Tofu, mushroom & spinach lasagna
This plant-based lasagna is one of my proudest dishes. Perfected over many years from the original Vegan Richa recipe, it harbours a complex layering of spinach, herb-infused mushrooms, tofu thyme ricotta, interspaced with basil pasta sauce and cauliflower cheese sauce. It has an impressive 19% protein content, and a perfect macronutrient profile. If you see this dish on the menu, immediately try it!
Ingredients
- Tofu thyme ricotta
- 300g plain or basil tofu (choose a brand that crumbles easily)
- 10g olive oil
- 10g apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 tsp Italian herbs
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1/3 tsp salt
- Mushroom layer
- 210g mushrooms (any kind: button, shiitake, oyster...)
- 13g olive oil
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp Italian herbs
- salt + pepper to taste
- Spinach layer
- 5g olive oil
- 5g canola oil
- 90g brown onion, diced
- 190g frozen spinach (preferably whole leaves, not chopped in pellets)
- Cauliflower cheese sauce
- 260g cauliflower florets
- 10g olive oil
- 7g crushed garlic
- 135g soy milk
- 7g lemon juice
- 8g flour
- 13g nutritional yeast
- 1/3 tsp onion powder
- 1/6 tsp dried basil
- 1/6 tsp dried thyme
- 1/3 tsp salt
- Other ingredients
- ~280g dried lasagna sheets (enough to make 5 layers in your oven dish)
- 1 kg pasta sauce (I use a mix of basil pasta sauce + grilled vegetable pasta sauce - I like to mix a jar of Dolmio with a jar of another brand that is usually more acidic)
- 1 tomato (123g), thinly sliced to layer on top the lasagna at the end
Instructions
- Tofu thyme ricotta
- Crumble the tofu in a bowl with your hands
- Mix in all other ingredients, and reserve.
- Pasta sauce
- Open jars of pasta sauce, and mix together in a large bowl
- Spinach layer
- Heat up oil in a pan, and fry onion until there is a bit of a bite left in it.
- Add spinach, mix, lower the heat, cover the pan and let it wilter. Stir from time to time.
- Reserve.
- Mushroom layer
- Heat up olive oil in the same pan you just used for the spinach.
- Fry the mushrooms until golden.
- Toss mushrooms with herbs in a bowl and reserve.
- Cauliflower cheese sauce
- Heat up olive oil in the same pan you just used for the spinach and mushrooms.
- Fry the cauliflowers florets very briefly with garlic clove.
- Pour some water in the pan and cover with a lid. Reduce heat and let cauliflower cook through. Add some water if need be
- Transfer cooked cauliflower florets in a tall container, and add soy milk and herbs.
- Mix with a hand mixer to obtain a smooth, creamy consistency (you do not want the sauce to be too runny, nor do you want it too thick. Add water as necessary.)
- Assembly
- 1 layer of lasagna sheets
- 1/5 pasta sauce
- 1 layer of lasagna sheets
- 1/5 pasta sauce
- Mushroom layer
- 1 layer of lasagna sheets
- 1/5 pasta sauce
- 1/2 cauliflower cheese sauce
- 1 layer of lasagna sheets
- 1/5 pasta sauce
- Spinach layer
- Tofu thyme ricotta
- 1 layer of lasagna sheets
- 1/5 pasta sauce
- 1/2 cauliflower cheese sauce
- Thinly sliced tomato (optional)
- Salt + pepper
Bake in the oven for 45 min. Let it sit for ~15 min before serving. It goes beautifully with some crunchy lettuce drizzled with vinaigrette!

