Vegan gluten-free lasagna

Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

If you have a weakness for creamy pastas and find the concept of a cheese-less lasagna questionable, this recipe will convince you that dairy-free alternatives can be equally as delicious, if not more so! The creaminess of the cashew bechamel is even more creamy than a traditional béchamel and most definitely compensates for the lack of cheese. It’s also incredibly versatile. Use it here as you would a bechamel or traditional cream-based white sauce. The vegetable filling is packed full of bright colours and a variety of flavours and textures, and is surprisingly meaty for those who crave some meatiness. There is nothing not to love here!

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the filling

1 large aubergine, grated

1 tsp salt

2 tbsps olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

250g mushrooms, grated

1 large courgette, grated

1 large carrot, grated

1 large beetroot, grated

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the cashew bechamel:

2 cups raw cashews

4-6 cups warm water

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tbsp onion granules pinch of freshly grated nutmeg pinch of white pepper

1 tsp Himalayan salt

to make the filling:
Place the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the aubergine and cook until it starts to soften, around 10-15 minutes. Add the mushrooms and courgette and cook, stirring frequently until reduced by about half, about 20 minutes. Add the carrot, beetroot, garlic, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and salt and pepper to taste, and cook for another 10 minutes.

to make the bechamel:
Soak the cashews in water for 3 to 4 hours to soften and then strain. Heat a pan and add the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and sweat for 8 minutes to bring out the flavour. Next, add the garlic and sweat for an extra 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked onions and garlic to a blender and add the cashews, vegetable stock, white wine, nutritional yeast, onion granules, nutmeg, white pepper, and salt. Blend on high speed until smooth. Add more liquid if you prefer a thinner consistency.

to layer the lasagna:
In a rectangular ovenproof dish spoon 1/3rd of the filling on the base. Cover with 3 or 4 sheets of gluten-free lasagna sheets. On top of these spoon about 1/3rd of the béchamel and then on top of it 1/3rd of the filling. Cover with lasagna sheets as before and layer in the same way. Finish with combined bechamel and filling and sprinkle over vegan parmesan/ nutritional yeast if desired.

to bake:
Bake in an oven pre-heated to 220 C for half an hour, or until the pasta is cooked through when a knife is inserted through the layers.

Andy’s Sugar Safe® tips:
Cashews are high in FODMAPS, so anyone with SIBO or bloating issues should substitute them for raw macadamia nuts, which are FODMAP-friendly.

Registered with the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). Accredited with the Institute for Functional Medicine (AFMCP). Member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT).

Vegan gluten-free lasagna

Serves 6

Ingredients

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