Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

Get ready for the best damn vegan lasagna of your life. I made this vegan lasagna recipe for a dinner party I attended with mostly omnivore friends and am thrilled to report that it was a huge hit! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

 

Since this was my first attempt at vegan lasagna and I didn’t have time for a test run, I had to go with a trusted source. When I googled “vegan lasagna” and Oh She Glows’ recipe for Vegan Lasagna with Basil Cashew Cheeze popped up, I knew that was the one.

I read through a lot of the comments on the lasagna and everyone that had made it seemed to love it. The other reason I chose it was because it didn’t involve making tofu ricotta, which I felt was too risky. After all, I would be serving this to four carnivores.

Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

 

By the way, those four carnivores (including the most skeptical one) all had very clean plates by the end of the meal – which is always a good sign.  I left the leftovers with my friend, who told me she ate a piece for breakfast the next morning (no judgment here).

Since I didn’t have time to photograph the recipe process the first time, I had no choice but to make a second batch for you. Fortunately, it’s not complicated.

Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

 

Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

 

Vegan Lasagna with Basil Cashew Cheeze


This lasagna is OUTSTANDING. It may be vegan, but it is definitely carnivore-friendly. So hearty and full of flavor, you’ll never miss the meat. If you like, you can always add crumbled veggie burgers to the mix.

Author: Angela Liddon @ www.ohsheglows.com
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Vegan, Italian
Serves: 12

Ingredients

Lemon Basil Cashew Cheeze Sauce Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup vegetable broth or water (or more as needed)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast* (gives the cheese flavor)
  • ¾-1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste) + freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp onion powder (optional)
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1½ cups fresh basil leaves (lightly packed)
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 30 mins or overnight


Lasagna Ingredients:

  • ½ Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 zucchini, chopped
  • 8 oz. package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
  • 1 large or 2 small red peppers, chopped
  • 1 large handful of spinach
  • Herbamare or salt/pepper to taste
  • 1½ jars of pasta sauce or homemade marinara sauce
  • 1 box of oven-ready lasagna noodles (no boiling required)
  • Lemon Basil Cashew Cheeze Sauce (from above)
  • 1½ cups vegan shredded “cheese”, such as Cheddar and/or Mozzarella Style Daiya Shreds


Instructions

  1. To prepare the Basil Cashew Cheeze Sauce, drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Add all cheese sauce ingredients (in the order listed) to a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, and blend until smooth.
  2. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, add oil, onion and garlic; sauté over low-medium heat for 5 minutes. Add zucchini, mushrooms, peppers; sauté for 10 more minutes. Add spinach; sauté for 5 more minutes. IMPORTANT: Season well with Herbamare or salt and black pepper or else you’ll have bland vegetables.
  3. Pour about a cup or so of pasta sauce into a 9×13 pan and spread it evenly. Add a layer of noodles, then half the Lemon Basil Cheeze Sauce, then half the vegetables.
  4. Repeat layers of pasta sauce, noodles, cheeze sauce, veggies. Add another layer of pasta sauce, then sprinkle Daiya Shreds on top.
  5. Cover with foil and slice a few small vents using a sharp knife. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove foil and broil for 5 minutes on medium, watching closely so as not to burn the edges.

Notes

*Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast, which is sold in the form of flakes or as a yellow powder similar in texture to cornmeal. You can find it at health food stores or you can order it online.

 

Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze

Even die hard meat eaters will enjoy this lasagna. It is full of really great flavor and substance. Even though I used store-bought pasta sauce, the lasagna tasted REALLY fresh because of the Lemon Basil Cashew Cheeze. I wouldn’t hesitate to make this for non-vegan friends again.

In fact, it’s time for lunch – who’s hungry for leftover lasagna?!

 

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96 thoughts on “Vegan Lasagna with Lemon-Basil Cashew Cheeze”

  1. That’s so lovely that you and your friends have all managed to keep up with each other. I’m at university now so hope it’s the same for me!
    I saw the lasagna over at oh she glows and thought it looked good, I’m a little obsessed with nut cheeses and sauces :) I do like a tofu ricotta or a combination of tofu/cashew for a lighter version. Glad it was a success.

