Publised on 21/08/2019 by Richard. Last Updated on 21/10/2022 by Richard.
A classic vegan lasagna, packed with a rich meaty ragu and a silky aromatic bechamel sauce. A perfect crowd pleaser!
Aaah, the long awaited update to my vegan lasagna recipe! Ok maybe you weren't waiting - perhaps you didn't even know I had a vegan lasagna recipe, but guess what? YOU DO NOW, and it's a blummin brilliant one! Itt's packed with a delicious meaty ragu and layered with the silkiest, tastiest vegan bechamel sauce.
Sure, I'll bet there's a lasagna traditionalist out there who'll feel perturbed about the idea of a vegan lasagna which calls itself "meaty" and "creamy", but that's none of my business. I'm just here to deliver the news that your school-night lasagna recipe is ready for its makeover, whether you like it or not!
Jump to:
What's in a vegan lasagna?
I've had a good old rummage through my kitchen and grabbed all the things we'll need to get this vegan lasagna recipe on the road. The french call it mise en place, I call it "getting my sh*t together".
Obviously see the full recipe at the bottom of the page for quantities.
OK, to make this recipe you're gonna need:
- Vegan bechamel sauce - This is your creamy filling. Make this first before you do anything else. You'll need it ready to go!
- Onion and garlic - The start of your aromatics!
- Vegan mince (aka ground) - I like to use the fresh stuff, like this variety from the Meatless Farm, but honestly any kind of vegan mince will do!
- Carrot & celery - The second part of your aromatics!
- Dried oregano and Parsley
- Tomato puree (aka tomato paste), marmite & light soy sauce - The flavour bomb trio!
- Dry white wine
- Can peeled tomatoes - Always better than chopped tomatoes, but use what you have!
- Vegetable stock
- Lasagna sheets - make sure you're using a vegan variety without egg.
Before you panic, this is not the recipe: see the recipe card at the bottom of the page for quantities.
How do I make vegan lasagna?
I promised I wasn't going to bully you for not knowing how to make a lasagna, despite the fact that you're *insert your age here*. No, what I'm going to do instead is describe the process with illustrations so you can learn in a kind, nurturing environment. That's why we're friends!
1. Make the bechamel sauce! The method and ingredients for this part of the recipe are over here, so don't forget to make this before you even THINK about touching those lasagna sheets.
2. Make the meaty ragu! It's really very similar to a vegan bolognese sauce, just a little thicker. Make sure you don't rush this stage though. Nobody likes undercooked tomatoes in a vegan lasagna!
3. Assemble the lasagna! Always start with a layer of the ragu on the bottom of your dish, followed by a layer of pasta. Next goes a layer of bechamel and repeat until you run out! Oh but make sure you finish with bechamel on top - that's the only requirement here!
4. Bake the lasagna! I've left vegan cheese topping as an optional ingredient here, because I find that a decent amount of bechamel goes a long way to making this lasagna brown and bubbly. But of course, if you wanna cheese it up, go for it!
Hint: There's nothing worse than slicing into a lasagna only to find it's still uncooked in the middle. Crunchy pasta? No thanks! My tip is to wrap the lasagna in tin foil for the first 30 minutes of the bake, then remove the tin foil for the last 10 mins to allow the surface to brown.
Subs and swaps
Would this be a 2022 vegan lasagna if I didn't provide some swaps for you?? Of courrrrse it wouldn't! Here are some things you might want to switch up to suit your diet.
- Pasta - Obviously pasta contains gluten, so if you don't cope well with that stuff, then you'll need to find a sub. I've tried this recipe with brown rice pasta sheets and it worked beautifully, but you can also use super thinly sliced veggies, like aubergine or courgettes. Just be sure to grill them until soft before using as pasta sheets.
- Vegan Mince/Ground - If you're following a whole food plant based diet, feel free to swap the mince for a tin of drained lentils. You can even mix in a few finely chopped shiitake mushrooms for extra flavour and bite. Remember you can also use minced up vegan burger instead of ground vegan mince. Beyond burgers work great!
- Dry White Wine - If you don't drink, don't worry! This recipe calls for dry white wine but this can be easily subbed for either more veggie stock or simply water.
If you've made this recipe with some swaps, let me know how it worked out in the comments!
Jazz up your vegan lasagna!
