20/07/2021

Laura’s Loaded Lasagna with Hidden Veggies | Vegan Recipe

Name: Laura's Loaded Lasagna
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 persons
Cuisine: Vegan (Italian Inspired)
Ingredients: 200g plant based mince* (I use The Vegetarian Butcher Magic Mince); 100g plant based bacon* (I use Vivera Plant Bacon Smokey Sizzers); 175g chestnut mushrooms; 100g carrot (2 - 3 small); 1 red onion; 1 tsp olive oil; 1 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tbsp worcester sauce* (vegan version - check that it does not contain fish!); 1/4 tsp salt; Black pepper; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 3 cloves of garlic (or more!); 1 Jar Sacla Vegan White Sauce; 9 wholegrain lasagna sheets (I use Biona); 50g grated vegan cheese (I use Violife Grated Mozzarella)

JUMP TO RECIPE

Laura’s Loaded Lasagna Hidden Veg cover photo - a slice of the lasagna in front of the ceramic dish containing the rest of the baked lasagna. There's melted cheese on top and you can see the layers of bolognese sauce, vegetables and white sauce.

Following a macro based diet and tracking meals is often viewed as very restrictive; a lifestyle that doesn’t ‘allow’ you to eat anything remotely indulgent. I don’t see it that way! In fact, I like the challenge of reinventing old favourites into something more healthy and wholesome.

My aim is simple:

It must be delicious.
It must have a generous portion size (none of this tiny plate malarkey).
There should be a good balance of carbohydrate, fats and protein.
It shouldn’t be too complicated.

With that in mind let me introduce you to my loaded lasagna! For less than 450 calories a serve, you get a very hearty slice and an ‘mmm’ inducing comforting feeling as you chow down.

What makes my version different to your standard vegetable lasagna?

It’s completely vegan but has a deliciously ‘meaty’ filling that will satisfy vegan and non vegans alike.
Each serving contains a substantial 24.4g of plant powered protein.
It isn’t a carb overload. Containing 50g carbohydrates in total, mainly from satiety boosting, fibre rich complex carb sources and nutrient packed vegetables.
The vegetables are chopped up small and hidden away, but are crucial for adding nutrients, volume and flavour. It’s a great way to sneak them into your child’s diet.

I consider this a treat dish to enjoy every once in a while. This is because it uses more processed foods than my other recipes. I firmly believe that it’s okay to consume faux meats in moderation, just not everyday.

Getting The Balance Right

I’ve tested out lots of different ingredients and flavour combinations and refined these down to the ones that I believe give the best nutritional values without compromising on flavour and texture. For example I’ve used a mince that’s high in protein but low in carbohydrate and fat since these are included elsewhere in the dish.

You may find some of the ingredients or brands difficult to get hold of in your area or want to reduce the cost. Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Keep on reading after the recipe for suggestions on worthy alternatives that you can swop in where needed and still make a cracking dish.

Similarly, if you want to go off piste and use your own favourite brands that’s fine too! Just be aware that the nutritional values noted are based upon the specific ingredients that I’ve used.

This is quite an involved recipe so I speed things up a bit by using Sacla’s vegan white sauce in place of a home made bechamel. I know it’s not authentic but it’s such a time saver that I’m not even sorry about it! You can make your own if you prefer, but again note that the nutritional values will differ as a result.

Now this recipe takes a few more steps than usual, so let’s get cooking shall we?!

Laura’ s Loaded Lasagna With Hidden Veggies

Laura’s Loaded Lasagna

20/07/2021

by Laura

Cuisine Vegan (Italian Inspired)

Category Vegan

Persons

Serving Size

1 slice

Prep Time

35 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Wait Time

10 minutes

Total Time

1 hour, 15 minutes

Notes

Calories: 436
Carbohydrates: 49.9g
Fat: 13.8g
Protein: 24.4g

Ingredients

200g plant based mince* (I use The Vegetarian Butcher Magic Mince)
100g plant based bacon* (I use Vivera Plant Bacon Smokey Sizzers)
175g chestnut mushrooms
100g carrot (2 – 3 small)
1 red onion
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp worcester sauce* (vegan version – check that it does not contain fish!)
1/4 tsp salt
Black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves of garlic (or more!)
1 Jar Sacla Vegan White Sauce
9 wholegrain lasagna sheets (I use Biona)
50g grated vegan cheese (I use Violife Grated Mozzarella)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Peel and chop the carrots into small cubes. Finely dice the onion and pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until they resemble a mince.
In a large saucepan, sautee the onion for 3-4 minutes in the oil on a medium heat until softened. I add approximately 3 tbsps water as I go to prevent catching.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then the mushrooms, dried herbs and salt. Cook off until the mushrooms release their water, then add the mince, and plant bacon. Cook for a few more minutes until the water is absorbed.
Add the tomato puree and cook for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and worcester sauce. Cook for 1-3 minutes – you want a bolognese consistency.
Add a few dollops of the white sauce to a large ovenproof dish and use a spatula or spoon to spread this out in an even layer to cover the base. You don’t have to be perfect!
Arrange 3 lasagna sheets side by side on top of the white sauce, then spoon on a third of the bolognese sauce and spread this out evenly. Add a third of the remaining white sauce.
Repeat with another layer of lasagna sheets, bolognese and white sauce.
Repeat again, then sprinkle over the grated cheese and some optional dried parsley or mixed herbs.
Place in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes, turning the tray at the 20 minute mark. Remove from the oven when the cheese is nicely melted. Any exposed bolognese may catch a bit if you leave it too long, so watch for any signs of this and whip it out if it gets to that point to avoid burning.
Leave the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes, then divide into 4 portions and serve.

*Substitutions / Alternative Ingredients

Plant based mince – I use The Vegetarian Butcher Magic Mince as it’s low in fat and carbohydrates and super high in protein, plus it has one of the best textures I’ve come across and doesn’t dry out in the cooking process. However you could use textured vegetable protein, or any frozen or chilled vegan mince that you like.

Plant based bacon – The Vivera Smokey Sizzlers give a really nice texture and flavour to this dish and are low in fat compared to a lot of brands, which tend to use coconut oil to emulate a ‘streaky bacon’ effect. This isn’t needed for this recipe. You could omit the bacon altogether, or use any kind that you prefer. This Isn’t Lardons are another great choice. Depending on what you choose, you may need to cut it into strips or small cubes. Alternatively you could make your own plant bacon using marinated vegetable shavings, or add in some chopped chorizo style seitan – anything with a smokey, salty flavour and a bit of chewy texture (you don’t want to add anything crispy!).

Worcester Sauce – This is not traditionally vegan so you need to ensure that you find a plant friendly version. I love Biona Organic Vegan Worcester Sauce and Bonsan Organic Vegan Worcester Sauce.

Sacla Vegan White Sauce – This is easy to find in the supermarkets now, but if you can’t get hold of it, there are plenty of recipes online like this one from The Edgy Veg.