Vegan Lasagna

Cooking Gluten-Free with Chef Cynthia Louise with

No words can explain how great this is, from the spectacular sauce to the amazing 'cheese', the entire dish is wonderful. Have it cold the next day or freeze it for later.

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients

(use organic where possible)

250g gluten-free lasagna sheets, parboiled

FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE

• 1L water
• ¼ onion, roughly chopped
• 1 head garlic, crushed
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 cup raw cashew nuts
• ⅓ tsp nutmeg  
• ¼ cup savoury yeast
• Salt
• Black pepper

FOR THE NEAT SAUCE (AKA MEAT)

• Olive Oil 
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 carrot, skin on, roughly chopped
• 4 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 2 cups walnuts
• 20 oz (600ml) tomato purée
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. To prepare the cheese sauce, add the ingredients except the seasoning, nutmeg, and yeast, to a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook until the potato is soft. 
3. Leave to rest and cool down.
4. Transfer to a blender, add the nutmeg and yeast and season with salt and pepper.
5. Blend until well combined and smooth and set aside.
6. To prepare the neat sauce, add one veggie at a time to your food processor, pulse till they form into a bread crumb type consistency transfer to a bowl
7. Add the walnuts to your food processor, pulse till they form into a bread crumb type consistency transfer to your bowl of veggies 
8. Pour olive oil in a pan and heat on medium. 
9. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent. 
10. Stir in the processed carrot, mushrooms, and walnuts
11. Add oregano and continue to stir and cook for 3-5 minutes
12. Add tomato puree and paste. 
13. Add the balsamic vinegar and coconut sugar and season with the oregano, salt, and pepper. 
14. Saute for a few more minutes until all the ingredients are cooked through. Set aside. 
15. To assemble, preheat the oven at 340 °F (170 °C) .
16. Lay ⅓ of the parboiled lasagna sheets in a baking dish (size 25 cm) 
17. Spread ⅓ of the cheese sauce on top followed by the neat sauce. 
18. Repeat with another third of the sheets, cheese, and neat sauces until all is used.
19. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. 
20. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.