Lasagna could be my favorite dish ever. It’s always been my family’s go-to while hosting. I have the best recollections of my dad cooking enough to feed 25 people for extended Sunday meals. It’s my ultimate comfort food, and I’m so delighted with this meal prep version since I get to eat it numerous times a week! It’s wonderfully nutritious, vegetable filled and strong in protein, with 40 g per serving!
It's a truth that lasagna is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Top 3, at least! But it's also a reality that it takes quite a long time to prepare it. After you've put so much love and labor into all the layers and the béchamel, it feels like a trial of patience when the lasagna still needs to be cooked for more than 30 minutes until you can eat it.
I think all of this is also part of the magic. It feels like you have to earn a lasagna. But let's just say, it doesn't harm to have a somewhat speedier option up your sleeve, right? Two years ago, our dear buddy Philipp informed us about this meal called lasagna soup, which isn't a genuine thing in Germany. At first, we were slightly doubtful, but after we tasted it, we fell in love with this soup.
This dish is based on our original vegan lasagna. Feel free to choose your favorite minced meat replacement. The sauce is just a more liquid form of the typical tomato sauce layer, but this also helps to cook the lasagna noodles directly in the soup till al dente. For an umami taste, be sure to NOT omit the vegan red wine, soy sauce, and tomato paste.
Depending on where you're living, you can have a hard time to get these wavy shorter lasagna sheets that are typically seen in American recipes. Since they are so rare in Germany, we used the bigger, dry pasta sheets for this dish, broke them into smaller pieces and cooked them immediately in the lasagna soup. If the soup gets too thick because of this, just add additional water or veggie broth.
Why I Love This Recipe (As a Nutritionist)
High-Protein: With 40 g of protein per serving, this vegan lasagna is great for supplementing your protein consumption.
Iron-Rich: Each serving provides 8 mg of iron, necessary for sustaining energy levels and general health. Its absorption is improved by mixing it with garlic and onions.
Fiber-Rich: This dish includes 17 g of fiber per serving, which helps digestive health and keeps you feeling full longer.
Meal Prep Friendly: Make it once and enjoy healthful, tasty, high-protein meals throughout the week.
Vegan and Nutritious: It’s 100% plant-based, rich with important nutrients, and wonderfully fulfilling.
Ingredient Notes
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP): A superb plant-based protein choice that mimics the texture of minced meat and absorbs tastes nicely. Depending on the brands, it might be soy or pea-based. I used a soy-based one in this recipe.
Silken Tofu: A essential component for the creamy basil layer, bringing protein and richness. Substitute with soaked cashews if needed.
Nutritional Yeast: Brings a cheesy, umami taste while delivering B vitamins and extra protein.
Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a touch of sweetness and acidity to enhance the bolognese sauce’s depth of flavor.
How to Make This Recipe (Summary)
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). Soak the TVP in hot water to rehydrate. Cook the diced onions in a saucepan for about 5 minutes until softened. Add carrots, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and spices, and simmer for 10 minutes to enhance the flavors. Stir in the rehydrated TVP and diced tomatoes, then cook for 20 minutes.
Blend the silken tofu, fresh basil, spinach, nutritional yeast, and soy milk to produce the basil cream. Separately, mix the liquid mozzarella ingredients until smooth.
Layer the lasagna in a baking dish: start with a layer of bolognese, then a layer of pasta, another bolognese, then the basil cream, and continue to the top of the container. Finish with a thin layer of bolognese topped with the liquid mozzarella.
Bake for 40 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. View recipe card below for comprehensive instructions.
Read Also: Best Vegan Lasagna Soup Recipes
Variations and Tips
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free lasagna sheets for a gluten-free alternative.
Extra Vegetables: Swap the capsicum with eggplant or zucchini.
Seasonings: Make sure to test your sauce and adjust the seasonings to your preference before assembling the lasagna, since here is where you will receive the majority of the flavors from.
Time saver: I prefer to use my food processor to chop the onions, mushrooms, carrots, and red bell pepper in this dish to save time.
If you like this dish, you’ll also love our High-Protein Marry Me Pasta Meal Prep, or 10-minute High-Protein Romesco Pasta.
