Vegan Eggplant Lasagne

Vegan Eggplant Lasagne 

The last time I made a vegan lasagne, I used gluten free pasta sheets, tofu and spinach. It was yummy, but not as good as this eggplant lasagne. I felt I could eat more of this lasagne, as it was nourishing, light and all vegetable based. This dish is also vegan and gluten free. A very comforting and warming dish perfect for a winters day or summers night.


Ingredients

Lentil Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons of oil
1 large onion diced
3 cloves garlic sliced
1 red capsicum dice
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 can of tomato puree
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can of brown lentils
2 teaspoons of mixed dried herbs
1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
Salt and pepper to taste


Lasagne Sheets:
3 european eggplant sliced

Vegan Cheese Sauce:
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon flour of your choice, I used tapioca
1 cup full fat dairy free milk, I used rice milk
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon english mustard
Salt to taste
*If you can’t find nutritional yeast, just make a white sauce :)



Method

1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil, on a medium high heat. Once onions are soft add the capsicum and mushrooms.

2. Pour in the tomato puree and paste, then add the herbs sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer on a low heat for 5-10 minutes. Then stir in the lentils.

3. Prepare the vegetable lasagne ‘sheets’, by cutting eggplant into 1 cm thick slices. I grilled the eggplant in my sandwich press till soft. I used the sandwich press as it is much faster then putting them in the oven.

If you don’t have a sandwich press, put them in the oven for 20 mins, making sure to turn them over halfway through.

4. To make the vegan cheese sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Then cook in a saucepan a on a medium heat, constantly stirring till thick.

5. Assemble the lasagne in a medium sized pyrex dish. Spread a small amount of lentil sauce on the bottom, then add a layer of eggplant, then another layer of lentil sauce. Keep this same pattern, then top with the vegan cheese sauce.

6. Cook the lasagne in the oven at 180C for 15-20 minutes, or just until the top starts to brown.

Leave to stand for at least 10 minutes to set. Then serve with a salad or on its own!

You can garnish with grated nuts for a parmesan effect, I used peanuts :)

Enjoy xx