Best Vegan Lasagna
Who knew vegan lasagna could be so delicious? This dairy-free lasagna recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients and tastes amazing! It's the best!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I used to be skeptical of vegan lasagnaโcould it really be that good? This recipe is proof that yes, it really can. This vegan lasagna tastes as good as it looks.
My husband, who has a major weakness for creamy pastas, also found the concept of a cheese-less lasagna questionable. I figured this recipe would convince him, so I brought some home and put it in the fridge. I soon found the man in the kitchen, going back for seconds. Then thirds.
If youโve been paying very close attention to my recipe substitution notes over the years, you may have tried this technique already. Itโs based on the vegan variation of the cheesy roasted eggplant lasagna in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 163).ย I shared the concept in my classic vegetarian lasagna recipe, too.
Today, I wanted to show you the results with photographic proof. If youโre in the mood for a dairy-free alternative to traditional cheesy lasagna, this recipe is for you.
How to Make the Best Vegan Lasagna
Youโll find the full recipe below, but hereโs why this recipe works:
1) Cashew cream in lieu of dairy
Weโre replacing traditional mozzarella and ricotta with cashew-based sour cream. Itโs easy to whip up in a blender. Iโm still amazed by how well this โsour creamโ concoction replaces all kinds of creamy, dairy-based cheeses and sauces. Some other recipes suggest blended tofu for this component, but cashew cream tastes much, much better.
One caveatโif you donโt have a heavy-duty blender, youโll need to soak your cashews for a few hours before blending. If youโre blessed with a Vitamix (affiliate link) or similarly powerful blender, you donโt need to bother with the soaking step.
2) Vegetables for flavor and nutrition
Weโre also building flavor by sautรฉing lots of vegetables and spinach. I used onion, carrots and mushrooms, but feel free to use whichever vegetables you have on hand (zucchini, bell pepper, or even butternut squash would work). Mushrooms are particularly good because they offer some umami depth to this meatless lasagna.
3) Garnish with more cashew cream, vegan Parmesan and fresh basil
Weโll layer up and bake this lasagna just like a regular lasagna. Once itโs out of the oven, weโll drizzle a little leftover cashew cream on top. The cashew cream on the inside condenses as it bakes, so this adds a nice touch of irresistible creaminess.
Lastly, weโll sprinkle on some vegan Parmesan, which is made with hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and garlic and onion powder. Itโs the perfect salty flavor booster. Add some fresh basil leaves if you have them!
Wondering what to serve with your lasagna? Iโd pair it with roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli, a simple side salad with balsamic dressing, or my Greek lentil salad for some additional protein.
If youโre craving more hearty vegan meals, here are a few delicious options:
- Pasta e Fagioli (Italian Pasta and Beans) or Classic Minestrone Soup
- Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara Sauce
- Ratatouille
- Mujadara (Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)
Or, browse all of my vegan recipes here.
Watch How to Make Vegan Lasagna
Best Vegan Lasagna
Who knew vegan lasagna could be so delicious? This dairy-free lasagna recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients and tastes amazing. Itโs the best! Recipe yields 8 servings.
Ingredients
Cashew cream
- 2 cupsย raw cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours if you do not have a high-powered blender
- 1 cupย water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoonsย apple cider vinegar
- ยพ teaspoonย fine sea salt
- ยฝ teaspoonย Dijon mustard
Vegetables
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-to-large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large or 3 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5ย toย 6ย ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
Everything else
- 2 ยฝ cups marinara sauce, homemade* or store-bought (I used Raoโs)
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles**
- Suggested garnishes: vegan Parmesan (or a light sprinkle of nutritional yeast)ย and fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If you soaked your cashews, drain and rinse them until the water runs clear.
- In a blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and mustard. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. If youโre having trouble blending the mixture, slowly blend in up to ยฝ cup additional water, using only as much as necessary. Set aside.
- Then, weโll prepare the vegetables: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the onion, carrots, mushrooms, salt and several twists of black pepper.ย Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until most of the moisture is gone and the vegetables are tender and turning golden on the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add another splash of olive oil if necessary to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
-
Add a few large handfuls of spinach to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
-
Spread ยพ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9โ by 9โ baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread 1 cup of the cashew cream evenly over the noodles. Top with half of the veggies. Top with ยพ cup tomato sauce.
-
Top with 3 more noodles, followed by another 1 cup cashew cream (save the leftover cream). Then add the remaining veggies.
-
Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ยพ cup tomato sauce over the top to evenly cover the noodles.
-
Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil around the top of the lasagna, making sure itโs taut so it doesnโt touch the top. Bake, covered, for 25 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180ยฐ and continue cooking for about 5 to 10 more minutes, until itโs steaming and lightly bubbling at the corners.
-
Remove the pan from the oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Drizzle leftover cashew cream on top (if itโs too thick to drizzle, thin it out with a small amount of water first). Sprinkle vegan Parmesan and fresh basil on top, if using, then slice and serve.
Notes
*Homemade marinara sauce note: Youโll need to double my marinara recipe to yield enough for this recipe, and then youโll have extra. If you donโt think youโll use it up within a few days, you can freeze it for later.
**Lasagna noodle recommendations:ย I like to useย DeLalloโs Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodlesย (affiliate link) and Whole Foodsโ 365 No-Boil Lasagna Noodles. See below for gluten-free suggestions.
Make it gluten free:ย Substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles. Choose no-boil (oven ready) noodles if possible; if not, cook them according to package directions. (Fair warning, I tried using DeBoles brand of no-bake lasagna noodles and they werenโt quite done cooking in the time specified here. Reheated leftovers were ok, though.)
Change it up: Feel free to play around with the vegetables here. Youโll want to use about 3 cups chopped veggies total (excluding the onion). Butternut squash might be nice, or try one zucchini and one red bell pepper in place of the mushrooms.
Storage suggestions: Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Gently reheat individual servings in the microwave or oven as needed. Or, freeze it for laterโitโs generally easier to reheat single servings than to defrost a big block of lasagna!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This was just delicious! Will be making this one again. Thanks Kate!
Hello! I always love getting your emails and exploring your recipes, thank you!
This lasagna sounds wonderful, but I am a vegan and struggle because I also have a severe allergy to nuts, with the exception of almonds and peanuts, and canโt use the cashews so many recipes call for. Do you have any tips for replacements? I know you said tofu, but it sounds like thatโs a distant secondโฆ
Thank you!!
Hi Christy,
Can you have Macadamia nuts? I have had ricotta cheese made with Macadamia nuts that was amazing. Tofu can also give the texture of cheese.
Thank you for getting back to me!
Unfortunately, I canโt have any tree nuts at all. Do you have a good tofu cheese recipe?
Hi Christy, I have tried some tofu cheese recipes, but donโt have one I think is perfect.
This is my favorite vegan lasagna! The deliciously rich sauces are well worth taking the time to make versus buying vegan cheese and canned marinara. And it pairs perfectly with watching football:
I first made the lasagna on Super Bowl Sunday earlier this year (subbed broccoli for mushrooms), when my Philly Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs (sorry, Kate!), so Iโll be making it again in a week for an auspicious beginning to the new season!
Haha Dan, Iโm glad that this recipe has become your lucky meal for football games, and I wonโt hold it against you that you cheer for the Eagles.
Delicious! Will be gifting friends who need some love and nutrition tomorrow with some slices. This fills the bill. Thank you for a lovely recipe.
We have a nut allergy. What can I use instead of cashews?
I would start with a tofu based recipe for vegan cheese if cashews werenโt an option.
Thank you!