    (I’m new to your blog and now a subscriber, love it.)

    Reply
  2. Can I just say, as a mother of 3 kids, I am completely envious of your decision to not have any. Parenthood is no joke, the hardest job EVER. The lasagna looks great, I love O.S.G. and I love how she rarely uses soy!

    Reply
  3. We made this tonight and it was great!

    I used Trader Joe’s vegan cheese and it completely melted into the dish. It was still delicious though. The Trader Joe’s cheese seems to have a drier texture – so next time I won’t add the cheese on top until after I take the foil off.

    Thanks for the recipe – it’s going to be a regular at our house.

    Reply
  4. Greetings, Livvy! I just made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!! The Carnivore husband loved, it as well – always a bonus :-) It will be made many more times, I’m sure – thanks so much for doing the leg work and posting your results for us … your review is really what made me want to try the recipe. I am now a new follower of yours and look forward to your postings!
    Cheers

    Reply
  5. Livvy, Just have to tell you that I made yesterday and it was AWESOME!! Thanks for posting this recipe…. I might blog about …I’ll link back here and also to OH She Glows…. I couldn’t stop eating it!! :)

    Reply
  6. This lasagna changed my life. It was THAT good. Amazing recipe, thank you so much for sharing! Since I don’t have access to Daiya in my country, I used breadcrumb/salt/oregano/thyme mix for a crunchy top- it also worked well!

    Reply
  7. I made this recipe for a lovely Saturday night dinner (along with a vegan garlic bread loaf) and it was absolutely AMAZING! I’ve been eating the leftovers for lunch everyday so far and am in love. The cashew cheese sauce was superb. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  8. The BEST vegan lasagna I have made and I’ve made vegan lasagna a lot. I think it was the Basil Cashew Cheese that made the lasagna. I also fed it to meat eaters and they loved it. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. Make this ASAP!

    I made it for my wife (non-vegan) and me for the Super Bowl. She loved it and wanted to have it again sometime this week. Unfortunately, I have had it for breakfast and lunch the last two days. Therefore, I am making it again (at this moment) before I get busted.

    I love lasagna the next day and cold. If it is a good lasagna, the flavors really snap, and this recipe does not disappoint. By far the best Vegie lasagna I have ever had!

    Reply
  10. Livvy,

    I made this today for our family gathering, and it turned out great with the yellow mustard instead of the Dijon! I also substituted zucchini strips for the pasta. It was a bit more runny than if I’d used pasta, but everyone loved it!

    Brenda

    Reply
    • I’m so glad you posted this comment! I’m having family over for a vegan potluck this weekend and one person is paleo. If I exclude the daiya and replace the pasta with zucchini strips in one of the two lasagna’s I plan on making, I think this will pass the test for my paleo family member.

      Reply
  11. This recipe looks delicious and I will definitely try it out. I enjoy Oh She Glows blog as well. I am going to start following you too.

    I applaud you and your husband for knowing that you don’t want children of your own and not succumbing to “tradition”. Bringing children into the world is a huge responsibility and if you would rather not do it I think it is okay.

    Reply
  12. I made this tonight and it was to die for, the basil in the cashew ‘cheese’ was just right. Fresh squeezed lemons also make the flavor so bright! Thanks for a great recipe. I will definitely come back to this one – lasagna is always a favorite. AND you were right, I had non gfree/vegan folks eating it with me and they loved it :).

    Reply
  13. This is by far, my favorite vegan dish. I have made this numerous times for various holidays and events and all my non vegan friends and family love it too. People RAVE about this. Thank you so much for posting this! I’m about to make another try right now to bring to a MOthers Day dinner. I’ve even found gluten free rice lasagna noodles for my grandma who has celiac. This is fantastic!!

    Reply
  14. My husband is allergic to nuts, but he would love something like this. Would it be okay to substitute a vegan mozzarella cheese instead?

    Thanks.

