Vegan white sauce lasagna is layered with onions, mushrooms, and spinach in a creamy white sauce and topped with vegan parmesan cheese. This vegan white lasagna recipe is comfort food taken to the next level. Dig in and taste the splendor.
When I think of comfort food, I immediately think of layers of pasta and vegetables in a creamy, delicious sauce. So even though I love traditional lasagna made with red sauce, I recently fell in love with vegan white sauce lasagna. This vegan white lasagna recipe is so delicious you'll fall in love.
Jump to:
Traditionally béchamel sauce used for white sauce lasagna is what sets it apart! Béchamel is a fancy name for a white sauce made with butter, flour, and milk to create a creamy white sauce.
Even though I loved the vegan white sauce lasagna I recently ate at one of my favorite vegan restaurants, I created a healthier version without the butter or the gluten.
Instead, I created an incredible white sauce lasagna my family inhaled at dinner, begging me to make it again.
It's a joke at my house that we only eat my recipes once because I make so many different recipes daily. But they liked this one so much; I need to make it again sooner than later.
White Lasagna Ingredients
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves combined with the onions is a beautiful mixture of savory goodness.
- Mushrooms: I used crimini mushrooms, but any mushrooms work well.
- White Onions: White onions although very strong in flavor raw, caramelize and sweeten when cooked.
- Spinach: I always choose organic spinach because spinach is on the dirty dozen list.
- Fresh Basil: Fresh basil is loaded with flavor and tastes fabulous in the white lasagna recipe.
Let's start with the filling! The vegetable layer is simplistic yet delicious.
The raw, fresh spinach is added after the garlic, mushrooms, and onions are browned. Lastly, the spinach is added and wilted within minutes when added to the hot mushrooms and onion.
Then, set the vegetables aside to cool while the sauce is made.
Vegan Bechamel Sauce Ingredients
- White Onions: White onions have white papery skin and a white interior, while yellow onions have more of a golden hue to their flesh with dark yellow or brown skin.
- Shallot: Compared with common onions, shallots are a more concentrated source of protein, fiber, and micronutrients, including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, folate, B vitamins, and vitamins A and C
- Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic cloves whenever possible for the best flavor.
- White Wine: Adding a small amount of white wine to a white lasagna sauce gives it a robust richness.
- Raw Cashews: Raw Cashews provide the creaminess of the vegan white sauce. However, check out the nut-free and gluten-free options below in the substitutions.
- Vegetable Broth: I always buy organic vegetable broth at Costco in bulk, because I use it so often.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard is often used as a base for the sauce to provide additional flavor.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is a thickener and a nutritious way to add a cheese flavoring to the sauce.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic Powder is always made from fresh, whole garlic cloves that have been dried and ground. It brings smooth, balanced warmth and complexity to the sauce.
- Onion Powder: Powdered onion disperses entirely and evenly into your dishes, making it perfect for soups, sauces, dips, and dressings.
First, the white lasagna sauce begins with shallot and onions sauteed to create an incredible flavor.
Next, white wine is added to the onions and cooked down. In the meantime, the rest of the sauce is blended in a high-speed blender to pour into the onion and wine mixture.
Vegan Bechamel Sauce Ingredient Substitutions
- Choose yellow onions or leeks instead of white onions.
- Red onion substitutes shallots.
- One clove of fresh garlic equals ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic powder. The exact conversion applies to dehydrated or freeze-dried garlic or even minced refrigerated garlic.
- Instead of white wine, use lemon juice instead.
- For a gluten-free or nut-free option, substitute silken tofu or white beans. Or you can also use flour or gluten-free flour instead of cashews.
- Stone ground mustard is often substituted for dijon mustard in recipes.
- If you don't like nutritional yeast, use Brewer's yeast, soy sauce, Tamari or miso paste.
- Use 1 medium garlic clove to substitute for ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Use about ½ cup fresh onion for every tablespoon of onion powder.
Once the cashew mixture mixes with the onions and white wine, the sauce thickens. Next, the lasagna layering begins.
Like red sauce lasagna, cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of liquid to prevent the noodles from sticking. Since the cream mixture is not acid-based, like tomato sauce, add ½ cup of vegetable broth before placing the first layer of noodles on the bottom.
As a result, the first layer of noodles crosses over the other before adding the first white sauce layer.
Next, add a layer of the vegetable mixture, followed by more noodles, then sauce, and continue until it covers the top layer with sauce.
Additionally, I added vegan parmesan cheese across the top of the vegan white sauce lasagna for added crunch.
Prepare Immediately or Make Ahead
- Cook the vegan white sauce lasagna immediately in a 350-degree oven covered for 25 minutes and then uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
- Or, cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- Bake ahead, cool completely, refrigerate until the next day, and reheat, so the flavors develop.
Since I made this vegan white sauce lasagna for dinner, I served it with a large dinner salad with Italian dressing.
Recipe FAQs
Three layers. There's no traditional number, but most lasagnas have three to four layers.
Soupy lasagna results from noodles that weren't appropriately drained or layered with too much sauce.
Use uncooked rice paper sheets or flatbreads for the pasta layers. Another great option is to slice up zucchini, pumpkin, eggplant, and sweet potato, saute for about 30 seconds, and layer instead of pasta.
