Vegan Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna

vegan spinach and artichoke lasagna wth jackfruit

I love lasagna. Regular ol saucy, cheesy, vegan meaty lasagna.

Growing up it was not a thing my mom ever made. She grew up on a farm in Alabama so lasagna was never on the menu.

I remember the first time I ever made lasagna I was grown and married and was given a recipe that included a block of Velveeta Cheese. This was pre vegan and clearly mistakes were made. I think my husband ate it, but I am also certain it was just because he was not about to tell his new wife that she had not actually made lasagna but some weird third cousin to lasagna that nobody actually likes. I mean to sum it up, it was gross.

Now days I make a mean lasagna. Its my pot luck, meal train, go to, and I have a whole group of Ukrainian Rabbis that visit our synagogue often that will vouch for it. On their last visit it seems everyone had the same idea to bring them lasagna, but it seems my vegan version was the favorite, and they had no idea it was even vegan!

So deciding to make a spinach and artichoke lasagna was never a thought in my mind. I like marinara sauce…on everything….but my daughter suggested I make it and I decide it might be a welcome change for the rest of the family. It seemed easy enough to whip up a batch of spinach and artichoke dip, add some vegan all purpose cheese and some crunchy panko topping and call it done.

I know that chicken lasagna is a thing so decide to add a can of jackfruit to mimic the texture of chicken and add a boost of healthy fiber to the dish. It worked great but you can skip the jackfruit if you want and just add another can of artichoke hearts as well.

Well, it worked and the kids and husband all loved it. I liked it too. I might not like it more that regular lasagna but it was good for sure and I think 3 out of the 6 of us would choose this one over a traditional lasagna. I have come a long way since that tragic Velveeta lasagna, y’all!

So the next time the Ukrainian Rabbis come to visit I think I will make them this lasagna and see what they think! If they like it, I will know its actually good and my family isn’t just being nice.

INGREDIENTS:

• I package lasagna noodles

• 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs

• 1/4 cup vegan parmesan cheese, homemade or store bought

• I/2 batch All Purpose Vegan Cheese sauce

• 1 container of plain vegan cream cheese, or 8 oz of homemade cream cheese

• 1 (14 oz) can of artichoke hearts, drained and diced

• 1 (20 oz) can young green jackfruit in brine

• 9 oz container of fresh baby spinach

• 1 small/medium yellow onion, diced

• 1/4 cup vegan mayo

• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic

• juice from 1 lemon

• 2 teaspoons all purpose seasoning ( I use Trader Joes 21 season salute)

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat eat oven to 350 degrees

1. Prepare cheese sauce according to instructions. If you can’t or don’t eat cashews you can use the same measurement of sunflower seeds in the recipe. Set aside.

2. Drain the jackfruit and rinse. You can chop the jackfruit with a knife or shred it between your fingers.

3. In large skillet add a few teaspoons of oil and add jackfruit and the diced onion. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Remove the onion and jackfruit from the pan and place in large bowl. Set aside.

4. In the same skillet add the spinach with a few teaspoons of water and cook until the spinach has fully wilted. If the spinach will not all fit in the pan, you can add a handful at a time as it will cook down very quickly making room for more. Let the spinach cool completely.

5. Placed cooled spinach in a clean kitchen towel making a pouch. Using the towel, ring out as much liquid as you can from the spinach.

6. In the same bowl with the onions and jackfruit, mix the spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, mayo, garlic and seasoning.

7. In a 9x13 pan, smear about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture on the bottom of the pan. Next add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles ( I use regular lasagna noodles, not the no boil kind. They will not need to be boiled.)

8. Next begin building your lasagna by adding about 1/4 of the spinach mixture over then noodles the evenly spread about 1/4 of the cheese sauce over the spinach. You should be able to get 4 layers of noodles depending on how deep your pan is. You can do 3 layers if you prefer. On the final layer sprinkle the vegan parmesan cheese and panko.

9. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour on the middle oven rack. If the top begins to brown too quickly, cover with foil unit the last 15 minutes of the bake. Slice and serve.

