Vegan Lasagna

Is there anything better than a piece of hearty lasagna in the middle of winter?  San Diego’s December nights might not rival other parts of the country, but it still feels cold to me!  A good vegan lasagna recipe eluded me for years.  That was until I tried Angela Liddon’s recipe from her vegan blog, Oh She Glows.  According to Tom (that’s my boyfriend for those of you who are new readers!), the lasagna is “better than any dish in a restaurant.”  To see Ms. Liddon’s lasagna post click on:

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/11/07/vegan-lasagna-with-basil-cashew-cheeze/

The brilliance of this lasagna is the basil cashew cheese.  Most vegan lasagna recipes try to mimic vegan ricotta cheese and the results are tasteless.  The basil and lemon give this cheese and the lasagna as a whole a bold, zesty flavor.

Round up the ingredients.

You’ll notice that this recipe calls for 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water.  I like using vegetable broth, because it helps to enhance flavor.  In the past, I often found myself buying 32 ounce boxes of vegetable broth, using a small portion, and then having the remainder sit in my refrigerator forgotten long after its expiration date.   So, I was thrilled when I attended a cooking class and experimented with Better Than Bouillon, a paste that when mixed with water makes a savory vegetable broth.  Now I keep a jar of it on hand, so I can make vegetable broth whenever I want!

Throw all of the ingredients in the blender.

After the ingredients are blended, you will end up with a bright, green sauce.

It’s then time to begin on the other lasagna layers.  Chop up the onion and garlic…

And sautee them in a pan.

Then chop up the zucchini, mushrooms,

And bell peppers.  Then add all of the veggies to the pan with the onion and garlic.

And what would lasagna be without the noodles?  Add the noodles to boiling water.  Remember to cook them al dente.  They will continue to soften and absorb moisture while the lasagna cooks in the oven.

Drain the noodles, and rinse them with cold water.

The hard part is over.  It’s now time to assemble the lasagna!  First, begin with a layer of marinara sauce.  Use 1/3 of your marinara sauce for this layer (you will use the rest for additional layers later).

Next the spinach layer.  I like to add lots of spinach to give this vegan lasagna extra nutrition!

Then add a layer of noodles!

And a layer of basil cashew cheese.

And finally a layer of veggies.

It’s then time to do it all again!  Tomato sauce, spinach, noodles, basil cashew cheese, and vegetables.  Finally, add a 3rd layer of marinara sauce and a liberal sprinkling of shredded vegan cheese!

Cover the lasagna with tin foil and put it in the oven.  Soon your home will begin to fill with mouth-watering aromas.  Remember to then remove the tin foil off, and cook the lasagna for an additional 5 minutes!

The lasagna is almost too beautiful to cut!

But just almost.  If you’re like me, you’ll want to cut a piece, and try it while it’s still hot!

Unless you’re serving this lasagna at a big dinner party, you’re sure to have leftovers.  This lasagna tastes great cold or re-heated in the toaster oven.  I’ve been known to eat a piece for breakfast!