Lentil Lasagna

a piece of lasagna on a plate with a fork

5 from 4 votes

Easy vegan Lentil Lasagna uses french lentils instead of meat, making it a hearty plant-based option. In addition, it's filled with veggies, tomato sauce, a vegan "cheese" sauce and topped with dairy-free cheese, making it a go-to comfort food meal.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: lentil lasagna, vegan lasagna, vegan lentil lasagna

Servings: slices

Calories: 233kcal

Author: Erin

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots diced
1 cup yellow onion diced
1 zucchini diced
3 garlic cloves minced
½ cup french lentils (see notes for substitutions)
1 cup vegetable broth
14 oz. tomato sauce (1 can)
2 ½ cups marinara sauce divided
1 cup water
⅓ cup fresh basil chopped
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 oz. shredded mozzarella or parmesan vegan

for the cheese/béchamel sauce:

2 tablespoon vegan butter
1 ½ tablespoon flour
1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
1 ½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion and zucchini and sauté until soft, about 7 minutes. Then, add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
To that same skillet, add the lentils, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, ½ cup of the marinara sauce, water, basil, and red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer the mixture for 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked.
While the lentil mixture is cooking, cook the lasagna noodles: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain, then lay each noodle out flat on a clean surface to prevent them from sticking or tearing.
Next, make the cheese sauce: melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour and whisk continuously for 30 seconds. Pour in the milk, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened and is smooth; remove from the heat. Now, preheat the oven to 400°.
Once the lentils are soft, it's time to assemble the lasagna: Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, then top it with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread HALF of the lentil mixture overtop, using the back of a spoon to smooth it out, then add HALF of the cheese sauce on top, followed by ⅔ cup of the shredded vegan cheese. Next, layer 3 more lasagna noodles, followed by the remaining lentil mixture and the remaining cheese sauce, and ⅔ cup of shredded cheese. Last, top with the final 3 lasagna noodles, 1 cup of marinara sauce and the remaining shredded cheese.
Cover the dish with foil, then bake the lasagna for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese has melted, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and wait at least 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Notes

*Calories are per slice and are an estimation

*Lentils: you can substitute brown or green lentils if you prefer, but the texture will be slightly different. I would NOT use red lentils!

Nutrition