If you like this recipe, then try these:

The Perfect Vegan Lasagna

Vegan Lasagna Soup

Vegan Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole

Vegan Lasagna Soup with Beyond Meat

I have a handful of lasagna recipes. Classic Vegan Lasagna, Lasagna in Muffin Cups, Lasagna Stuffed Peppers, and now vegan lasagna soup!

If you can’t already tell, I love lasagna. I love most saucy, “meaty,” cheesy dishes, actually. So it stands to reason vegan lasagna would be in my top 10 all time favorite foods.

I actually hardly ever ate lasagna growing up. I can not think of one time my mom or step mom ever made it, actually. My parents grew up in Alabama, and my mom grew up on a farm, so lasagna was not a dish my southern grandmama EVER made. Not that I am sad about that, because what she did cook was the best food on earth. But, if we ever ate out at a place that had lasagna, I ordered it, and I was in heaven.

Once I was grown and married it was the first thing I wanted to learn how to make and I could not turn to my mom for this one. I worked in a small town bank at the time, and decided I would turn to my nice southern co-workers for help. Well, lets just say I was given a recipe that involved Velveeta cheese (if you don’t know what that is, it’s a block of soft American cheese, and it does NOT belong in lasagna, even when I was not vegan!) and I, young and naive, made it how I was instructed with the Velveeta, despite never liking Velveeta to begin wit. At the time I knew how to cook like three things and clearly was not a vegan, and although this seemed off to me, I decided she was older and wiser and knew better than I did. Suffice to say my husband was kind about it, but I don’t think he ate it. I don’t blame him. I mean if you love Velveeta then maybe that lasagna is the best thing on the planet?!? And I adored the woman who gave me the recipe, and she swore her family loved it? To each their own, I suppose. Needless to say, that set in motion my mission to find and make the best lasagna recipe ever, Velveeta not included!

I have made a lot of lasagnas over the last twenty years, but a classic sauce, “meat,” and cheese lasagna is still my favorite, with a nice veggies lasagna coming in second. Once we went vegan it became a whole new task to make the perfect vegan lasagna and I truly think I nailed it. That said, I am always playing with the recipe, baking it into muffin cups for parties, bell peppers for something fun and different, and most recently soup. Vegan lasagna soup is so quick and easy, making it the perfect lasagna dish when you are in a hurry, or just want a warm, hearty, comforting soup on a cold day. It comes together quickly and easily and in a fraction of the time it takes to make regular lasagna!

This soup is a full meal in a bowl and so delicious. Its saucy, creamy, flavorful, and filling. We added cashew cream right into the soup to make up for a lack of cheese, and topped with the perfect easy tofu ricotta! I think this soup would also freeze nicely for easy meal prep! It is also delicious sever with some Easy Homemade Garlic and Herb Artisan Bread or Garlic Challah Rolls So, if you love vegan lasagna as much as I do, try it as a soup! I don’t think you will be disappointed!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb vegan ground meat. I used Beyond Brand ground.

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

• 1 ( 28 oz can) crushed tomatoes

• 8-10 lasagna noodles

• 1 teaspoon dreid thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1-2 teaspoons dried basil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/4 cup cashews, plus water for heating

• 5 cups water divided

• 2 teaspoons Vegetable Better Than Bouillon

• 1-2 teaspoons olive of grapeseed oil

• Tofu ricotta and fresh basil for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In large pot of dutch oven, heat 1-2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the vegan ground “meat” to the onion and cook until the “meat” is cooked through.

2. Add both cans of tomatoes, all of the seasonings, 4 cups water, and Better than Bouillon to the pot. Reduce heat to a simmer.

3. Place cashews in a microwave safe container covered in water and microwave for 3 minutes. Drain the water. Add the cashews and 1 cup fresh water to a high speed blender and blend unit completely smooth. Add to the pot and stir in.

4. Break up the noodles to fit in the pot. Let the noodles cook until they are soft, being sure to stir serval times while they cook to help avoid them sticking together or the bottom of the pot.

5. Once the noodles are cooked through the soup is done. Top soup with a dollop of tofu ricotta or even vegan mozzarella, fresh parsley, or fresh basil to serve.