Oh mate! This is the moment you've been waiting for! Time to go EXTRA on that lasagna! Make it your own - live your best laz life! Here are some tips:
- Add some spice! - Definitely not a typical Italian tweak, but I love a bit of chilli in my lasagna. Why not do what I do and keep a few birdseye chillies in the freezer. When you want to add some spice, use a microplane grater to shred them right into that meaty ragu!
- Popeye power! - Looking for a mean green lasagna instead? Why not shred some spinach into your bechamel sauce while it cooks? When you layer the pasta you'll get some lovely "spinach and ricotta" vibes!
- Crisp it up! - Again, I'd go to Italian jail for this, but why not top your lasagna with some crunchy bread crumbs!? Panko work best!
Alternatively, if you're looking for a different mid-week crowdpleaser altogether, why not try my vegan cottage pie! It's a really special little number. OR you can do my vegan tikka masala! Wonderful, if I say so myself!
Do I need any specialist equipment?
Nope! Nothing super specialist, just the below bits and bobs:
- 1 x oven
- 1 x wide frying pan or low-sided saucepan
- 1 x spatula
- 1 x 22x33cm or 9x13 inch casserole or lasagna dish
How can I store my vegan lasagna?
Lasagna stores great in the fridge. Just wrap the dish in tin foil and keep for up to 2 days. Day old lasagna is never incredible mind, but my tip for re-heating it is to do each portion individually. I take a portion, zap in the microwave for 2 minutes the stick under the grill/broiler to get piping hot and crispy!
Bonus Tip!
Immediately after baking, vegan lasagna will be SUPER sloppy inside. If you want a portion of lasagna which keeps its shape, I'd recommend letting the dish sit to cool/rest for 10 minutes before serving. If you're happy with a messy plate of lasagna, then serve up pronto! The choice is yours!
Vegan Lasagna FAQs
A: For the meaty ragu, vegan lasagnas can be made with a vegan meat alternative or simply with finely minced mushrooms and lentils. Crumbled tempeh works great too! For the creamy white sauce, the milk and butter can be replaced for non-dairy alternatives. Try soy milk and vegan butter instead.
A: Yes, absolutely! It's best to wrap the lasagna in tin foil before baking then placing in the freezer. This way you can simply pop it in the oven to bake when you're ready. I'd advise baking a frozen lasagna at 170c for 45 minutes before removing the tin foil and baking for a further 10 minutes.
Vegan Lasagna
Equipment
- 1 x oven
- 1 x wide frying pan or low-sided saucepan
- 1 x spatula
- 1 x 22x33cm or 9x13 inch casserole or lasagna dish
Ingredients
- 1 batch vegan bechamel sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (peeled and finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 400 g vegan mince (like Beyond Meat)
- ½ carrot (peeled and finely diced)
- 1 celery stalk (finely diced)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree (aka tomato paste)
- 1 teaspoon marmite (optional)
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 400 g can peeled tomatoes
- 200 ml vegetable stock
- sea salt and black pepper
- 12 lasagna sheets (make sure they're vegan)
- 120 g vegan cheese (optional)
- fresh parsley or basil (finely chopped for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C
- Place a wide frying pan or low-sided saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and fry for 2 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the vegan mince and break up with a spatula. Fry off for a few more minutes or until the vegan mince is starting to brown. Add the carrot and celery along with a splash of water to deglaze the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the carrots and celery are softening.400 g vegan mince (like Beyond Meat), ½ carrot, 1 celery stalk
- Add the dried herbs, tomato puree, marmite, light soy sauce, dry white wine, can of peeled tomatoes and vegetable stock. Use the spatula to break up the tomatoes then leave the sauce to come to a simmer.½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 teaspoon marmite, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, 100 ml dry white wine, 400 g can peeled tomatoes, 200 ml vegetable stock
- Once simmering, lower the heat and allow the sauce to cook for around 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the vegan mince doesn’t burn. Test the sauce and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.sea salt and black pepper
- If the lasagna sheets you’re using require pre-cooking, do this now in a large saucepan of salted boiling water. Do not cook the pasta for the full amount of time stated on the packaging, only cook for half of the time stated.12 lasagna sheets
- In a 22x33cm or 9x13 inch casserole or lasagna dish, ladle a thin layer of the vegan ragu. Spread across the base then arrange a layer of the pasta sheets. Top with a layer of bechamel followed by another layer of pasta sheets. Repeat until the ragu has all been used up then top with a final layer of pasta followed by a final layer of bechamel.1 batch vegan bechamel sauce
- Wrap the lasagna in tin foil/aluminium foil and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil then top with the vegan cheese (if using) and return the lasagna to the oven to bake for a further 15 minutes.120 g vegan cheese
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before sprinkling with the fresh parsley or basil and serving.fresh parsley or basil
Ella
Super délicieuse! Thanks for sharing!
