A quick and skinny Lasagna today. It was one of those Fridays a few weeks back, when the pantry and refrigerator were almost empty. No tomatoes, veggies or greens. I was tired if eating lentils/beans. I found a boiled sweet potato and some cauliflower and decided to try some bechamel with it. Simple flavors and delicious food.
Add more layers, add some marinara layers, cheese, greens and more to make it hearty.
For more Lasagna, Pasta options see the Collection here.
I am so bored of listening to audiobooks.. and now I will get a headache after pushing myself to write the post.. oh well. Here’s to better days!
Did you know that more Cows are harmed for Cheese than for Milk.
Americans consume almost twice as much cow’s milk as cheese than as fluid milk. It takes more than 10 pounds of fluid milk to get a pound of cheese. Fluid milk consumption is on a steady 40-year decline while cheese consumption continues to rise. Cheese consumption has continued to increase since 2010 and was at its highest level in 2012. As exposed in the New York Times, the USDA has worked behind the scenes with companies to increase the cheese content of products and market new cheese-laden products. In 2010, 326 pounds of cow’s milk was consumed as cheese per capita while only 196 pounds was consumed as fluid milk. To get a better idea about the numbers, see the article at Counting Animals with charts and graphs.
Steps:
Whisk the flour into melted oil.
Whisk in the almond milk, then add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Keep ready
Assemble the Lasagna. Layer Bechamel, lasagna sheets, sliced cauliflower. Sprinkle garlic powder and chili or black pepper.
Add a layer of Sweet potato slices(raw or roasted), sprinkle dried herbs of choice, salt, bechamel and lasagna sheets.
Top with bechamel, bread crumbs or cheese.
Bake for about an hour.
Serve.
Vegan Lasagna Bechamel with Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower
Ingredients
Bechamel Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan butter
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 5 Tablespoons flour I used half spelt half bread flour
- 2 cups (500 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) black pepper or to taste
- 1/2 (0.5 ) Sweet Potato or yam sliced raw or roasted. I used roasted
- Thinly sliced Cauliflower florets raw or lightly blanched. I used raw
- breadcrumbs or cheese
- 8-10 (8 - 10 ) Lasagna Sheets no-boil
- dried parsley and thyme
- 1/4 cup (27 g) bread crumbs or vegan parmesan or coarse ground cashew/almond mixed with nutritional yeast
Instructions
Bechamel sauce
- In a medium pan, melt the butter/oil on medium. Add the flour and whisk to form a roux or thick paste. Cook 1-2 minutes until it is just about to change color.
- Add almond milk, whisk as you add, making sure there are no lumps. Add the nutmeg, black pepper and salt to taste.
- Remove from heat after the sauce has thickened into a smooth gravy-like velvety texture. (Use 1.5 cups almond milk for thicker sauce. I used 2 cups as the sauce will thicken further during baking)
Lasagna
- Layer some bechamel, top with Lasagna sheets. Top with thin slices of cauliflower. Sprinkle a little salt, (sprinkle chili flakes and garlic powder.Optional)
- Drizzle some more bechamel sauce. Layer Lasagna sheets. Top the sheets with cooked Sweet potato slices(or thin raw slices). Sprinkle some dried thyme or parsley.
- Drizzle a little bechamel (or marinara). Top with Lasagna sheets.
- Spread the rest of the bechamel. Top with Bread crumbs mixed with dried herbs of choice, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, or Cheese(vegan mozzarella shreds or parmesan or ground cashew/almond +nutritional yeast). Cover the pan with aluminium foil.
- Bake in preheated 360 degrees F / 180ºc for 50 minutes to an hour. Take itout of the oven. Remove foil. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Indian Cooking with Gangnam Style...!!! says
March 4, 2013 at 6:28 amLooks super yummy 🙂
Richa says
March 4, 2013 at 6:35 pmThanks!
דפנה בן יהושע says
March 4, 2013 at 7:21 amHey!
This looks delicious.
Do I have to use almond milk or will soy milk (Alpro) also work?
Thanks!
Richa says
March 4, 2013 at 6:37 pmI dont use soy milk much but i guess it should work.
