Vegan Lasagna with Eggplant & Zucchini (Keto & Low-Carb)

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This Vegan Lasagna with Eggplant & Zucchini was all about comfort! What’s even more comforting is that this vegan lasagna is that it is low-carb and keto too! So it’s guilt-free, now that’s real comfort food. There is something so cozy about fall. To me, it means sweaters, tea, warm soups, and best of all, lots of comfort food.

This variation from the traditional vegan gluten-free eggplant lasagna makes this completely guilt-free. The delicious walnut Bolognese sandwiched in between alternating layers of eggplant and zucchini slices and topped off with a cashew ricotta and vegan cheese give it that rich, layered flavour and textures that keep you coming back for more.

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• When to make Vegan Lasagna with Eggplant & Zucchini?
• What goes into a Vegan Gluten-free Eggplant Lasagna?
• What makes this vegan eggplant zucchini lasagna a great keto alternative?
• What makes this the best vegan comfort food?
• Can I make this into a Vegetarian Aubergine and Courgette lasagna?
• Tips on making the best Vegan Lasagna with Eggplant & Zucchini
  • Choosing the Right Vegan Cheeses
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• How to Make a Vegan Lasagna with Eggplant & Zucchini 
  • Preparing the Eggplant and Zucchini
  • Making the Vegan Walnut Bolognese
  • Making the Cashew Ricotta
  • Making the Vegan Bechamel Sauce
  • Lasagna Assembly
• Lasagna Storage
  • Can you freeze the lasagna?
  • Can you freeze the ricotta?
• Variations on the vegan eggplant zucchini lasagna
  • Vegan Bolognese with tofu
  • Making your vegan lasagna with tofu ricotta (vegan ricotta nut-free)
  • Macadamia Ricotta

Most vegan gluten-free eggplant lasagna use noodles to separate the layers. The zucchini noodles in this lasagna make it an excellent (and delicious) low-carb and keto variation. Seasonal eggplant and zucchinis replace the traditional lasagna noodles and turning this almost into a ratatouille lasagna packed with high protein walnuts and cashews. Filled with good fats and protein, it also keeps the body going and the brain working. My kind of comfort! Think about serving this for any kind of special event; Thanksgiving, Christmas, Holidays, Easter, or any kind of gathering.

When to make Vegan Lasagna with Eggplant & Zucchini

Lasagnas are one of those dishes that you just enjoy eating during the holidays. Whether it be for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other family gathering it’s a great option to have if you are a vegan and or you have family members who are also gluten-free or vice-versa, a vegan eggplant zucchini lasagna is delicious comfort that everyone can enjoy at any time of year.

What goes into a Vegan Gluten-free Eggplant Lasagna?

The main reason why this dish is gluten-free is that it doesn’t have any noodles. Why would you make lasagna without any noodles? Well, quite frankly, you simply don’t miss the noodles at all in this dish. The eggplant and zucchini give it another level of decadence that I would have never thought but I promise you that it is worth the bake. 

What makes this vegan eggplant zucchini lasagna a great keto alternative?

In a traditional lasagna, there will be layer upon layer of lasagna noodles. When following a keto diet, noodles are frowned upon. Replacing the noodles with a lower carb option such as zucchinis and eggplants makes this a delicious way to remove the carbs.

What makes this the best vegan comfort food?

This vegan lasagna is deliciously rich, hearty, decadent, cheesy, full of whole, healthy ingredients, it’s low-carb and keto and soooo irresistibly yummy. 

Can I make this into a Vegetarian aubergine and courgette lasagna?

Making a Vegetarian version of the aubergine and courgette lasagna is even simpler than making the vegan version. Simply replace the cashew ricotta with actual ricotta, the vegan cheese with actual cheese, and the almond milk in the bechamel with whole milk or cream and butter.

Tips on making the best Vegan Lasagna with Eggplant & Zucchini

Choosing the Right Vegan Cheeses

This will make or break the dish so I would recommend getting a good shredded cheese that will melt properly. I have search far and wide for a cheese that melts well and I was able to find one that looks and taste very similar to real cheese. The one I like the best is the cutting board shredded Daiya cheese. It’s very important that it be the cutting board variety cause the other daiya cheeses don’t melt as well. Other cheeses that I have tried would soften slightly but still looks like it is hard and since we eat with our eyes, melting and pulling like real cheese is a must and this one does it quite well. I also chose a mix of yellow and mozzarella style cheese because it just looks so much more decadent with both. 