Ella
Super délicieuse! Thanks for sharing!
Michelle
What type of pasta do you use
Claire West
This is nuts! So so so good. So good.
Claire West
This is nuts! So so so good. So good.
Liz
I’m going to attempt making this for hubby’s bday this weekend! What size of jar are the plum tomatoes? 14oz/28oz? Thanks in advance!
Richard Makin
Hey Liz! I just use the standard 400g tin which I think is equivalent to 14 oz for you guys! xx R
Ginger Sundberg
Awesome! Only vegan lasagna that has past my 3 boy + hubby test (all meat eaters). You know it's good when these growing boys want second's. Just 1 question as I'm still a new vegan and sometimes get stuck on British English. What is vegan mince? (I did use Beyond Burgers, but try not to eat often.)
Ceryn Bartley
Hi vegan mince can be quorn ( but make sure is vegan suitable otherwise it has egg in). Tvp...which is soya mince, usually dried. Or in the supermarket you should find plant based mince. Or try substituting with puy lentils.
Claudia
Hi, vegan mince would just be a vegan "ground meat" or "meat mince" replacement. That could be Beyond meat like you used, a soy based vegan mince or a plant based one made with lentils. I think Richard just resorted to using "vegan mince" as a general requirement to allow us to choose what we want to use since vegan folks use different kinds and have different dietary needs. (:
Celeste
So delicious! I did add lentils to mine to give it even more texture variety sinceI kept it cheap and used a store bought sauce. The bechmel is incredible! Thank you for the recipe!!
Richard Makin
Thanks for the feedback Celeste. Glad you enjoyed!
Celeste
So delicious! I did add lentils to mine to give it even more texture variety sinceI kept it cheap and used a store bought sauce. The bechmel is incredible! Thank you for the recipe!!
Alex
Do the lasagna sheets need to be cooked first? I've never made lasagna before and I really want to try this! Looks sooooo good.
Ginger Sundberg
Awesome! Only vegan lasagna that has past my 3 boy + hubby test (all meat eaters). You know it's good when these growing boys want second's. Just 1 question as I'm still a new vegan and sometimes get stuck on British English. What is vegan mince? (I did use Beyond Burgers, but try not to eat often.)
Bridgey
Help! There is no tapioca starch where I live 🙁 is it possible to use cornstarch instead?
Olivia
Oh! I forgot to leave a rating, a flawless 5 stars of course!!!
Olivia
This was heavenly. Best lasagna I've ever had, hands down. I added 6 cloves garlic and some red wine to the sauce and 1.5x the bechamel sauce because I'm a glutton for that vegan cheese! Thank you for your incredible recipes, you're a genius!
Olivia
Oh! I forgot to leave a rating, a flawless 5 stars of course!!!
Elizabeth
Hands down best lasagna we've ever had. SO easy to make and the kids gobbled it up! Thank you!!!!
Elizabeth
Hands down best lasagna we've ever had. SO easy to make and the kids gobbled it up! Thank you!!!!
Frances
This was soooo delicious! Thank you for the recipe. We will be making it again soon....
Frances
5 stars! I forgot to rate it.
Frances
5 stars! I forgot to rate it.
Ada
Hello! I really want to make this to give to my parents, but to have them bake it in their own home. Would it hold up assembled in the fridge overnight to be baked the next day?
Patrick
I really wish the size of cooking dish was in this recipe. Mine did not turn out because my dish was too large. There are photos but no recommended size, unless I somehow missed it. Will have to try making it again.
Gillian Luke
Thank you for the recipe. I have family who are meat eaters but they are willing to try vegan and they love the Beyond Meat burgers so this is going to be a winner.
Salam
I wish there were more stars **********
I absolutely love this lasagne! I made it with Vegan mince that I had in my freezer but I didn’t have enough so I added some minced mushrooms. It was delicious and I can’t wait to make it again but this time with beyond burgers!!
