Show-Stopping Lentil and Eggplant Lasagna

Lasagna may just be one of the ultimate comfort foods ... hearty, saucy vegetables layered between noodles? Heaven! This version is wholesome, yet still totally satisfying – whole wheat lasagna noodles, tofu, lentils, and eggplant give this pasta dish a hearty bite and awesome flavor.

Show-Stopping Lentil and Eggplant Lasagna [Vegan]

Ingredients

• 8 uncooked whole-wheat lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cup beluga lentils (dry weight)
• 1 cup water
• 1 large eggplant
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 14 ounces silken tofu
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or any other herbs to your taste
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy milk
• 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot
• 1 fresh tomato
• Salt
• Vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 355°F. Wash the eggplant and cut it into small chunks. Season with salt and place in a baking dish, drizzle with a small amount of vegetable oil (for example, olive oil). Bake for 30 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and dark brown.
2. Rinse the lentils, place them in a soup pot, and cover with one cup of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt. Mix with the eggplant.
3. Heat a small amount of vegetable oil (about 1 teaspoon) in a deep frying pan. Put the spinach in the pan, season with salt and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, or until the liquid evaporates.
4. Blend the silken tofu with rosemary and a pinch of salt in a blender or just mash it with a fork. And now it is time to arrange the lasagna!
5. Preheat oven to 390°F. Lay the bottom of a deep baking dish with parchment and sprinkle with oil.
6. Place two lasagne noodles adjacent to each other, so that there is no gap between them.
7. Pour half of the lentils and eggplant mixture on top of lasagna. Smooth it out. Next, pour 1/3 of the tofu. I used a tablespoon to pour the tofu. I used the back of the spoon to evenly distribute the tofu.
8. Cover the first layer with two lasagne noodles. Top it with the spinach. Smooth out and cover with 1/3 of the tofu.
9. Again, cover this layer with two lasagna noodles. Pour the remaining mixture of lentils and eggplant, followed by the rest of the tofu. Cover with the last noodles.
10. Prepare soy “béchamel." To do this, first bring a glass of soy milk in a small saucepan slowly to boiling. Stir in the arrowroot in 2 tablespoons of cold soy milk and pour this mixture into the boiling milk.
11. Stirring constantly, bring the sauce to the consistency of béchamel. It takes just a few minutes. Arrowroot is a strong thickener and works very quickly.
12. Pour the béchamel on the top of the lasagna.
13. Cut the tomato in thin slices and place them on the top of the lasagna. Season with salt.
14. Place the lasagna in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the lasagna to stay for another 15 minutes.
15. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let stand for a while before cutting it into portions.

Notes

You can replace silken tofu in this recipe with firm tofu blended with a bit of soy milk (add milk gradually so you do not accidentally make the tofu mix too liquid-y). The “béchamel” can be made from any plant-based milk, such as oat or almond.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/show-stopping-lentil-and-eggplant-lasagna/