This Vegan Basil Bechamel Lasagna is packed with flavor and in my family’s opinion- the best vegan lasagna recipe out there! Bubbly, salty, creamy, ‘meaty’, and all-around delicious, this vegan lasagna is sure to be your family’s favorite also!
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why we love this vegan bechamel lasagna
Ah, the classic lasagna. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner or meal prep dish!
This vegan & vegetarian lasagna is lighter than its traditional non-vegan counterpart. Yet, this recipe has no tofu, cashews, nutritional yeast, or ricotta, making it perfect for picky omnivores. This comforting, hearty, and relatively healthy lasagna is filled with layers of Beyond Meat and topped with a creamy basil-infused bechamel cheese sauce.
the lasagna layers
In contrast to other non-vegan lasagnas, this veggie version doesn’t have cheese packed between every layer making it a bit healthier for you. But don’t worry! I guarantee you won’t even miss the cheese.
Between each layer is a generous helping of homemade marinara sauce and a veggie-friendly ‘meat’ mixture with onions & garlic. In the cheese’s place, we’re layering a thick, creamy, salty, basil-y Bechamel sauce on the top.
basil bechamel cream sauce
To make the vegan lasagna white sauce you’ll need the following ingredients: vegan butter, flour, unsweetened almond milk, vegan Parmesan (I love Violife brand), fresh basil, and salt & pepper.
You’ll want to melt the vegan butter on medium-low heat. Then, you’ll slowly sprinkle in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously to prevent any clumps from forming. Next, you’ll add in the chopped basil and cook it for about 2 minutes. This is so the flour cooks through, and the basil flavor infuses into it.
The next step is to pour in the almond milk, ¼ cup at a time, whisking continuously as you did with the flour. It’s important to make sure the milk mixture doesn’t boil. It should begin to thicken after a minute of stirring.
The last step is to stir in the vegan Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Feel free to taste the sauce at this point and add any more salt & pepper to taste.
the beyond meat mixture
In this recipe, I’m using a combination of frozen Beyond Burgers and Gardein Beefless Crumbles. I find that this combination provides the best texture and flavor. However, if you don’t have Beyond Burgers on hand, you can substitute in the same amount of just the Gardein Beefless Crumbles.
In a medium non-stick pot, you’ll saute the frozen Beyond Burgers and the frozen meatless crumbles until thawed, about 8 minutes. While thawing the vegan ‘meat’, break the burgers apart with a spatula to form small bite-sized pieces. Then, you’ll transfer the ‘meat’ to a bowl.
In the same pot, saute the yellow onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Next, add the garlic and the thawed ‘meat’. Saute the mixture with the onion until browned, about 3 more minutes.After it’s browned, you can set the cooked ‘meat’ mixture aside until you’re ready to assemble the lasagna.
assembling and serving the vegan bechamel lasagna
To make this lasagna, you’ll need a 9×13″ baking dish. In the baking dish, you’ll spoon enough marinara sauce to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Then, you’ll layer in the oven-ready lasagna noodles (enough to form an even layer).
Next, spoon more marinara sauce on top of the noodles, and then spoon on enough of the “meat” mixture to evenly cover the noodles. Layer noodles on top. You’ll repeat these steps until you run out of noodles.
On the top layer, spoon a generous amount of marinara sauce to cover the top layer of noodles. Then spoon the basil bechamel sauce on top.I like to sprinkle more vegan parmesan on top for taste.
This Vegan Basil Bechamel Lasagna is best served warm and can last covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Serve it with this vegan caesar salad or this lemony spinach arugula salad!
If you’re looking for more vegan main dishes, check out these recipes!
- The Best Vegan Alfredo
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Vegan Baked Ziti
Did you make this vegan bechamel lasagna? I’d love to know! Leave a rating and comment below!
Vegan Basil Bechamel Lasagna
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
The best ever vegan basil bechamel lasagna filled with layers of Beyond Meat crumbles and topped with a creamy, cheesy non-dairy bechamel.
Ingredients
Marinara
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp sugar
“Meat” Mixture
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Beyond Meat burgers, or sub. 10 oz vegan ground beef crumbles
- 5 oz or ½ cup vegan ground beef crumbles
Basil Infused Bechamel
- ½ cup fresh chopped basil
- 4 tbsp vegan butter, or olive oil
- 5 tbsp flour
- 1 cup unsweetened plain oat milk or almond milk
- ½ cup fresh grated Violife vegan parmesan, plus more for topping
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
Noodles
- 1 package oven ready lasagna noodles
Instructions
To Make the Marinara Sauce:
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste, and mix until the onions are coated. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Add the spices (Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano, salt & pepper) and the sugar.
- Simmer on low for 20 minutes while prepping the other components.
To Make the “Meat” Mixture:
- In a medium non-stick pot, saute the frozen Beyond Burgers, and the frozen meatless crumbles until thawed about 8 minutes. While thawing the vegan ‘meat’, break the burgers apart with a spatula to form small bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a bowl.
- In the same pot, saute the yellow onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and the thawed ‘meat’. Saute with the onion until browned, about 3 more minutes.
- Set the cooked ‘meat’ mixture aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.
To Make the Basil Bechamel:
- In the same pot that you cooked the Beyond Burger mixture in, melt the vegan butter on medium-low heat.
- Sprinkle in the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously to prevent clumps. Add in the chopped basil and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low.
- Pour in the oat milk or almond milk, ¼ cup at a time, whisking continuously. Make sure the milk mixture does not boil. It should begin to thicken after a minute of stirring.
- Stir in the vegan Parmesan, salt & pepper. Feel free to taste the sauce at this point and add any more salt & pepper to taste.
Assemble the Lasagna:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a 9x13” baking dish, spoon enough marinara sauce to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Layer in the oven-ready lasagna noodles (enough to form an even layer).
- Spoon more marinara sauce on top of the noodles, and then spoon on enough of the “meat” mixture to evenly cover the noodles. Layer noodles on top. Repeat until you run out of noodles.
- On the top layer, spoon a generous amount of marinara sauce to cover the top layer of noodles. Then spoon the basil bechamel sauce on top.
- Sprinkle more vegan parmesan on top.
- Bake the lasagna uncovered for 40 minutes.
Notes
When using oven-ready lasagna noodles, it's important to make sure they're covered with enough sauce so they bake through. There should be no dry noodles exposed when layering the lasgna.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 411Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 7gProtein: 22g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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