This recipe is a vegan take on a traditional lasagne, layers of vegan white sauce, vegan mince, pasta and topped with vegan cheese.
This was definitely one of my favourite meals growing up, and I know you’ll love it if you enjoy classic, hearty meals. I’m thrilled that my mum and I have been able to develop a vegan version from my granny’s recipe.
Vegan Lasagne Recipe:
Ingredients:
- Lasagne pasta sheets (If you are gluten-free, opt for rice/quinoa-based pasta. Just ensure you read the instructions as some of GF pasta sheets need pre-boiling)
- Optional: vegan cheese
For the White Sauce:
- 3 tbsp plain flour (Use rice flour for GF option)
- 3 tbsp dairy-free butter (I find olive, sunflower or soy-based all work well)
- 500ml sweetened almond milk (I like the nutty flavour the almond milk adds but use a different milk variety, such as rice or soy if you are allergic to nuts!)
- 1 tsp mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Mince:
- 1 medium-sized red onion
- 500g (1 bag) soy-based meat-free mince (I get mine from Sainsbury’s)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic/ 2tsp garlic puree
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp mustard (I use whole grain but English mustard also works)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (for GF use tamari)
- 2 tbsp Italian herbs
- 2 tsp marmite
You will need:
- Ceramic dish
- 2 large saucepans
Method:
For the white sauce:
1. To make a roux, melt the butter on a medium heat and then stir in the flour.
2. Add the milk VERY slowly to start with to avoid clumps forming (start with about 30ml and work up from there) and whisk well until smooth.
3. Add the mustard and seasoning to taste and leave on a low heat to simmer down to thicken the sauce while prepping the mince.
For the mince:
1. Chop the onion and add it to the saucepan on medium heat.
2. Add the full bag of mince to this pan, and stir for a couple of minutes (to allow the mince to thaw if it was frozen).
3. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, and stir.
4. Add the tomato puree and garlic, along with the Italian herbs and seasoning. Add a little marmite if you feel adventurous too!
5. Cook the mince mix for a further 5-10 minutes, or until the mince is hot throughout
To assemble:
1. Layer your mince, pasta sheets, white sauce in that order in your baking dish. Aim for at least three layers so don’t have each layer too thick but feel free to experiment with this layering technique.
2. Bake at 180 degrees C / 450 degrees F / gas mark 4 for 35-45 minutes depending on how crispy you like your lasagne! After you remove it from the oven, ensure to check the pasta has cooked all the way through.
I like to serve my vegan lasagne with green veg.