If you like this recipe, try these:

The Perfect Vegan Lasagna

Minestrone Soup Vegan Meatballs

Vegan Meatball Sub Bake

The Perfect Vegan Lasagna

If you have been looking for the perfect, cheesy, gooey, saucy, vegan lasagna, look no further! Layers of noodles, tofu ricotta, homemade marinara, and the perfect vegan mozzarella sauce make this lasagna the best vegan lasagna I have had, hands down!

It’s my go to dish to bake up for all of our non vegan friends and family, because no one ever even knows its vegan! We are house divided where lasagna is concerned, some preferring veggie lasagna, and others a classic “meaty” lasagna. So I have given instruction on making this lasagna 2 ways! Because two kinds of lasagna are always better than one!! Right?!?!?

If you are looking for a mini version that is perfect for meal prep, check out the links below for our Muffin cup lasagna, and ourLasagna stuffed peppers!! The lasagna cups are perfect for easy meal prep. Just bake them in a muffin tin and freeze. Pop out what you need later and reheat!! Easy Peasy!

I am telling you, you will never want to use store bought shredded mozzarella again after using this perfect cheese sauce. It’s super easy to whip up, and gets ooey gooey, bubbly, and browns. Its magic and it is staple in our house for so many recipes! Sometimes, like right now with this vegan lasagna, the secret is in the sauce!

So bake up a pan for yourself, and one for a neighbor or friend. They will be so thankful for a night off from cooking and so impressed that this lasagna is actually vegan! I always say the way to convince someone that vegan food is just a delicious, if not more, than the non vegan version is by sharing it!!

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box lasagna noodles (regular or gluten free) DO NOT BOIL THE NOODLES. We will be using them dry in the recipe. This works fine, and there is no need to boil them first. Do not use “no boil” noodles. They typically contain eggs. Just use regular lasagna noodles.

Tofu Ricotta:

• 1 package extra firm tofu, drained

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• 2 teaspoons miso paste

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

• 1/2 onion

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1. Add the onion to a high speed blender or food processor and blend for a minute to mince up. Add remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth.

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White Cheese Sauce:

• 1 cup of cashews (soaked in hot water a few hours, or coved in water and microwaved 3 minutes)

• 2 cups of water

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup corn, or tapioca starch

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1.Drain cashews. Add cashews and remaining ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth and liquified. Make sure there are no little bits of cashews left.

2. Add the mixture to a medium sized sauce pan and heat over medium heat, whisking continuously. The mixture will go from liquid to thick very quickly so do not stop stirring! You want the cheese sauce to be the constancy of a thick pudding. If it gets clumpy or too thick, you can add a little more water to the pan and it will thin back out.

The Sauce:

• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes drained

• 1 carrot, diced

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1 bell pepper, diced (optional)

• 1 cup diced mushrooms (optional)

• 4 cups raw spinach (optional)

• 2 cloves crushed garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• salt and pepper to taste

• splash or 2 of red wine (optional)

“Meaty” option:

If you would rather have a ‘meaty” sauce, you could omit the carrot, pepper, and mushroom, spinach, and add a bag of meatless crumbles, or even use 2-3 Beyond Beef brand burgers. Simply thaw them ,and cook as you would ground meat before adding to the sauce.

1. In a large sauce pan, sauté all of the veggies and garlic in a few teaspoons of oil until tender. if using spinach, add it last and let it cook down for a few minutes to evaporate some of the liquid.

2. Add Wine and let cook for a minute

3. Add both cans of tomatoes, and spices, and let the sauce simmer for 15-20 minutes.

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Start by adding a little sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

2. Add a layer of noodles. Next, spread a nice sized scoop of tofu ricotta over the noodles, followed by marinara, then a layer of cheese sauce.

3. Repeat layers until you have used up all of the ingredients.

4. Make sure the top layer is the white cheese sauce. You can add some Italian seasoning to the cheese sauce if you like before you bake.

5. Cover with foil a and bake at 350 degrees for 45- 60 minutes. Remove the foil after about 20 minutes so the top can begin to brown . If you have filled the pan to the top you might want to put it on a baking sheet, incase it decides to bubble over.