    Reply
  15. This is the BEST lasagna I have ever made!!! Do yourself a favor and make this tonight!! Very simple and tasty. I didn’t make any changes, it’s perfect as is.

    Reply
  16. Just wanted to say that this has become my ‘go to’ recipe for non vegans and for days when only proper comfort food will do. I love it, my husband loves it. We find all other lasagne’s pale in comparison. (I’m writing this as its cooking away in the oven, apologies that its taken me quite so long to write this.. have been making it since you first posted).

    Reply
  17. I’m from the UK where we don’t have Daiya cheese and I’ve never really found a vegan cheese that works for me. Could you leave it out?

    Reply
  18. To the creator of this recipe:

    Thank you so much! I had a special dinner last night with a special friend, and I wanted to go vegan. The pictures and directions made this very easy to make and I think it turned out great! I think she really like it and I know I did! Thank you, again!

    Reply
  19. I usually check out OSG for recipes to make, but when I googled vegan lasagna, your blog post with her recipe came up first. I didn’t even realize it was one of Angela’s till I went back and read your whole write-up that went a long with the recipe. Can I just so OH MY GOSH!! This is by far the best vegan lasagna I have ever tried or made. It is so hearty and full of flavor, I can’t wait for my omni boyfriend to try it. Thanks for blogging and positing about this lasagna!

    Reply
  20. This came out so well!! I served it with a peppery side salad and is was absolutely delicious! My other half, who is a carnivore, thought it was scrummy too! Thanks so much!

    Reply
  21. I made this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit! It had such good flavor! Even my picky 10 year old gobbled it all up. Thank you for this recipe. This would be a good one to use to introduce non-vegans to plant-based, in my opinion. It’s THAT good.

    Reply
  22. LOVE this dish! brought it to a Vegan/Gluten-Free potluck (sub’d in brown rice noodles for oven ready noodles) on the weekend and it was a huge hit!
    I’ll be forwarding your blog on to all my friends :)

    Cheers!

    Reply
  23. This is the BEST vegan lasagna I have ever made. Thank you for the awesome recipe. I switched out the veggies for kale, spinach, onion, and tomato. My fiancé hates mushrooms and zucchini. It was still absolutely delicious. That cheese sauce is top notch. I will definitely be making this often.

    Reply
  24. This is baking in the oven as I write! Can’t wait!!! I sampled the cheeze sauce… Delicious!! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  25. First of all, yes, O.S.G. is amazing.

    Great recipe to put on the newsletter. This looks fantastic. I’m obsessed with cashew cheese, so I’ll be trying it soon.

    By the way, I love your writing style. I READ your posts, not just skip to the recipe. Keep up the great work!

    Reply
  26. I usually just look at the blogs for the recipe but I will read the first few sentences and if they are interesting I’ll read the rest of the story part of the blog. I noticed the sentence that spoke about how you both decided before you got married that you didn’t want kids. Since I feel exactly the same way I continued reading and I was amazed that you worded pretty much exactly how I feel about the issue. I don’t feel that I should have to give an explanation to anyone because it is our life and we (my husband and I) are the only ones who have any say in that matter. Thanks for sharing your views on this somewhat sensitive topic. It is nice to know that I am not the only one who feels this way.

    Reply
  27. Actually, the Lemon Basil Cashew Cheeze here is a recipe that Isa Chandra made for a Stuffed Portabella Pizza recipe. She then adapted it for a vegan lasagna. Do you follow her Post Punk Kitchen blog?

    Reply
  28. Hello :)
    I love this recipe! I was looking for the vegan lasagna recipe but without tofu and I found it!
    I have only one question though. Can I put the leftovers in a fridge? I always cook more to have lunch the next day and a lot of vegan dishes go bad after one night in a fridge…

    I would appreciate your response :)

    Reply
  29. I just have to comment and say holy crap this recipe is good. it has become my go to for cooking for non vegan friends and family; I’ve made it so many times. Everyone always LOVES IT and its easy to make! I come to this recipe page so often I figured I should leave a comment lol. Thanks lady!

