Vegan Eggplant Lasagna Recipe (Protein-Rich, Plant-Based, Dairy-Free)

This vegan eggplant lasagna recipe was shared with us by cookbook author Robin Robertson. It was a sample from her cookbook Vegan Planet, which is now in it’s second edition! These days, there are quite a few vegan lasagna recipes out there. But Robin keeps it simple, traditional, and healthy. She uses tofu instead of ricotta, which tastes much better than you would expect (we’ve made it this way many times)! Plus, the tofu adds a good dose of plant-based protein and dairy-free calcium. The dairy-free mozzarella or parm topping is optional, but it does add just the right cheesy finish.

Special Diet Notes: Vegan Eggplant Lasagna

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

Vegan Eggplant Lasagna

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

65 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

Author: Robin Robertson

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

12 ounces lasagna noodles (gluten-free, if needed)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size eggplant, peeled and diced
3 cups dairy-free tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought
2 (16-ounce) packages firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked according to package directions and well drained
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup shredded dairy-free mozzarella or parmesan alternative (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes (time might vary with gluten-free noodles). Drain the noodles and spread them out on a work surface to keep them from sticking together.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and remove from the heat.
In a large bowl, stir together the tofu and the spinach, mashing the tofu to create a ricotta-like texture. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, to taste.
Spread a thin layer of the eggplant sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles. Evenly spread half of the tofu mixture over the noodles. Top with another layer of noodles, a layer of eggplant sauce, and the remaining tofu mixture. Finish with a layer of noodles, followed by the remaining sauce.
Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the vegan cheese alternative, if using.
Continue to bake the lasagna until it's hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.
Let the lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅙ batch Calories: 373 Fat: 13g Saturated fat: 2g Carbohydrates: 47.1g Sugar: 8.6g Sodium: 813mg Fiber: 6.9g Protein: 22.8g