6. Let lasagna cool a bit before before cutting, and serving.

If you like this recipe, try these:

Muffin Cup Vegan Lasagna

Vegan Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

Muffin Cup Vegan Lasagna

If you have been looking for the perfect, cheesy, gooey, saucy, vegan lasagna, look no further! Layers of noodles, tofu ricotta, homemade marinara, and the perfect vegan mozzarella sauce make this lasagna the best vegan lasagna I have had, hands down!

It’s my go to dish to bake up for all of our non vegan friends and family, because no one ever even knows its vegan! We are house divided where lasagna is concerned, some preferring veggie lasagna, and others a classic “meaty” lasagna. So I have given instruction on making this lasagna 2 ways! Because two kinds of lasagna are always better than one!! Right?!?!?

You can always bake a lasagna in a 9x13 pan BUT how much cuter is it to make it in am muffin pan?! Everyone gets a little individual lasagna of their own. I love it! These also work great for pot lucks and parties since they are single serving. AND they freeze well for meal prep! Hooray for meal prep!!

I am telling you, you will never want to use store bought shredded mozzarella again after using this perfect cheese sauce. It’s super easy to whip up, and gets ooey gooey, bubbly, and browns. Its magic and it is staple in our house for so many recipes! Sometimes, like right now with this vegan lasagna, the secret is in the sauce!

So bake up a muffin tin for yourself, and one for a neighbor or friend. They will be so thankful for a night off from cooking and so impressed that this lasagna is actually vegan! I always say the way to convince someone that vegan food is just a delicious, if not more, than the non vegan version is by sharing it!! 

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INGREDIENTS:

CHEESE SAUCE:

• 1 cup of cashews (soaked in hot water a few hours, or microwaved in water for 3 mintues)

• 2 cups of water

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 5 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Drain cashews.

2. Put all ingredients into a high speed blender, or food processor, and blend for several minutes until completely liquified. Totally Smooooooth!

3. Heat on stove in a medium sauce pan, on medium heat, stirring with a whisk until it begins to thicken. It will thicken quickly so do not stop stirring! Once it thickens, remove from the heat!

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SAUCE:

• 1 large can crushed tomatoes

• 1 small can diced tomatoes drained

• 1 carrot diced

• 1 onion diced

• 1 cup diced mushrooms (optional)

• 1-2 teaspoons crushed garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon salt

• pepper to taste

• splash of red wine (optional)

“Meaty” option:

If you would rather have a "meaty” sauce, you could omit the carrot, pepper, and mushroom, and add a bag of meatless crumbles, or even use 2 Beyond Beef brand burgers. Simply thaw them, and cook as you would ground meat before adding to the sauce.

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large sauce pan, saute all of the veggies and garlic in a few teaspoons of oil until tender. If using meatless crumbles or Beyond Burgers, heat the faux meat, garlic, and diced onion together in a pan until cooked through.

2. Add wine and let cook for a minute.

3. Add both cans of tomatoes, and spices, and let the sauce simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

 

Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box lasagna noodles, regular or gluten free

• 1 batch tofu ricotta

• White cheese sauce

• Homemade veggie marinara, or you can use a jar of store bought to save time

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Boil lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

2. Once noodles are drained, and cooled, cut each noodle into 4 pieces.

3. Once marinara, ricotta, white cheese sauce, and noodles are ready, you can begin building your lasagna cups.

4. Prepare muffin tin by spraying with some oil.

5. Start building the lasagna cups by first placing a piece of noodle into the bottom of the tins.

6. Next add a tablespoon or so of ricotta, then marinara, then white cheese sauce. Repeat until cups are full. You should be able to fit 3 layers, ending with white cheese sauce.

7. I like to place my muffin tin on a large cookie sheet while baking just in case any sauce bubbles over.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes.

9. Allow to cool some then sprinkle with fresh chopped basil and serve.

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This recipes will yield around 12 lasagna cups. We typically serve 2 per adult, and 1 per child. They will freeze and reheat really well, so we normally just make a full batch and pop the leftovers into the freezer in an air tight container for up to one month. 

You can optionally cut this recipe in half pretty easily and make 6 - 8 cups. When halving the recipe I still make a full batch of marinara, and ricotta, then freeze half for next time. You can easily cut the cheese sauce recipes in half. I do not suggest making a full batch as the cheese does not freeze well. 

