Finally, I managed to write this good recipe for the blog: the light vegan lasagna. I assure you that there’s no need to use animal foods or animal-derived products to make a delicious lasagna. And there’s no need for a lot of fats either, so here’s a dish perfectly in line with the Weight Watchers diet.
In just a few simple steps, which you can also prepare in advance, you can make a lasagna that’s finger-licking good that your guests will enjoy. Indeed, I will surely prepare it for Christmas or Carnival.
You can divide this tray into 4 super abundant servings that, with some vegetables on the side, make a complete meal. Or you can divide it into 6 servings as a first course followed by a light second course. In short, vegan lasagna is versatile and easy to prepare, let’s see how…
Here are some other ideal first courses for the holidays:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 or 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 12 sheets lasagna (dry eggless, like De Cecco)
- 10 g nutritional yeast
- to taste basil (fresh)
- 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil (2 measuring teaspoons)
- to taste black pepper (optional, if desired)
- 1.4 oz flour
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (delicate flavor)
- 2 cups ml almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3.5 oz soy granules (also called dehydrated soy)
- to taste spices (dried Mediterranean to taste)
- 200 g tomato puree
- 200 g chopped tomatoes (like Mutti chopped tomatoes)
- 1 onion
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 carrot
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 2 tsps extra virgin olive oil (2 measuring teaspoons)
- 1 oz red wine
- to taste basil (fresh)
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper (optional, if desired)
- Total points = 45 WW points
- Points per portion divided by 4 = 11 WW points
- Points per portion divided by 6 = 7 WW points
Tools
- Pot
- Cutting board
- Baking dish
- Whisk
- Knife
- Pan
- Slotted spoon
- Colander
- Dish towel
- Aluminum foil
Steps
You can prepare the bechamel sauce in advance. The steps to make it can be found here: Light Vegan Bechamel.
You can also prepare the ragù in advance. The steps to make it can be found here: Vegan Soy Ragù.
So, once you have prepared the bechamel and ragù, which you can also make the day before (the ragù will be even better), here’s how to pre-cook the lasagna and then assemble them in the tray.
Pre-cooking the dry lasagna is an optional step, but I recommend it, especially if, like mine, your ragù and bechamel are nice and thick and not too liquid. This way, the lasagna will be soft, and you won’t need to bake for a long time.
Boil water with a little salt in a large tray. When it boils, place up to 4 sheets of lasagna, using a slotted spoon to avoid overlapping them too much. Let the sheets boil for 3 or 4 minutes, drain them with the slotted spoon, and place them on a clean dish towel (without fabric softener, please, or we’ll have lavender lasagna!) to dry.
When all the lasagna sheets are cooked, you can assemble the lasagna. Put a little bechamel on the bottom of the tray and place the first 3 sheets of lasagna. Spread a third of the vegan ragù, then about a fifth of the bechamel (for the last layer, reserve a little more bechamel to cover the whole lasagna well…).
Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and also add some torn basil. Repeat by layering more lasagna, ragù, bechamel, nutritional yeast, and basil. On the last layer of lasagna, add the rest of the bechamel, the rest of the nutritional yeast, and the 2 teaspoons of oil. Cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350°F-400°F for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or more until golden.
Remove from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before serving. Our light vegan lasagna is ready!
What a fragrance in the kitchen, they are really delicious, look here in the photo how beautiful they are inside:
Serve them with some vegetables or simply with dressed arugula. We, including the Dutch, loved them, I hope you will too! Let me know in the comments below or in my Facebook Club. I’ll wait for you!
Bon appétit
by Giovanna Buono
Preparation and Storage
For convenience, you can prepare everything in advance, even the entire lasagna tray.
You can prepare both the bechamel and the ragù the day before or even long before and freeze them. Make sure to thaw them well before assembling the lasagna
You can also cook the entire lasagna and freeze it in large slices. Then just put them in a hot oven for at least 20 minutes and check when they are hot again.
If you want, you can also briefly boil some spinach and add them between the lasagna layers, I like it that way too!
FAQ
What is nutritional yeast?
This recipe also includes nutritional yeast, which is a deactivated yeast rich in vitamin B12. It is widely used in vegan cuisine as it gives a cheesy flavor to dishes. To learn more, read here: Nutritional Yeast: What it is, how it’s used, and why! You can omit it, but in that case, add some spices to taste to give more flavor to the final dish.
