This is probably the easiest vegan lasagna you’ll ever make and one of the most delicious! No need to pre-cook the noodles – they soften as it bakes.
Last night I had the pleasure of having dinner with a group of people taking a Civil Rights Tour through the South. The menu for the night was barbecued pork sandwiches and pork-and-beans, the idea being to give them a little taste of local cuisine (which revolves around pork, apparently).
The only problem: Several of the 30 participants were vegetarian. When the planners of the dinner realized this, a call went out for vegan dishes, and I was happy to oblige with my potluck standard, vegan lasagna.
I’ve been making this recipe for years, and I can’t bring myself to change it. I keep thinking I should do something to fancy it up, but it’s my daughter’s all-time favorite food, so I never want to risk ruining a batch. (This is a kid who has written several essays this year about her love for lasagna; her hero is Garfield the cat.)
The Easiest Vegan Lasagna
Recipes for vegan lasagna abound, and I’m sure you can find fancier, richer tasting versions, but for sheer easiness of preparation and basic yumminess, this one can’t be beat. You don’t need to pre-cook the lasagna noodles, and you can make it super-easy by using jarred spaghetti sauce.
Check out just how easy it is in my short video.
You can make this as light or decadent as you want. Your choice of spaghetti sauce will determine how much fat it has. (For the lowest-fat version, use a sauce with no oil added; Whole Foods has one.)
For some special occasions, I sprinkle the lasagna with vegan cheese during the last 5 minutes of cooking. This option is, of course, not fat-free, but it really helps “sell” it to any omnivores you happen to be feeding.
But the plain, uncheesified lasagna seemed to be a hit at last night’s dinner. The pan returned home empty (and not just because E. ate 4 pieces!) I regret that I never got the opportunity to find out who the vegetarians in the group were, but it felt good just to know that they were there.
Easy Vegan Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms sliced
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 24-oz jars spaghetti sauce or your favorite pasta sauce
- 9 uncooked lasagna noodles (regular lasagna noodles NOT no-boil noodles)
- Vegan Parmesan such as my almond parm, optional
- Sliced black olives optional
Filling:
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained
- 1 pound firm or extra-firm tofu not silken!
- 1 teaspoon salt optional
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast adds a cheesy taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat in the 2 tbsp. water until tender; cover between stirring to keep them from drying out. Remove from heat and add the spaghetti sauce.
- Place the tofu and thawed spinach in the food processor and process briefly. Add the remaining filling ingredients to the processor and blend until smooth. (You may do this without a food processor by using a potato masher on the tofu.)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spread half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9×12-inch pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce, using three dry noodles and leaving a little space in between them. Spread half of the tofu mixture on the noodles (you can drop it by spoonfuls and then spread it or hold each noodle in the palm of your hand and spread the tofu on it before placing it in the pan). Cover with another layer of 3 noodles and then spread the remaining tofu mixture over them. Top with a final layer of noodles, and pour the remaining sauce over this.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with vegan Parmesan or cheese and sliced black olives if you want. The lasagna will cut better if you allow it to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please share:
Farah Friesen
March 24, 2020 at 8:28 amThis remains one of my favourite recipes since I discovered it 6 years ago and I still share it with everyone. THANK YOU so much! =)
Kelly
April 27, 2020 at 11:27 amI’ve made this recipe several times. Expensive and time consuming, but great comfort food. TJs organic, sprouted tofu has a real crumbly texture. I use their lowfat marinara. Mmmm
Ivy
July 6, 2020 at 8:19 amI always make this and it’s always a hit. I’m wondering if I can just chop the spinach fine, saute it with chopped carrots, zucchini, and red bell pepper, and mix it all manually into the tofu filling. I ask because the filling is always green when I do it with the food processor. Also, my daughter would like those extra veggies in it, along with the mushrooms and spinach, of course. What do y0u think, Susan?
Susan Voisin
July 6, 2020 at 10:28 amI think that will be just fine. Sometimes people make it with a layer of sliced zucchini or even raw spinach, and it bakes up great.
Ivy
July 6, 2020 at 10:50 amThanks! And thanks for the tips. I just noticed your videos, too 🙂
Laura
August 1, 2020 at 7:55 pmSuper easy and delicious. My whole family loves this recipe and that’s amazing.
Deanna
August 26, 2020 at 10:04 amWonderful recipe! Was wondering if the spinach could be replaced with kale or some other green as I can’t eat spinach…..
Thanks for all you share – always so helpful and appreciated!
Susan Voisin
August 26, 2020 at 10:39 amYou’re very welcome! ☺️ Yes, I think any green could be used instead of the spinach. People also leave it out when they don’t like greens at all. It’s a very flexible recipe.
Julie
September 12, 2020 at 5:01 pmCan you share which no added fat/oil sauce you purchase from Whole Foods maybe along with a picture of the label? Thanks so much!
Susan Voisin
September 12, 2020 at 6:25 pmIt’s the 365 Organic Marinara Sauce Fat-Free. I don’t think I can post a photo of it here, but here’s a link to it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2RnFg6m
Carly
October 10, 2020 at 2:18 amI am going to look at making this today, but am interested to know if it freezes well for reheating another day? (I like a good batch-bake and then busy days are catered for, but I don’t work with tofu often enough to be sure)
Susan Voisin
October 10, 2020 at 12:32 pmYes, it freezes perfectly. I like to freeze slices in individual containers so they reheat quickly.
Lisa
October 24, 2020 at 8:09 pmLoved this recipe! So easy, very tasty and it freezes/reheats quite well. Really love using uncooked noodles. Thank you!