Elle says
July 15, 2014 at 1:08 amI’ve made the bechamel sauce with soy milk a few times now and it works wonderfully. I use Vitasoy Soy Milky (it’s an Australian brand). I also whisk in some nutritional yeast at the end for a little cheesiness. Thanks for the fabulous recipe, Richa! 🙂
Vicky says
March 4, 2013 at 7:33 amThis looks lovely Richa! Your photographs are beautiful!
Richa says
March 4, 2013 at 6:37 pmThank you Vicky!
Caitlin says
March 4, 2013 at 11:57 ambeautiful, richa! you really know how to eat in style when you have little to work with!
Richa says
March 4, 2013 at 6:38 pmIt just looks prettier with the colors and contrast pictures:))
Cadry's Kitchen says
March 4, 2013 at 1:38 pmThat is sad that animal based cheese consumption is on the rise. I think many people really have no idea the cruelty/sadness/pain involved in the dairy industry. It seems innocuous since lactating is pain-free and natural. People don’t realize the animals are impregnated again and again, giving more milk than they would naturally by way of hormones, and worst of all, having their offspring taken from them within a day or two (often to become veal) so that their milk can be given to humans instead. There’s so much sadness in one glass of milk.
Your lasagna looks gorgeous and even better because no one was harmed in the making of it!
As a side note, I don’t know if it’s my monitor or Safari, but the new Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest/Google Plus/Email buttons that have been added to the side of the page block a lot of the writing. It leaves only an inch of space on either side (top or bottom) where the first few words can be seen without blocking. I wondered if anyone else had noticed that on their monitor, and I wanted to let you know in case you wanted to move them to another location.
Richa says
March 4, 2013 at 6:43 pmThere is so much sadness indeed in every glass of milk, block of cheese and globs of butter. I wish more people realize the pain and torture behind it.
I checked on Chrome, IE and firefox.. will check it on safari and adjust the position. Thanks for letting me know Cadry.. why cant all browsers be compatible.
Cadry's Kitchen says
March 5, 2013 at 11:33 amI saw that you moved the buttons! They look great! Thanks!
Gabby @ the veggie nook says
March 4, 2013 at 2:15 pmLooks fantastic! Way to work with what you had 🙂
Really interesting fact about the cheese- I never would have thought that more cows are harmed for cheese than milk but when you consider the production method, it makes so much sense!
Richa says
March 4, 2013 at 9:42 pmThanks Gabby. Yep its quite interesting to see how much cheese is eaten.
vedgedout.com says
March 4, 2013 at 5:03 pmI love that you can add nearly any vegetable to lasagna and have it taste good. I think it’s fantastic that you had hardly anything left in the fridge, and yet you were still able to create this beautiful dish! 🙂
Richa says
March 4, 2013 at 9:43 pmusually is i am out of stuff i just make some lentil stew with dried herbs and spices:) this was one good friday night movie meal though!
Kristina @ spabettie says
March 4, 2013 at 5:27 pmthis looks delicious!
Richa says
March 4, 2013 at 9:44 pmThanks Kris! i love your version with the olives too
Kristy Turner says
March 4, 2013 at 10:08 pmI’m so bummed to hear the cheese consumption is on the rise. I feel such strong pangs of guilt when I read about the cheese industry because I used to be a part of it. I am so happy to not be part of such a cruel and torturous industry any longer, but it does make me sad to hear that it is on the incline. Damn that USDA!
This lasagna looks so delectable. I love the simple flavors, especially the cauliflower florets- I bet they taste amazing in this dish!
Richa says
March 5, 2013 at 1:55 amI used to be a part of the cheese and dairy industry too and now it feels like how could i not see it then. Better late than never. i dont believe a thing the usda says anymore.
I love cauliflower in my pastas and lasagnas.. i think i just love cauliflower in anything:)
runnergirlinthekitchen.blogspot.com says
March 5, 2013 at 6:16 amOk ! I never knew animals were tortured to get cheese 🙁 that does take away the fun from all the cheese I like to eat!!
Lasagna looks really nice and inviting
Richa says
March 5, 2013 at 6:29 amAnything dairy is a result of extreme pain and torture for the cows. that includes fluid milk, cheese, paneer, ghee, butter, cream, ice cream, milk powder and more.