Tips
- Vegan white sauce lasagna stays fresh and covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat lasagna from the refrigerator, bake it in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
- To freeze cooked lasagna, let it cool, and cut it into pieces to freeze individually.
- Remember, if you freeze lasagna pieces, it's best to thaw them completely before reheating in the oven or microwave.
So, the next time you're craving comforting Italian food, try vegan white sauce lasagna for a change of pace. It's the perfect entree for this holiday season.
Great Vegan Italian Recipes
If you love this vegan white lasagna recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan White Sauce Lasagna
Ingredients
Lasagna
- 1 package pre-baked vegan lasagna noodles or cooked lasagna noodles
- 1 white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces of mushrooms sliced thin
- 10 ounces fresh organic spinach
Cashew Cream
- 1 shallot minced (cut smaller than diced)
- 1 white onion minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced (fresh is best)
- ½ cup dry white wine I used a mini bottle of Chardonnay
- 3 cups vegetable broth divided
- ½ cup raw cashews or sub white beans, silken tofu , flour ot or gluten-free flour for a nut-free version
- ¼ cup Nutritional Yeast
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
Lasagna
- According to the package instructions, cook lasagna noodles, or use pre-baked vegan lasagna noodles.
- In a large skillet, saute the garlic and onions until translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until brown.
- If the mushrooms begin to stick, add a little vegetable broth and cook until the fluid dissipates.
- Now add the spinach, a large handful at a time, stirring into the hot vegetables,
- Continue adding spinach, and then add ½ cup vegetable broth, which will help wilt the remaining spinach.
- Remove the onion, mushroom, and spinach mixture from the heat, and set aside.
White Sauce
- In a skillet, saute garlic, shallots, and onions until translucent.
- Add the wine and cook it down for about 5 minutes.
- Add ½ cup vegetable broth, and continue to cook, reducing the heat to simmer.
- In the meantime, combine the raw cashews (or substitute white beans, silken tofu, flour of choice, or gluten-free flour), nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, dijon mustard, and 1 ½ cups vegetable broth in a high-speed blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Now, turn the heat up to medium on the pan with the onion mixture.
- Slowly add the contents of the blender, whisking as you add.
- As the mixture heats, it thickens.
- Remove the white sauce from the heat and allow it to cook.
Layering the Lasagna
- In a 9 X 13-inch casserole dish, pour ½ cup vegetable broth in the pan's base.
- Layer the cooked or pre-baked noodles, overlapping them slightly in the pan, and covering the bottom.
- Pour a thin layer of white sauce on the noodles, and spread it across them. I use a one-cup measuring to make it easier.
- Now, add a layer of mushroom spinach on top of the sauce.
- Next, add another layer of noodles and continue the layering until the sauce is the top layer.
Optional
- Sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese
Baking/Freezing/Cooking ahead of time
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cover and cook for 25 minutes; then remove the cover and cook another 10 minutes uncovered.
- Or, cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- Bake ahead of time, cool completely, refrigerate until the next day, and reheat so the flavors develop.
- Completely cooked, allow to set up, and cut pieces to freeze individually.
Notes
- Vegan white sauce lasagna stays fresh and covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat lasagna from the refrigerator, bake it in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.
- To freeze cooked lasagna, let it cool, and cut it into pieces to freeze individually.
- Remember, if you freeze lasagna pieces, it's best to thaw them completely before reheating them in the oven or microwave.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Amelia
Thanks so much! One more question: I do not have dry white wine, only white cooking wine; will that do?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Amelia, white cooking wine is perfect.
Amelia
First time I tried to comment it didn't go through; here's hoping this will 🙂 I have a little less than 5 oz of fresh spinach--would frozen work? Could I just add more mushrooms? Something else? Suggestions welcome!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Amelia, frozen spinach works. Just make sure you cook it first and squeeze out the excess water. Or you can use more mushrooms or any other vegetables you enjoy!
Cathy A
Hi I'd love to try this but I don't use alcohol. Do you think it would be ok without the wine?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Cathy, of course, you can skip the wine. Just add more vegetable broth to compensate for the fluid. I hope you enjoy the lasagna.
Tamara S Gossett
Is the dijon supposed to be teaspoons instead of tablespoons? Tasted way too much of mustard.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Tamara, no, the measurement for the mustard is correct. I'm sorry it was too overwhelming for you. Maybe next time, add small amounts at a time and taste to your preference? I suggest that with spicy sauces.
Mary Lee S
The pasta looks like it is multiple layers/sheets with filling in between. Is that correct or is it the type of lasgne pasta that you uae.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Mary, the lasagna noodles are crossed slightly, but the amount of layers is determined by the pan you used. The recipe is for a 9X13 pan. I used a smaller pan because it was just the two of us, so I made more layers. I hope this answers your question. Let me know if you like lasagna. My husband had two pieces and wanted leftovers the next day.
Dale McGill
It looks like he used FILO dough instead of lasagna noodles?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Dale, I used vegan pre-baked lasagna noodles for the recipes, but you can use the cooked ones as well.
Grace Whitnah
this looks amazing.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Grace! It was amazing. In fact, my husband wanted it the next day for leftovers instead of me making what I planned. Let me know if you try the recipe! Your feedback is so helpful.