High-Protein Vegan Mega Lasagna

Introduction

This High-Protein Mega Lasagna is a delightful vegan twist on the classic Italian favorite. Designed by a vegan personal trainer, it boasts a rich combination of roasted aubergine and tomato sauce layered with protein-packed chickpeas, silken tofu, and a creamy Béchamel-style sauce. This dish isn't just delicious—it's also perfect for muscle gain and enhancing gut health with its nutrient-dense, fiber-rich ingredients.

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Ingredients

🍆 4 medium aubergines (sauce)
🧄 1 head + 5 cloves garlic (1 head roasted for sauce, 5 cloves grated for sauce)
🫒 4 tbsp + extra as needed olive oil (4 tbsp sauce, extra for greasing/drizzling)
🧅 1 large white onion, diced (sauce)
🌿 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (sauce)
🌿 1 tbsp dried oregano (sauce)
🍅 3 tbsp tomato paste (sauce)
🍅 6 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped (sauce)
🥫 2 tins plum tomatoes (sauce)
🍅 500 ml passata (sauce)
🧂 1 tsp + to taste salt (1 tsp sauce, to taste béchamel, optional extra seasoning)
🫘 500 g cooked chickpeas (sauce)
🍇 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (sauce)
🧈 560 g silken tofu (béchamel)
🍶 2 tbsp sweet white miso paste (béchamel)
🌶️ 1/2 tsp cumin (béchamel)
🌰 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (béchamel)
🍋 juice of 1 lemon (béchamel)
🌰 80 g soaked cashews (béchamel)
🍖 6–7 tbsp nutritional yeast (nooch) (béchamel)
⚫ to taste black pepper (béchamel)
🍝 1 pack dried vegan lasagne sheets (layers)
🥬 400 g spinach, blanched & squeezed dry (layers)
🫘 240 g (optional) cooked butterbeans (layers)
🧀 to taste vegan mozzarella (layers/topping)
🌿 to taste fresh basil (garnish)
🌰 to taste cashew parm (garnish)

Instructions

Prepare the Aubergines and Garlic:
- Preheat your Bosch built-in electric oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Poke the aubergines with a fork, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Wrap a whole head of garlic in aluminum foil.
- Place the aubergines and garlic on a baking tray and roast for 30-40 minutes until the aubergines are soft and the garlic is golden.

Make the Aubergine & Tomato Sauce:
- In a yellow Le Creuset Dutch oven, sauté the diced onion in olive oil until translucent.
- Add minced garlic and fresh thyme, cooking until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste/purée and let cook for a minute.
- Scoop the soft flesh from the roasted aubergines and add it to the pot along with the GULOSO chopped tomatoes.
- Add the drained chickpeas and let the sauce simmer gently.

Prepare the Béchamel-style Sauce:
- In a blender like a NutriBullet, combine silken tofu, roasted garlic cloves, soaked cashews, cumin, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, miso paste, and lemon juice.
- Blend until the mixture is very smooth and creamy.

Assemble the Lasagna:
- In the Dutch oven or a similar baking dish, spread a layer of the aubergine and chickpea tomato sauce at the base.
- Lay over the dry lasagna sheets, followed by a layer of wilted spinach and butterbeans.
- Spoon over the Béchamel-style sauce generously, smoothing it out.
- Repeat the layers: tomato sauce, lasagna sheets, spinach & butterbeans, Béchamel-style sauce.
- Finish with a top layer of the tomato sauce, a sprinkle of extra chickpeas, and vegan mozzarella.

Bake:
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the lasagna is bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Serve and Garnish:
- Serve hot, directly from the dish.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan for extra flavor.

Nutrition & Time

Prep Time: 30-45 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Total Time: 60-75 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 720
Protein: 36 g
Carbs: 82 g
Fat: 26 g
Fiber: 17 g

Equipment

Bosch built-in electric oven
Metal baking tray
Aluminum foil
Fork, Knife
Black slotted spatula, Grey silicone spatula
Le Creuset Dutch oven
Microplane-style grater
NutriBullet personal blender
White mixing bowl
Measuring spoon
Blue ceramic serving plate
Wooden chopping board

Cooking Tips

Roasting: Roasting the aubergines and garlic enhances their sweetness and creates a silky texture.
Béchamel-style Sauce: Soaked cashews ensure a super creamy consistency.
Layering Tips: Alternate layers for a consistent mix of flavors and nutrition.