In this hearty vegan and gluten-free lasagna I used a mixture of shiitake and white button mushrooms, fresh rosemary and tarragon, swiss chard, homemade sauce (so easy!!!), tofu "cheese", and squash. The flavor and texture are excellent, everything you'd want from a meal on a cold winter day.
This recipe was contributed by Jenné Claiborne, a vegan personal chef in Atlanta She also creates recipes, videos, and share my passion for healthy vegan eating on her blog. Photos by Sydney Bensimon.
This lasagna, like most, is done in parts. You've got your roasted squash, sauce, veggies, and tofu "cheese". If you like to cook, this meal with bring you lots of joy in the kitchen. If you don't think of yourself as a cook, give it a try anyway. Each step is easy as pie, and the result is well worth the minimal effort and time.
Can't get your hands on swiss chard-or any other chard? Use spinach, kale, or collards. If you're not a fan of butternut squash, use zucchini instead - our vegan zucchini lasagna takes that idea all the way.
Serves: 4 generous portions
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, halved and thinly sliced in half-moon shapes (about ¼ inch thick); or two small butternuts (note, if your knives aren't sharp enough to cut raw squash, see tips for a workaround in this post)
- 14-oz can plain tomato sauce
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon Italian herb dried spice
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 4 cups of your favorite mushrooms (I used shiitake and white button), sliced
- 4 cups swiss chard, ribs removed, washed, & chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes (if you like heat)
- 1 block firm organic tofu
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
Preheat oven to 350° F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss ysliced butternut squash with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and spread the squash onto the baking sheet. If it doesn't all fit use a second baking sheet, or layer it. Roast for 30 minutes, until tender, but not too mushy.
Sauce:
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic, and cook until golden (be careful not to burn it).
Reduce the heat, and carefully pour the tomato sauce into the pan. It might start to pop, so keep the lid nearby. Stir the garlic and sauce, then add the nutritional yeast, herbs and black pepper. Cover, and allow the sauce to cook while you work on the next part.
Swiss Chard & Mushrooms:
Heat a tablespoon, or two, of olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a generous pinch of sea salt, and stir. The cooking will draw the moisture out of the mushrooms, so don't worry if the pan seems too dry. Once they've begun to sweat (moisten), add the swiss chard, tarragon, and rosemary. Stir well, and remove from heat.
Tofu "Cheese":
Break the tofu up and place it in a food processor. Process until smooth, then add the nutritional yeast, vinegar and salt. Process again to incorporate it all, and taste to see if you need to add any more salt.
Assemble the Lasagna:
Now that you've got all the parts complete you can assemble the lasagna.
To do this you will place a layer of squash on the bottom of the baking dish. Follow that with some of the "cheese", follow that with some of the mushroom mix (squeeze excess liquid from the mushrooms and greens before layering), then the sauce, then the squash again.
Continue to layer the ingredients until you've used them all. Use about ½ cup of "cheese", sauce and mushrooms on each layer. I like my top layer to have all the ingredients visible.
Place the lasagna back in the oven and bake for 40 minutes (or 30 if you just can't wait).
- Here are more of VegKitchen's Hearty Pasta Dishes.
- Find more of VegKitchen's Vegan Dinner Recipes and more Casseroles And Other Comfort Foods.
Recipe
Vegan Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard "Lasagna"
Ingredients
Roasted Squash
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 14 oz can plain tomato sauce
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Swiss Chard & Mushrooms
Tofu "Cheese"
- 1 block firm tofu organic
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
Instructions
Roast the Squash
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the sliced squash with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread on the baking sheet (use two sheets or layer if needed) and roast for 30 minutes, until tender but not mushy.
Make the Sauce
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, being careful not to burn it.
- Reduce the heat and carefully stir in the tomato sauce. Add the nutritional yeast, Italian herbs, and black pepper. Cover and simmer while you prepare the rest of the components.
Make the Chard & Mushrooms
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and cook until they release their moisture.
- Add the Swiss chard, tarragon, and rosemary. Stir well and remove from heat.
Make the Tofu "Cheese"
- Break up the tofu and process in a food processor until smooth.
- Add the nutritional yeast, vinegar, and salt. Process again to combine, and taste for seasoning.
Assemble & Bake
- In a baking dish, layer squash, tofu "cheese," the mushroom-chard mixture (squeeze out excess liquid first), then sauce. Repeat the layers, using about ½ cup each of cheese, sauce, and mushrooms per layer, ending with a top layer that shows off all the ingredients.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until hot and bubbling.
plasterers bristol says
Great recipe this, one of my favorites. thanks for sharing.
Simon