Vegan Spinach Lasagna You'll Keep Coming Back For
Here's something most people don't know:
My mom was born in Italy.
No, that doesn't mean we ate nothing but pasta and pizza all day.
But Italian food does have a special place in my heart. And my stomach.
Pizza, pasta, lasagna. I don't play favorites. I love them all. ♥
Those glorious carbs, the rich sauces, the roasted vegetables and herbs? That's my kind of food.
I know what you're thinking.
How does Italian food fit into a vegan diet?
Want my honest answer?
Beautifully!
And how does lasagna fit into a plan to get leaner?
This one can fit right in. There's no butter or full-fat dairy cheese here.
We'll get to the calorie breakdown in a bit.
A Little About This Recipe
I made a smooth, creamy béchamel with unsweetened soy milk—no added sugar, no sweeteners.
Instead of lots and lots of butter, I used a generous but measured amount of olive oil.
The result might surprise you.
Yes, vegan béchamel can be rich, comforting, and absolutely delicious.
What About the Cheese?
I made the cheese from cashews – and it's perfect for grilled cheese, pizza, and anything that needs a creamy, cheesy topping.
Trust me – there's a little work involved, but the payoff is absolutely worth it.
For a gluten-free version, swap the all-purpose flour for tapioca flour or potato starch, and use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Make It a Meal
A serving of lasagna with a fresh vegetable salad can make a great lunch or dinner when you're working on getting leaner.
Yes, you can eat lasagna and lose weight! Shocking, I know.
Need a pasta sauce you can whip up in no time?
Nutrition Breakdown by Noam Bachar (an Israeli Fitness Trainer and Nutritionist)
One slice of lasagna (1 of 8 servings), weighing 250 g (8.8 oz), contains:
300 calories
11 g protein
25 g carbohydrates
19 g fat (including 3 g saturated fat)
Vegan Spinach Lasagna with Cashew Cheese
Ingredients
6 lasagna noodles
200 g (7 oz) raw cashews, soaked in water to cover for at least 2 hours
1 liter (about 4¼ cups) unsweetened soy milk
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
500 g (1.1 lb) spinach
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Optional: 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
Salt
Black pepper
Instructions
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Slice the onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Sauté in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for about 3–4 minutes.
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Add the spinach, give it a quick stir, and cover with a lid.
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Once the spinach has wilted, remove from the heat and set aside.
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Make the béchamel:
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Add the remaining olive oil and 3 tablespoons of flour to a large saucepan. Cook the flour in the oil for 1–2 minutes.
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Add the 1 liter (about 4¼ cups) of soy milk, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring so the sauce doesn't scorch on the bottom.
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Once it boils, reduce the heat and keep stirring as the sauce thickens.
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Hang in there—it takes about 10 minutes for the sauce to thicken.
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If it's still too thin for your liking, add another 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour and keep stirring until the milk becomes a thick béchamel.
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Make the cashew cheese:
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Drain the soaked cashews and transfer them to a food processor.
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Add 1 clove of garlic and ¼ cup of water, then process until smooth.
If you're using nutritional yeast, now's the time to add it.
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Transfer the blended mixture to a small saucepan and add 1 tablespoon of flour.
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Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese pulls away from the sides of the saucepan.
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Assemble the lasagna:
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Arrange 3 lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 30 × 20 cm (about 12 × 8-inch) baking dish.
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Spread with half the béchamel, half the spinach, and a layer of cashew cheese.
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Add another layer of lasagna noodles, followed by the remaining béchamel, spinach, and cashew cheese.
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Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 40 minutes.
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Let the lasagna cool a little before slicing so it holds together.
