This one-dish lasagna is super healthy and has a unique flavor with the addition of green olives. Mushrooms and swiss chards round off the veggies and tofu is used as the protein making it a completely VEGAN offering.
By using readymade lasagna sauce, the assembling of the dish takes under 30 minutes and just 30 minutes to bake. Its the perfect weekend supper with a simple side salad.
Lasagna is a very satisfying dish which contains all the food groups. By choosing each component wisely, we can make a one-dish meal which can be served for a large crowd.
How should we go about doing this and what are the food groups in a lasagna?
- Grains – I always try to pick ‘pasta’ with alternate ingredients – lentils, chickpea and whole wheat. This gives us a whole grain base.
- Proteins – this is covered by the addition of ricotta cheese – here I am replacing ricotta with soft tofu mixed with vegan milk – this makes it a complete plant-based protein.
- Fat (optional) – this is provided by the cheeses and can be omitted. Garnish the dish with healthy olive oil which provides the good fat.
- Vegetables – bring in a mix of robust veggies which standup to baking in the sauce, here we are using a combination of swiss chards, mushrooms and a surprise element – green olives.
By making wise substitutions to all the components, we have created a dish which is now a whole grain, low-fat and full of good vitamins and minerals.
Have no guilt in indulging and don’t let anyone fool you that lasagna (homemade) is not a healthy offering. Its always up to us to make it one 😜
Mushroom n Olives Lasagna (VEGAN)
Ingredients
- 12 Lasagna sheets whole wheat or lentil or chickpea
- 2 cups Lasagna sauce readymade
For Protein layer-
- 2 cups soft Tofu
- 1/2 cup non-dairy Milk
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
For Vegetable layer-
- 1 Onion chopped
- 3 pods Garlic chopped
- 1 Green Pepper chopped
- 1 cup Mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup Green Olives coarsely chopped
- 2 packed cups Swiss chards chopped
- 1 tbsp Basil ribbons
Instructions
- Cook the lasagna sheets as per package instructions, drain, drizzle olive oil and set aside
Protein layer –
- Mix all the ingredients, season with salt and set aside
Vegetable layer –
- Start by sautéing the onions and garlic
- Add all the vegetables one by one and cook
- Finally add the basil
Make and assembly line of 4 things – lasagna, sauce, vegetable layer, protein layer
- Take a large rectangular glass dish with minimum 4 inches side height. Drizzle some olive oil on the bottom, spread a thin layer of sauce
- Next layer lasagna sheets, protein, vegetables, sauce – repeat and finish with sauce at the top
- Bake in a hot oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes
- Serve with a simple side salad.