I plan on making it for some friends this Saturday for lunch but I need to prepare it before hand. How long before can I assemble it and refrigerate or freeze?
Salam
I wish there were more stars **********
I absolutely love this lasagne! I made it with Vegan mince that I had in my freezer but I didn’t have enough so I added some minced mushrooms. It was delicious and I can’t wait to make it again but this time with beyond burgers!!
I plan on making it for some friends this Saturday for lunch but I need to prepare it before hand. How long before can I assemble it and refrigerate or freeze?
Ashley Harris
This is my go to lasagna recipe. I’m making it tomorrow for a dinner but need to make it gluten free this time. Can I sub out the white flour for gluten free flour?
Ashley Harris
This is my go to lasagna recipe. I’m making it tomorrow for a dinner but need to make it gluten free this time. Can I sub out the white flour for gluten free flour?
Elena
Cans of tomatoes for how many ml????? I’ve bought almost 800ml per 1 can but as recepie suggested it’s way to much!
Olympia :)
It was AMAZING. I added some vegan cheese and nutritional yeast to the bechamel but even without them it tasted great! This recipe is honestly one of the best vegan recipes I've tried and I will totally make it again <3
Olympia :)
It was AMAZING. I added some vegan cheese and nutritional yeast to the bechamel but even without them it tasted great! This recipe is honestly one of the best vegan recipes I've tried and I will totally make it again <3
Clare Sweeney
This is INCREDIBLE! Beyond burgers are spenny so is for special occasions but my gosh this is meaty and creamy and cheesy and just delicious so do yourself a favour and make it! Thank you Richard for all your time and effort making these delicious recipes! ☺️
Clare Sweeney
This is INCREDIBLE! Beyond burgers are spenny so is for special occasions but my gosh this is meaty and creamy and cheesy and just delicious so do yourself a favour and make it! Thank you Richard for all your time and effort making these delicious recipes! ☺️
Anne
Great recipe
Jazmin
Hi! I want to make this recipe, what, size pan do you recommend? Wouldn’t want it to collapse or anything.
Jazmin
Hello, is it okay for me to use oven ready lasagna? Thank you for your time.
Monique
This is my go-to lasagne recipe now. Delicious warmed up as well. My omnivore dad loved it!
Les Farnham
perfect recipe
Sam N
Bingo! My new fave laz!
Nicole
Love the update but wish the original recipe was still posted. My kids love it, I didn’t print it so have now lost a family favourite. Any chance you could provide a link?
Meredith
yummm! Used impossible mince and it tasted so nostalgic
Ella
Hello Richard, do you still have a copy of the old lasagna recipe? (With tapioca starch/ beyond burgers).
We really loved it and now can't access, it would be great to download a copy.
Thanks!
Olivia
Agreed!! I came here to make the bechamel with tapioca for my lasagna (wasn't sure when or how much to add at the end) and it's not here? I felt like I was going crazy because I can't find it anywhere! ):
Jake
Okay, repeating the ingredients & measurements below each recipe step is the sexiest thing I've ever seen on a food blog. Yes.
I made your original version of this dish about a half dozen times in years past (obviously a fan 👋🏻) and was nervous for the update - you've always been a trustworthy inspiration, but the internet food world champions simple, easier, & often "dumber" recipes with as few ingredients as possible to attract the majority home-chefs looking for a quick solution to dinner. Silly me for doubting!
You've captured the original dish while simultaneously enhancing the tomato sauce's savory flavor and cutting down on active kitchen time (the new bechamel sauce is a cinch). What a combo.
Thank you Richard!
Jake
Forgot the stars ^
Becca
Never going back to gross ricotta in my lasagna! The bechamel is eeevvvverything. Made a few adjustments based on what I had but this lasagna is the best I've ever had (vegan or not).
My adjustments in case it helps anyone: in the bechamel, used 100 ml vegan whipping cream and 450 ml plain oatmilk; also didn't have whole cloves so added a pinch of ground cloves and strained after steeping. For the sauce, I used 4 beyond burgers, a jar of pasta sauce and a large can of diced tomatoes. I should have used 2 jars of sauce.
Charlotte
Delicious! Used Meatless Farm mince and a can of chopped tomatoes as that's what we had. Super tasty, thank you
c
this was so good!! we used 6 fresh lasagna sheets which were enough and our portions were huge!!! definitely will make this again 😀
c
forgot to rate it 5 stars hahaha