Paula Parente
Lasagna could be my favorite dish ever. It’s always been my family’s go-to while hosting. I have the best recollections of my dad cooking enough to feed 25 people for extended Sunday meals. It’s my ultimate comfort food, and I’m so delighted with this meal prep version since I get to eat it numerous times a week! It’s wonderfully nutritious, vegetable filled and strong in protein, with 40 g per serving!
It's a truth that lasagna is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Top 3, at least! But it's also a reality that it takes quite a long time to prepare it. After you've put so much love and labor into all the layers and the béchamel, it feels like a trial of patience when the lasagna still needs to be cooked for more than 30 minutes until you can eat it.
I think all of this is also part of the magic. It feels like you have to earn a lasagna. But let's just say, it doesn't harm to have a somewhat speedier option up your sleeve, right? Two years ago, our dear buddy Philipp informed us about this meal called lasagna soup, which isn't a genuine thing in Germany. At first, we were slightly doubtful, but after we tasted it, we fell in love with this soup.
This dish is based on our original vegan lasagna. Feel free to choose your favorite minced meat replacement. The sauce is just a more liquid form of the typical tomato sauce layer, but this also helps to cook the lasagna noodles directly in the soup till al dente. For an umami taste, be sure to NOT omit the vegan red wine, soy sauce, and tomato paste.
Depending on where you're living, you can have a hard time to get these wavy shorter lasagna sheets that are typically seen in American recipes. Since they are so rare in Germany, we used the bigger, dry pasta sheets for this dish, broke them into smaller pieces and cooked them immediately in the lasagna soup. If the soup gets too thick because of this, just add additional water or veggie broth.
Why I Love This Recipe (As a Nutritionist)
High-Protein: With 40 g of protein per serving, this vegan lasagna is great for supplementing your protein consumption.
Iron-Rich: Each serving provides 8 mg of iron, necessary for sustaining energy levels and general health. Its absorption is improved by mixing it with garlic and onions.
Fiber-Rich: This dish includes 17 g of fiber per serving, which helps digestive health and keeps you feeling full longer.
Meal Prep Friendly: Make it once and enjoy healthful, tasty, high-protein meals throughout the week.
Vegan and Nutritious: It’s 100% plant-based, rich with important nutrients, and wonderfully fulfilling.
Ingredient Notes
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP): A superb plant-based protein choice that mimics the texture of minced meat and absorbs tastes nicely. Depending on the brands, it might be soy or pea-based. I used a soy-based one in this recipe.
Silken Tofu: A essential component for the creamy basil layer, bringing protein and richness. Substitute with soaked cashews if needed.
Nutritional Yeast: Brings a cheesy, umami taste while delivering B vitamins and extra protein.
Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a touch of sweetness and acidity to enhance the bolognese sauce’s depth of flavor.
How to Make This Recipe (Summary)
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). Soak the TVP in hot water to rehydrate. Cook the diced onions in a saucepan for about 5 minutes until softened. Add carrots, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and spices, and simmer for 10 minutes to enhance the flavors. Stir in the rehydrated TVP and diced tomatoes, then cook for 20 minutes.
Blend the silken tofu, fresh basil, spinach, nutritional yeast, and soy milk to produce the basil cream. Separately, mix the liquid mozzarella ingredients until smooth.
Layer the lasagna in a baking dish: start with a layer of bolognese, then a layer of pasta, another bolognese, then the basil cream, and continue to the top of the container. Finish with a thin layer of bolognese topped with the liquid mozzarella.
Bake for 40 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minutes before serving. View recipe card below for comprehensive instructions.
Read Also: Best Vegan Lasagna Soup Recipes
Variations and Tips
Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free lasagna sheets for a gluten-free alternative.
Extra Vegetables: Swap the capsicum with eggplant or zucchini.
Seasonings: Make sure to test your sauce and adjust the seasonings to your preference before assembling the lasagna, since here is where you will receive the majority of the flavors from.
Time saver: I prefer to use my food processor to chop the onions, mushrooms, carrots, and red bell pepper in this dish to save time.
If you like this dish, you’ll also love our High-Protein Marry Me Pasta Meal Prep, or 10-minute High-Protein Romesco Pasta.