This vegan spinach tofu lasagna is packed with veggies and protein. It’s delicious, and the best part about it is that it’s assembled in very little time! The white sauce in this recipe can be just that – a sauce – or you can have it more on the chunky side to act more as a vegan ricotta cheese.
Ingredients
1 box of vegan lasagna noodles (I prefer the oven ready ones, so you don’t have to boil the noodles separately)*
1 jar marinara (24 oz)
For The White Sauce (or Tofu Ricotta)
2 packs of extra firm tofu
1/2 lemon for juice
2 tbsp tahini
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3/4 cup oat milk (or plant milk of your choice, such as soy milk)
2 1/2 tsp salt (plus more for the spinach)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp nutmeg
For The Veggie Filling
1 onion
4 garlic cloves
8 carrots (about 1 bunch of carrots)
11 oz fresh spinach (1 large tub of fresh spinach)
3-4 tbsp of olive oil
Black pepper and salt to taste
Why You’ll Love It
This vegan spinach lasagna is as delicious as it is healthy! The veggies fill it with nutrition, while the tofu packs it with protein. Plus, the tofu mixture makes it seem like a cheesy lasagna, but without any animal products or processed vegan cheese. While part of this recipe is best prepared with a blender, you do not need a food processor or any other special device. And it only uses simple ingredients, no need to think too hard! This is the quickest lasagna recipe I have. I can honestly say that I’ve made the whole thing while baby wearing! When I’m working on this without distractions (read kids), I can have this done and ready for the oven in only 30 minutes!
How to Prepare
Cut your carrots and onion into small pieces. Mince your garlic. (If you are using the boil lasagna noodles, go ahead and do that now according to your lasagna package instructions.)
Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, add a dash of salt and your carrots. Boil for about 4 minutes or until tender, soft enough to pierce with a knife.
In a large saucepan or large skillet, warm 1-2 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat. Once warm, add onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are browned, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and another tbsp of olive oil. Cover and cook on medium low. Periodically stir, so that all the spinach wilts nicely. This should take about 8 minutes. (You shouldn’t need any water, just keep the lid closed.)
In a blender, add your 2 packs of tofu, lemon juice, 2 tbsp tahini, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 3/4 cup oat milk (or plant milk of your choice), 2 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp oregano, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Blend for a few seconds until it is all nice and smooth. Depending on your brand of tofu and your preference for the white sauce, you may want to add a little bit of extra milk to make it more liquid. I don’t tend to need that, though. But if you are aiming for a tofu ricotta, then stop blending when it is still a little chunky.
Take your lasagna pan or lasagna dish and start with an even layer of tomato sauce. Then add a layer of lasagna noodles.
Add a layer of your white sauce. Use a little less than half of the tofu mixture. Follow this by all of your veggies (I like to do carrots first and then spinach). Then add a layer of pasta sauce on top of the veggies, followed by a layer of noodles. Add another layer of tomato sauce on top of the noodles, and finish the lasagna off with a top layer of white sauce. (So, you now have tomato sauce, noodles, white sauce, veggies, tomato sauce, noodles, tomato sauce, white sauce. That’s a total of two layers of noodles.)
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving!
How to Serve
My favorite way to serve a lasagna is to cut a generous piece of the lasagna and to dish it with fresh bread and a side salad. If you drink alcohol, it can be a nice treat to pair it with a glass of wine. I think either white or red wine would go with this one.
How to Store
As for storing leftovers of an already baked lasagna, just let it cool, cover it – airtight – either with lid or foil, and keep in the fridge for 5-7 days. I tend to be lazy and rewarm my leftovers in the microwave, but if you want to get fancy, you can reheat it in the oven. This definitely takes longer, though (and more power!).
If you are storing this lasagna before you even bake it in the oven, then just let it cool, cover it either with a fitted lid or with plastic cling wrap if you don’t have a lid. (I do this if I have more time to cook one day, but plan to serve the lasagna the following day as a warm, fresh meal.) Store in fridge for up to 3 days before baking. Or store in the fridge for a few hours, before transferring into the freezer. The lasagna will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months. (See instructions below on how to freeze the lasagna.)
Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
If you’re a fan of vegan lasagnas, just like I am, then you should try my other lasagna recipes! This Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna is possibly my favorite. Slightly quicker to cook and still veggie packed is this heartburn friendly Vegan Low Sodium Lasagna. It’s white and filled with kale and mushrooms. You make everything from scratch (other than the noodles), but it doesn’t take a huge amount of hands on time to prepare, and it’s completely delicious!
Q&A
Can My Kid Help Me Cook?
Yes, your child can help you cook this dish! My two-year-old daughter washed the carrots for me, helped me stir the spinach, and she added some of the final layer of tofu ricotta onto the lasagna. If you’re up for it, you could boil your carrots in bigger pieces and have your toddler cut them once they’re soft. We use this learning tower to make all the cooking and chopping possible. Obviously, the older your child is, the more they can help. I love having the little ones involved already, teaching them the joy of cooking. Helping prepare the food also makes them more likely to try something new! If nothing else, it keeps them occupied while you cook. Does it slow you down and create more of a mess? Yup, definitely. But you do get it done! (And cleaning up is part of the learning/teaching moment too!)
