Vegan Recipe Corner: Vegan Lasagne

Photo: Snædís Björnsdóttir

Translation: Sindri Snær Jónsson

Now that the darkness of autumn is falling upon us and winter is fast approaching, it is high time to get together with friends, acquaintances, and family members to have a dinner party. This recipe is especially fun to cook with a group of good friends and has been successful among vegans, vegetarians, meat-eaters and everyone in between. After all, this is a dish that most will enjoy. You can customize the recipe to your own taste and serve it as you wish. It takes around one hour to cook and that's why it's perfect for a calm evening with the ones you love. 

Serves 6

Preparation time: 1 hour

• 1 red chilli pepper, or as you like

• 2 large carrots, cut into thin slices

• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 1 onion, minced

• 2 celery sticks, finely minced

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 can artichoke hearts, cut how you like (optional)

• 300-400g mushrooms, minced or cut into small pieces

• Salt and pepper

• 1 ½ teaspoon oregano

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 can chopped tomatoes

• 300g fresh spinach

• 1 pack or 500g lasagne sheets

• 300g grated vegan cheese

• Any vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top of the lasagne

Béchamel sauce:

• 1 tablespoon of vegan butter and 1-2 tablespoons of flour to bake the sauce

• 700 ml oat milk or any other plant-based milk with a mild taste

• A pinch of nutmeg

• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by chopping the vegetables into fine pieces. Sauté the chilli pepper, carrots, garlic, onion, and celery in olive oil on a low heat for 5 minutes or until it starts softening. Add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, oregano, and thyme. Sauté on low heat until the mushrooms soften and their juices boil down. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and boil for a few minutes. Add the spinach to the sauce in the pan. 

For the bechamel sauce: heat the milk in a pot. Melt and boil the butter in another pot until it foams. Stir in the flour to the boiling butter and lower the heat. Add the warm milk slowly to the butter and flour. Put the pot back on the stove when the sauce is adequately smooth. Heat until boiling. Season the sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper, and let it simmer for at least 5-10 minutes. 

Photo: Snædís Björnsdóttir

Find an oven-safe rectangular baking dish of an appropriate size. Start by putting a thin layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of vegetable sauce, a portion of grated mozzarella cheese and lastly a layer of lasagne sheets to cover the layered sauces below. Repeat until you reach the top of the baking dish and end by adding the vegetable sauce on top of the lasagne sheets, the béchamel sauce, and grated vegan cheese and parmesan if you prefer. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 180 degrees celsius. 

Serve with fresh salad and cherry tomatoes.