    Reply
  30. I’m new to your site and so far have made the sweet potato/chickpea dish and today the lasagna (lemon basil cashew). Wow! So impressed and can’t wait to try more recipes. I added dash of crushed red pepper and Crystal sauce to the veggies, gave it just a little heat. Probably used 2c of the basil and yellow ballpark mustard is definitely OK substitute. We’re not vegans but I’m trying to make more plant based meals plus notice a lot of the recipes will work well for my diabetic husband.
    Thank you for providing such delicious recipes, love the photos, writing, everything!

    Reply
  31. I made this last night for dinner today. It looks amazing! Only, I accidentally left it on the counter overnight. It was on an airtight Pyrex dish. I immediately put it in the fridge early this morning. Do you think it will still be OK to eat? I am thinking yes because it’s just vegetables and pasta. Any thoughts? I really want to eat it!

    Reply
  32. I was wondering if you may have a vegan lasagna recipe that I could make. I have Pancreatitis and cannot have nuts,seeds,mushrooms,garlic or onions. Among numerous other things. Am I out of luck or is there hope? Thank you in advance for any help you may give

    Reply
    • Hi Apryl. Yikes, that’s a tough one. I don’t have any suggestions off hand, but maybe another reader will spot your comment and chime in. I’ll let you know if I come across a recipe that will work for you.

      Reply
    • Don’t thank me, it’s Angela’s recipe; she’s a genius!! Her cookbook is awesome, too (http://amzn.to/1Br2esG). As far as making this a day ahead, I’m thinking either way would be okay, but I might lean toward assembling it ahead, and cooking it the day of. You might want to undercook your veggies a little so they don’t get mushy.

      Reply
  33. Hi, quick question, how far in advance can I make this? I like to cook as much as possible before company arrives. Would this hold in fridge for 2 days before cooking/serving? Has anyone frozen it with good results? Answers appreciated asap as I’m thinking to do this today!
    Thank you!!

    Reply
  34. Hi Livvy! Came here via Pinterest and have bookmarked this lasagna to try very soon. Also just wanted to applaud your decision to not have children. You are right, you don’t owe anyone an explanation as to your reasons. I had 2 children who are now in their late 20s. I loved motherhood and adore my daughters but I made a conscious decision to have them and it was my decision to make. It bugs me when I hear people encouraging others to become parents or questioning their decision to not have them.

    Reply
  35. Over the last twelve months, my daughter dragged me (kicking and screaming) into Veganism !her
    Now I admit that it’s the BEST thing she ever did for me. We both LOVE lasagne and I am so looking forward to “blowing her away” with your recipe! I have a few “good” vegan lasagnes, but hey! I gotta try yours! (Like Michelle’s comment above, I “found” you via Pinterest.

    Reply
  36. WOW!! This recipe is a keeper. That cashew, basil, lemon concoction is magic!! My coworkers (mostly non-vegan or veg) and my son (definitely a carnivore) were really amazed at how good this was. My son ate it cold from the fridge and it passed his cold left-over test with flying colors. Can’t wait to make it again……. THANKS!!!

    Reply
  37. I made this last night. Used Love brand vegan cheese on top. Had to shred myself. But the result was amazing. It looked like an authentic lasagna. The taste was perfect. Everything harmonized perfectly. This is definitely a lasagna to try and a recipe to be used again and again. Thanks for putting it up.

    Reply
  38. This lasagna is amazing! So far the best vegan lasagna I have ever made. Much better than the fake ground meet versions. The cashew cheese sauce gives a lot of umami.

    Reply
  39. Made this last night for a Friday night dinner and it was super tasty! keeping this recipe for our non-vegan friends lol

    greetings from Israel

    Reply
  40. I just made this lasagna and WOW. It is absolutely delicious. My husband (who is lactose intolerant) is on his second serving and loves it. The only thing I would do differently is make a bit more of the cashew cheese. I did three layers of lasagna and made my sauce from scratch. Great recipe! Making it again for Christmas this year ;-)

    Reply
  41. Would it be ok to make this a night before and store in the fridge until dinner the next evening and then put it in the oven? Or will it become soggy?

    Reply

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