Can I substitute garlic powder for fresh minced garlic?
If you find yourself in a pinch, then yes, you can substitute garlic powder for fresh garlic. In this recipe, I definitely prefer fresh garlic, but using garlic powder is better than skipping it entirely. In general, garlic powder can be used to season dishes in which you’d rather not have small chunks of minced garlic. I would recommend you use 1/8 of a teaspoon of garlic powder for every clove you are substituting.
Can I substitute frozen spinach for fresh spinach?
If you have to substitute frozen spinach for the fresh one, then yes, you can. I personally like to use fresh spinach to really get all the amazing tastes of fresh food inside this lasagna. But if you have frozen spinach, that works too. I would suggest you thaw your spinach before adding it into the lasagna. Thawing frozen spinach might bring out some excess water. Just drain it before adding the spinach to the lasagna.
Can I freeze lasagna?
Yes, you can freeze lasagna! Double this recipe – make two in one go and freeze one for later. Assemble the lasagna, let it cool completely, cover (airtight!) and place in the fridge for a couple of hours. I suggest you cover it with aluminum foil (which will stay on when the lasagna eventually goes into the oven) and then with the dish’s lid. If your dish doesn’t have a lid, or it isn’t airtight, then add a layer of cling wrap on top of the aluminum foil. This will minimize the chance of freezer burn. Mark the lasagna with the baking instructions for extra ease on future you. Place in freezer and, for best results, use within 3 months. Once ready, let the lasagna thaw in your fridge for 24 hours. I have put a frozen lasagna straight into the oven, but it takes FOREVER. Thaw it first!
Notes
*You probably won’t use the entire box of lasagna sheets but saying that you only need half a box seems risky to me. I always make sure to have a whole box ready when I make a lasagna, just to be sure I don’t run out mid-assembly!
If you want to make it a little more nutritious, you can look for whole wheat lasagna noodles. Whichever noodles you choose, make sure to buy the ones that don’t have eggs in them, or else they won’t be vegan! My grocery store carries no-egg oven ready lasagna noodles, but finding whole wheat ones is a little harder.
Deliciously Simple Vegan Spinach Tofu Lasagna
This creamy, yet vegan, spinach tofu lasagna is easy to make and as delicious as it is healthy. Double the recipe and freeze a lasagna for later!
Ingredients
- 1 box of vegan lasagna noodles (I prefer the oven ready ones, so you don't have to boil the noodles separately)*
- 1 jar marinara (24 oz)
For The White Sauce (or Tofu Ricotta)
- 2 packs of extra firm tofu
- 1/2 lemon for juice
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3/4 cup oat milk (or plant milk of your choice, such as soy milk)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 1/2 tsp salt (plus more for the spinach)
For the Veggie Filling
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 8 carrots (about 1 bunch of carrots)
- 11 oz fresh spinach (1 large tub of fresh spinach)
- Black pepper and salt to taste
- 3-4 tbsp of olive oil
Instructions
- Cut your carrots and onion into small pieces. Mince your garlic. (If you are using the boil lasagna noodles, go ahead and do that now according to your lasagna package instructions.)
- Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Once boiling, add a dash of salt and your carrots. Boil for about 4 minutes or until tender, soft enough to pierce with a knife.
- In a large saucepan or large skillet, warm 1-2 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat. Once warm, add onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are browned, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and another tbsp of olive oil. Cover and cook on medium low. Periodically stir, so that all the spinach wilts nicely. This should take about 8 minutes. (You shouldn’t need any water, just keep the lid closed.) Salt and pepper to taste.
- In a blender, add your 2 packs of tofu, lemon juice, 2 tbsp tahini, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 3/4 cup oat milk (or plant milk of your choice), 2 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp oregano, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Blend for a few seconds until it is all nice and smooth.
Depending on your brand of tofu and your preference for the white sauce, you may want to add a little bit of extra milk to make it more liquid. I don't tend to need that, though. But if you are aiming for a tofu ricotta, then stop blending when it is still a little chunky. - Take your lasagna pan or lasagna dish and start with an even layer of tomato sauce. Then add a layer of lasagna noodles.
- Add a layer of your white sauce. Use a little less than half of the tofu mixture. Follow this by all of your veggies (I like to do carrots first and then spinach). Then add a layer of pasta sauce on top of the veggies, followed by a layer of noodles. Add another layer of tomato sauce on top of the noodles, and finish the lasagna off with a top layer of white sauce.
(So, you now have tomato sauce, noodles, white sauce, veggies, tomato sauce, noodles, tomato sauce, white sauce. That's a total of two layers of noodles.)Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. - Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving!
Notes
*You probably won't use the entire box of lasagna sheets but saying that you only need half a box seems risky to me. I always make sure to have a whole box ready when I make a lasagna, just to be sure I don't run out mid-assembly!
If you want to make it a little more nutritious, you can look for whole wheat lasagna noodles. Whichever noodles you choose, make sure to buy the ones that don't have eggs in them, or else they won't be vegan! My grocery store carries no-egg oven ready lasagna noodles, but finding whole wheat ones is a little harder.
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