Vegan Lentil Lasagna

fork cutting into a piece of lasagna on a white plate topped with vegan Parmesan and fresh parsley

This protein-packed vegan lentil lasagna is hearty, satisfying and perfect for the whole family! Layered with oven-ready lasagna noodles, seasoned homemade sunflower seed ricotta, lentil pasta sauce and dairy-free béchamel, this dish is pure vegan comfort food!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Italian, Vegan

Keyword gluten free, lasagna, lentils, pasta, vegan

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 519kcal

Author Sherri Hall

Equipment

Ingredients

FOR THE RICOTTA FILLING

1 ½ cups raw sunflower seeds
¾ cups filtered water (plus 1-2 tablespoons more, if needed)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup grated or shredded vegan Parmesan cheese (I used Follow Your Heart)
½ cup parsley leaves, finely chopped (or combine ¼ cup fresh parsley and ¼ cup fresh basil, if preferred)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE BECHAMEL (WHITE) SAUCE

2 tablespoon vegan butter (sub olive oil if desired)
2 ½ tablespoon chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour) (sub 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour if preferred/not avoiding gluten)
1 ½ cups plain, unsweetened oat milk, brought to room temperature or warmed but not boiling (ensure the brand you are using is certified GF if necessary)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt, plus more to taste if desired
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste, if desired

FOR THE LASAGNA

12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, traditional or gluten-free
2 (24-25 oz.) jars pasta sauce
1 (15 oz) can brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed (Alternatively, you can use a 16 oz. bag of plain pre-cooked brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed; **see notes below for using dried lentils instead)

Instructions

FOR THE RICOTTA FILLING

Cover sunflower seeds with boiling water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
Add the sunflower seeds to a high-powered blender or food processor. Add water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt and apple cider vinegar to the blender. Blend on high until sunflower seeds have been fully blended and no visible chunks of the seeds remain, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. You can add 1-2 tablespoons more water if needed and blend again. The final product should be creamy with the consistency resembling traditional ricotta. Be careful not to overblend or the consistency will become paste-like.
Transfer ricotta to a mixing bowl. Stir in vegan Parmesan, parsley, garlic powder and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

FOR THE BECHAMEL (WHITE) SAUCE

Melt the butter or heat the oil in a 2-qt. or 3-qt. saucepan over medium heat.
Once the butter is melted or oil is heated, whisk in the chickpea flour to make a roux. Whisk for about 1-2 minutes (it should resemble a smooth, thick paste and have a golden color). Be careful not to burn. Any clumps will melt during cooking and whisking.
Whisk in the milk, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Once boiling, whisk for 30 seconds and then remove from heat. Sauce will continue to thicken as it sits off of the heat. Stir in more salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Cover and set aside (off the heat) until ready to use. Give it a good stir right before using.

FOR THE LASAGNA

Preheat oven to 375° F.
Add sauce to a mixing bowl and stir in lentils. Line the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking dish with 1 cup of the lentil sauce. Add the first layer of lasagna noodles (4 noodles) in the sauce-lined baking dish. It's okay if they overlap a bit.
Dollop approximately ⅓ cup of the ricotta mixture onto each lasagna sheet. Spread around across the entire layer using a small silicone spatula or spoon. Pour 2 cups of sauce over top of the cheese layer. Spread around. Pour ¼ cup of bechamel over top of the sauce layer. Spread around. Top with 4 more lasagna noodles. Repeat this process 1 more time.
Cover the top of the lasagna with the remaining lentil sauce. Spread around. Pour on the remaining bechamel.
Cover with foil and bake for *45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
Allow to cool for approximately 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

*Temperature and cooking time were based on using the wavy oven-ready lasagna noodles (such as Good & Gather or Jovial brown rice noodles). If using the straight "no boil" lasagna sheets instead, refer to the package instructions for cooking time and temperature as they may be different.

**If you prefer, you can swap out the canned lentils for ¾ cup dry red, green or brown lentils. Cook according to package directions and set aside until ready to use. I recommend starting them before the vegan ricotta so that they cook while you are making the cheese.

Leftover lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If your baking dish has a lid, you can keep it stored in the baking dish. Otherwise, you can store the cut pieces alone or in groups in airtight containers.

The lasagna pieces can also be frozen in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Before freezing, top the lasagna pieces with additional red pasta sauce. You can place a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil over top of the container before sealing for extra protection. Thaw thoroughly in the refrigerator before reheating.

To reheat, place lasagna in a small baking dish lined with some additional tomato sauce, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375° F until warmed throughout. You can also microwave instead, if desired. Place a piece of lasagna on a microwave safe dish and cover. Microwave for 1 minute, followed by 30-second intervals, until thoroughly heated.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Please note nutrition was calculated using Jovial brown rice lasagna noodles.

Nutrition