There’s nothing like a healthy twist on a familiar comfort food – this Gluten-Free Vegan Lasagna is an incredible plant-based take on an old classic.
One of my favorite things about vegan cooking is surprising people with the ingredients that are used in place of traditional ingredients.
“Guess what these brownies are made of? Black beans!”
“No way!”
“Guess what the secret ingredient in this Reese’s Mousse is? Sweet potatoes!”
“Seriously?”
“Guess what we used to make this vegan ricotta? Tofu and hummus!”
“Really? It tastes exactly like ricotta!”
When we made this gluten-free vegan lasagna for our first-ever Veganuary party this year, our friends were so impressed they all wanted the recipe. Since everyone was so full from the other dishes by the time the lasagna came out of the oven, we sent people home with to-go cups of lasagna, which people got a kick out of.
What’s better than regular gluten-free vegan lasagna? Apparently, gluten-free vegan lasagna in a cup!
Anyway, I bet you’ll have fun pleasantly surprising people with this recipe, too.
Packed with protein and good-for-you fats from tofu and hummus, nutrients from nutritional yeast, and full of flavor, the tofu-hummus ricotta is nearly indistinguishable from dairy-based ricotta.
You’re guaranteed to wow your guests with this rich hummus and tofu ricotta.
1.First things first: Set a pot full of water on high heat with the lid on until it boils.
2. Meanwhile, press the tofu. This is an important step to make your ricotta the right texture. You don’t want it to be watery. Here’s a trick to press your tofu efficiently: Layer your tofu blocks between clean kitchen towels and cutting boards. Stack a few heavy coffee table books on top, like this:
Looks silly, but it works!
3. Gather all your ingredients:
4. Crumble up the tofu and mash together with garlic hummus, nutritional yeast and other spices using your hands.
5. Microwave the frozen spinach. Be sure to drain and squeeze it thoroughly to get out as much water as possible. This is important for the texture of the filling.
6. Stir fry your veggies over medium heat, about 20-30 minutes, until golden.
7. Boil your lasagna noodles according to package directions. Add a little oil and stir frequently to help keep them from sticking together. Some might stick together anyway and parts of them may be a little underdone. Not to worry – they’ll finish baking in the oven. After draining the noodles, add a little oil to them to help prevent them from sticking together. You may also want to lay them out like this while you assemble the layers of lasagna:
8. Now, pour 1.5 cups of the tomato sauce into the 9×13″ casserole dish. Add a layer of noodles (3 length wise, 1 widthwise if needed), a layer of ricotta, and a layer of veggies.
9. Add a second layer of sauce-noodles-ricotta-veggies and a final layer of noodles and sauce. Top it off with some additional nutritional yeast. If you have fresh spinach or fresh basil to decorate it on top, that adds a nice touch.
10. Pop your lasagna in the oven and get ready to wow your guests with this nutritious and delicious gluten-free vegan lasagna.
Best Easy Gluten-Free Vegan Lasagna with Garlic Hummus and Veggies
Ingredients
- 12 Barilla gluten-free lasagna noodles Use preferred lasagna noodles if not gluten-free
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 red peppers diced
- 1 medium zucchini chopped
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 12 oz frozen spinach thawed (or few handfuls of fresh spinach)
- 7-10 cups tomato-basil marinara sauce (2x25oz jars)
- 2 14 oz packages extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 10oz tub roasted garlic hummus (approx 1 heaping cup)
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups TVP (defatted soy flour) (optional, if you'd like a ground meat substitute – Bob's Red Mill Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is a good brand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Once hot, add onion, red peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes or until softened and most liquid is gone. Add spinach and sauté another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Place tofu (drained and pressed) in a large bowl. Crumble with hands. Add hummus, nutritional yeast, basil, salt, and garlic powder. Mix with hands until it is semi-smooth and resembles ricotta.
- Optional – If using the TVP as a meat substitute, re-hydrate the TVP with 2 cups boiling water. Stir fry it with taco seasoning to taste.
- Pour 1 ½ cups of marinara in the bottom of a 9x13in baking dish. Top with 4 noodles (3 lengthwise and 1 widthwise).
- Add half of the ricotta mixture and half of the vegetable mixture. Top with 1 ½ cups sauce. Repeat with more noodles, tofu mixture, and veggies (and TVP, if using). Then top with last layer of noodles and another 1 ½ cups of sauce. Garnish with additional nutritional yeast and basil.
- Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Enjoy! Hummus lasagna is sure to be your new favorite lasagna recipe.