This is one of the reasons we eat only plant based milks and cheeses.
dassana says
March 5, 2013 at 10:40 amlooks delicious richa.
Richa says
March 9, 2013 at 12:38 amThanks Dassana
anunrefinedvegan.com says
March 5, 2013 at 1:53 pmOne of the reasons I avoid making lasagna is that it’s so labor intensive. Love the simplicity of this. Beautiful dish, Richa!
Richa says
March 9, 2013 at 12:38 amthis one came about very quickly:) i put it together and watched some TV till it was baked.
Joey says
March 5, 2013 at 10:46 pmMaking something without having to go shopping and making it delicious? Looks like a double victory to me. I love cauliflower in anything – never would have thought of putting it in lasagne.
Richa says
March 9, 2013 at 12:36 amoh i love cauliflower in sauces(cauli alfredo!) and in lasagne:)
NOT SO FAST says
March 6, 2013 at 4:11 amVery creative Richa! Your photos get more and more beautiful all the time. Beautiful!
Richa says
March 9, 2013 at 12:36 amThanks Shira!
Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes says
March 14, 2013 at 1:03 pmDon’t you just love meals like this that come together with just a few ingredients you have left over from the week and it turns out amazing! I love white lasagna but never thought to add cauliflower- love it! … I thought cheese would be the hardest for me to go without prior to becoming vegan, now the thought of real cheese or real eggs makes my stomach turn – the vegan versions taste waay better than the original (to me anyway 🙂 )
Anonymous says
April 3, 2013 at 9:58 amThis looks yummy! You mentioned that the sweet potato was boiled; was the cauliflower cooked or raw?
Richa says
April 3, 2013 at 7:10 pmits raw. thinly sliced cauliflower cooks up easily in that much bake time.. so does the sweet potato.
Anonymous says
January 18, 2014 at 3:25 pmThis is the second recipe of yours that I’ve made, and they have both been amazing! I love your recipes because they’re so versatile. You can really make them your own. I didn’t have lasagna, but I did have jumbo pasta shells. I blended raw cauliflower with the boiled sweet potato and marinara for stuffing and then poured the bechamel sauce on top before baking. To die for! I added fresh sage to the sauce but think some sauteed mushrooms would be great as well.
Maryse Val says
June 22, 2014 at 12:20 amI made this recipe yesterday and… OMG! This is freaking delicious!!!!
Linda says
November 18, 2014 at 5:47 pmI just discovered you from another person’s post on Pinterest…and the lasagna is actually baking in my oven now! I’m really proud of myself because as busy as I am, I rarely make any of the pretty vegan recipes I find online, even though I prefer home cooked deliciousness to a constant stream of takeout. Thank you for making this particular pretty vegan recipe feel accessible enough for me to jump in! I forgot to pick up cauliflower at the store, so I subbed with extra sweet potato and sautéed a salad bag of kale and brussel sprouts in not-chicken veggie broth. This looks zoo yummy, and I’ll definitely be using your béchamel sauce recipe again!!
Natalie says
December 22, 2014 at 6:25 pmLooks delicious!
Kristin says
July 12, 2015 at 4:36 amThis looks scrumptious! However, since my little son cannot tolerate wheat, I was wondering whether you have tried a gluten free version of the bechamel?
Richa says
July 12, 2015 at 9:49 ami havent tried this particular recipe but i know that rice flour works great as a thickener. try 3 to 3.5 tbsp rice flour + 1/2 to 1 Tbsp starch like cornstarch or tapioca starch.
Kat says
August 28, 2018 at 12:36 pmThank you for adding the info. about how many animals are harmed and killed for the “conventional “ ingredients that you substitute for vegan in your recipes.
Also, thank you for doing this at all!! I know it must be hard work.
Oxoxo
Erica says
October 16, 2020 at 5:59 pmYour recipes are so elegant and versatile, this was great. I love that they are easy to read! I turn to them often. Thank you!
Richa says
October 16, 2020 at 8:40 pmAwesome
Andrea says
June 4, 2021 at 11:35 pmThank you for this wonderful recipe, it is is delicious. My 4 year old girl is obsessed with it so we have it like 3 times a week and she’s super fussy! I add sliced zucchini and sometimes mushrooms!