Vegan Lasagna Stuffed Peppers

 

I love lasagna. Since I was a kid it was one of my top 5 favorite foods.

Cheese, sauce, veggie or “meat,” I will always gladly eat lasagna!

Not to talk myself up, but I make a pretty mean lasagna. I use our all purpose vegan cheese sauce in place of shredded mozzarella and it is truly amazing. Its gooey and extra cheesy, and creamy and perfect!

Depending on my mood, I alternate between craving a veggie or vegan meat lasagna. I give the option for both in this recipe in case you are the same way.

I typically make homemade sauce because it is easy, and I normally have the staple items to make it in my pantry. I often find jar sauce too sweet, or get annoyed at how many of them actually contain dairy (its weird to me the things they throw dairy in for no apparent reason) so it has become my habit to just make my own. You can always double the batch and freeze half for a quick weeknight dinner down the road as well.

Now how did we happen upon stuffing lasagna into a pepper you may ask?!?!? Well one day of of my kids told me they saw lasagna stuffed into peppers online and I got super excited!! Thank goodness my kids love food as much as I do and often find recipe ideas I have yet to stumble upon. So as quickly as she suggested it, I had them made and in the oven!

These stuffed peppers are really simple to make! Don't let the steps below discourage you. It is just as easy as making a big lasagna, you are just building it into a pepper!

These lasagna stuffed peppers are great for entertaining as well because they actually turn out really pretty. I used green peppers but you can use any variety of bell pepper you prefer!

So if you are a fan of lasagna but want to change it up a bit, give these a try! They are delicious, pretty and a fun spin on an original classic!

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Lasagna:

• 4 - 6 bell peppers

• 1/2 box lasagna noodles, regular or gluten free

• 1 batch tofu ricotta

• White cheese sauce (recipe below)

• Homemade veggie marinara (recipe below) or you can use a jar of store bought, you can also add cooked vagan sausage, ground “beef”, or seitan to the sauce if you like

White Cheese Sauce:

• 1/2 cup of cashews (soaked in hot water a few hours, or microwaved in water for 3 mintues)

• 1 cups of water

• 1 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca starch

• 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions:

1. Drain cashews

2. Put all ingredients into a high speed blender, or food processor and blend for several minutes until completely liquified. Totally Smooooooth!

3. Heat on stove in a medium sauce pan, on medium heat, stirring with a whisk until it begins to thicken. It will thicken quickly so do not stop stirring! Once it thickens, remove from the heat!

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The Sauce:

• 1 large can crushed tomatoes

• 1 small can diced tomatoes drained

• 1 carrot diced

• 1 onion diced

• 1 cup diced mushrooms (optional)

• 1-2 teaspoons crushed garlic

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon salt

• pepper to taste

• splash of red wine (optional)

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This sauce will make more than you need. I often just freeze the other half and use the next time I am making this recipe, or need a marinara sauce.

“Meaty” option:

If you would rather have a "meaty” sauce, you could omit the carrot, pepper, and mushroom, and add a bag of meatless crumbles, or even use 2 Beyond Beef brand burgers. Simply thaw them, and cook as you would ground meat before adding to the sauce.

Instructions:

1. In a large sauce pan, saute all of the veggies and garlic in a few teaspoons of oil until tender. If using meatless crumbles or Beyond Burgers, Heat the faux meat, garlic, and diced onion together in in a pan until cooked through.

2. Add wine and let cook for a minute.

3. Add both cans of tomatoes, and spices, and let the sauce simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

1. Cut tops from bell peppers and hallow out the insides. Place peppers on a parchment lined cookie sheet turned upside down, and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Turning them upside down will allow the liquid in the peppers to drain out while cooking.

2. While peppers are cooking, boil lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

3. Once noodles are drained, and cooled, cut each noodle into 4 pieces.

4. Begin stuffing the peppers by first adding 1 or 2 tablespoons of marinara to the bottom. Next add a piece of lasagna noodle, ricotta, marinara, cheese sauce, and repeat until the pepper is filled. Repeat with remaining peppers.

5. Place stuffed peppers back on the cookie sheet you used to cook them the first time, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

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Serves 4 - 6.