Raw Vegan Lasagne
This raw vegan lasagne tastes every bit as rich and flavourful as cooked lasagne, but is loaded with enzymes, and is gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy free! This heavenly lasagne incorporates a kale & basil pesto sauce, a thick and 'meaty' napoli tomato-mushroom sauce, garlic cashew creamy cheese, and a layer of tightly packed & flattened fresh leafy greens!
I will say that the elements take some time to make. But, this raw vegan lasagna is well worth the prep time. What I love about this raw lasagne are the gorgeous colours. You can layer it differently than what I have, and you could always add in some more raw vegetables to make it more substantial. Avocado, bell peppers and sprouts go really well inside this lasagne. I’ve kept this lasagne recipe very simple as it’s really rich already. A little bit of each sauce goes a long way. For this recipe I made the lasagne in a baking dish and cut individual portions. How ever, you can also build each lasagne piece as individually.
Ingredients
LAYERS
Kale & Basil Pesto Sauce
2 cups basil
1 cup kale
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 date
1-2 garlic bulbs
1/2 red onion
1/4 avocado
1 tsp natural sea salt
1 tsp pepper
water if needed to help blend
Napoli Tomato - Mushroom Sauce
1 cup ripe cherry tomatos
1/2 cup sun dried tomatos soaked in warm water (oil-free type)
1/2 cup mushrooms
1-2 dates
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp natural sea salt
1/2 red capsicum with inner seeds and white fibre removed
1-2 garlic bulbs
Cashew Cheese
For this recipe, I used this store bought cashew cheese, but if you would like to make your own, simply blend the following ingredients;
1 cup soaked cashews (overnight)
1 cup lemon juice
1-2 garlic bulbs
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp natural sea salt
1 tsp onion powder
Leafy Greens Layer
2-3 cups spinach or rocket or both
1-2 cups basil
1 cup parsley (for topping)
Lasagne Sheets
5-6 zucchinis - thinly mandolin sliced to create 'pasta sheets'
Method
Grab a casserole or baking dish to construct the lasagne in, an line the inside of the dish with baking paper. Add a piece to the bottom and on each of the 4 sides. This will make the lasagne portions easier to lift out and prevent mess.
Wash zucchinis and cut in half. Then, using a mandolin slicer, slice up each zucchini half into long thin strips. Slice zucchinis with the flat side that has been cut open facing down. These thin & wide zucchini strips will be the 'pasta sheet' layer of the lasagne.
For the pesto, throw all of your ingredients into the food processor, and pulse until well combined. Add water if needed to help blend.
For the Napoli Tomato - Mushroom Sauce, also throw all of your ingredients into the food processor, and blend until well combined (you can leave it a little but chunky for more texture).
Place the strips of zucchini into the bottom of a casserole or baking dish, with the edge of each piece slightly overlapping the next.
Upon the zucchini 'pasta sheet' base layer, spread out the napoli sauce using a spoon or spatula, evenly coating the zucchini. Aim to create a 0.5-1cm thick layer. Next, pack and lay down the leafy greens (spinach, basil etc) upon the napoli sauce. You can add a crack of pepper, a sprinkle of garlic granules and salt in between each layer if you'd like. Then add another layer of overlapping zucchini. Next add a thick layer of pesto sauce, then seal it with another layer of zucchini 'sheets'. Upon this zucchini layer, add the cashew cheese, spreading evenly whilst applying a thick & generous amount.
(Depending on how deep/wide your dish is that you're assembling the lasagne in- you may only be able to do 1 layer of each sauce or filling. I choose to use baking dishes shorter in length & width but deeper in height, so that I can create taller lasagne slices with several layers).
Continue to stack the lasagne with the sauces and zucchini slices in this pattern until you no longer have enough filling left to complete any additional layers. Garnish with the cashew cheese, parsley, paprika, black pepper, and garlic granules.
Optional- You can also add the lasagne into a dehydrator to warm up slightly or to crisp it up a little if you have the time. I have done that in the past but for this lasagne I cut it up and served straight away.
Using a very sharp knife, cut into the lasagne, creating equal portions & into your desired size. You may choose to slice it into bigger rectangular pieces, or smaller squares- its completely up to you :)
Please note- pulling out the first slice can be a little messy, so too avoid this I like to use an additional wide cake slicer for support when lifting out the first portion. Ensure that you do not serve the lasagne slices with any baking paper attached (may still be in contact with the food from when you lined the dish with it).
Place the lasagne slices on your favourite serving plates- Buon appetito!
