. :)
UPDATE - I made this again with no-boil noodles, and the top noodles were a bit too crispy. Next time, I'll cover the dish with foil for the first 15 min.

[molinda85]

This was so scrumptious! I only made a half recipe, just in case it wasn't a hit, but now I wish I had just gone ahead and made the whole pan. I didn't use the zucchini or the mushrooms (forgot to get zucchini last time at the market and I don't like mushrooms), but added extra onions, carrots, and peppers. I also added crushed red pepper for a bit of heat and Field Roast's Veggie Italian Sausage (just one to a half recipe so probably around 2 for the full recipe) to the veggie mixture. Because I don't normally carry soy milk in the house, I used almond milk, but it didn't seem to make a difference and often doesn't in many recipes. I used brown rice lasagna noodles that went just perfectly with all the flavors. Just remember to cook the noodles for around 2 minutes less than the time on the package and lay them out on a plate or pan while preparing the layers or they get a little stuck together and harder to manage. I have never been that crazy about ricotta cheese in lasagna (even before my vegan lifestyle), but this tofu/spinach mixture was much lighter and tastier, in my opinion. I can imagine this will be the most delicious leftovers tomorrow:)