Ingredients

Vegan Walnut Bolognese Ingredients:

• Walnuts
• Gluten-free Soy Sauce or vegan/gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
• Cremini Mushrooms
• Onion
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Dried Basil
• Oregano
• Cayenne Pepper
• Tomato Paste 
• Marinara Sauce
• Salt and Pepper

For the Vegan Bechamel:

• Vegan butter
• All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
• Plant-based Milk (960ml)
• Vinegar
• Nutritional Yeast
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Smoked Paprika
• Salt
• Ground Black Pepper

For the Vegan Ricotta:

• Cashews
• Canned Coconut Cream
• Nutritional Yeast
• Distilled White Vinegar
• Lemon Juice
• Sea Salt
• Garlic Powder

For Assembling:

• Eggplants
• Zucchinis
• Marinara Sauce 

For Decorating:

• Parsley
• Vegan Cheese
• Ground Black Pepper

Equipment

• 9×13 baking dish
• Cooking sheet

How to Make a Vegan Lasagna with Eggplant & Zucchini

To make this lasagna, you’ll have to make all the elements separately first. The main elements in this lasagna are the bolognese, cashew ricotta, vegan bechamel sauce, and baking the zucchini and eggplant slices.

Preparing the Eggplant and Zucchini

To start, preheat the oven at 350˚F (175˚C). Cut your eggplant and courgettes lengthwise into equal-sized slices about ½ inch thick. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay down your eggplant and courgettes. Brush on olive oil and sprinkle with salt on both sides. Put it in the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden in color.

Making the Vegan Walnut Bolognese

Take your soaked walnuts and roughly chopped mushrooms and pass them through the food processor until you have a semi puréed semi-chunky texture. Stir fry the onion, garlic in a medium-sized stewing pot with olive oil until the onions are translucent. Then, add the walnuts and gluten-free soy sauce or vegan/gluten-free Worcestershire for a few more minutes. Add the marinara sauce and the can of tomato paste with all the spices (See image below). Set aside.

Making the Cashew Ricotta

Now, for the cashew ricotta. Put all ricotta ingredients in the blend and pulse until you have somewhat of a similar texture to the walnuts from before. (See image for example)

Making the Vegan Bechamel Sauce

Finally, for the bechamel sauce. Start by melting the vegan butter and add in the all-purpose flour. Let the flour absorb all of the butter then slowly start pouring your milk in. Pour just enough milk to get the saucepan wet and whisk until the flour absorbs everything and repeat until you have used up all your milk. The result should be a thick creamy sauce.

Lasagna Assembly

So to assemble the lasagna, start by preheating the oven at 390˚F (200˚C) and greasing the lasagna baking dish (9 x 13 in.). Next, cover the bottom with a layer of marinara sauce and top that off with a layer of eggplant. Take ½ of the prepared Bolognese and spread that evenly then cover with a layer of courgettes. Cover the courgettes with the prepared ricotta and spread evenly throughout the top that off with the eggplant. Cover the eggplant with the rest of the walnut Bolognese and cover with the bechamel sauce. Top off with the vegan cheese of choice.

Lasagna Storage

How long to store this Vegan Eggplant Zucchini Lasagna?

You can store this in the fridge for approximately 4-5 days. To reheat, either heat it back in the oven at 350˚F (175˚C) in a small tin until warmed all the way through or you can microwave it quite easily.

Can you freeze the lasagna?

Yes, you can! I would recommend slicing the individual portions, then put them in a microwave-safe container and freeze them. 

Can you freeze the ricotta?

This cashew ricotta was so delicious. You can easily eat it on its own or on top of fruits in the morning as a breakfast. So make extra I highly encourage it! Double the recipe, you can easily freeze it into ziplock bags for individual portions. 

Variations on the vegan eggplant zucchini lasagna

Vegan Bolognese with tofu

This is quite an easy ingredient substitution. Just replace the walnuts in the Bolognese with firm tofu and simply crumble it up with your fingers till you have a ground beef texture. Then continue the rest of the recipe as is. This Vegan Bolognese with tofu version will make for a much softer texture than the walnut version. Furthermore, the tofu will absorb a lot more of the soy sauce or Worcestershire flavouring too.  

Making your vegan lasagna with tofu ricotta (vegan ricotta nut-free)

If you would like your vegan ricotta to be nut-free, simply replace the cashews with firm tofu. Take a block of firm tofu and crumble it up with your fingers and continue the recipe as is. Similar to the vegan Bolognese with tofu, making your vegan lasagna with tofu ricotta will also create a much softer texture in your lasagna.

Macadamia Ricotta

I have heard so many great things about macadamia ricotta that I decided to include it as a substitution. The macadamias provide richness to the ricotta because of their high-fat content. To make macadamia ricotta simply replace the soaked cashews with soaked macadamia nuts and continue the rest of the ricotta recipe as indicated.

• Lasagna recipe inspired by Well Plated
• Cashew Ricotta inspired by Minimalist baker
• Walnut bolognese inspired by Healthy Girl

Other recipes featuring Eggplant

• Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce
• Middle Eastern Eggplant Ratatouille
• Middle Eastern Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganouj)

Other Holiday or Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas