Advanced | Servings: 8 | Ready In: 90 minutes | Yield: one 9×9 square pan
Chef’ Katie’s Plant-Based Oil-Free Cooking Tips
Oil-Free Mission: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, and oil is the most calorie-dense food. For this recipe, roasted cashews and macadamia nuts add rich, nutty flavor, while also bringing healthy fiber and key nutrients. You can substitute with other roasted nuts and seeds (Brazil nuts, almonds, sunflower seeds are my favorites).
Freezer-Friendly: This lasagna is incredibly freezer-friendly. Make a double-recipe, freeze extras after baking. Thaw and reheat in the oven at 350F, covered, for 10-12 minutes.
Loaf Pan for Half: For a smaller portion, make the lasagna in a loaf pan. This works great when cooking for one or two people. You can make 2 loaf pans and freeze one for later.
Ditch the Dairy: Rich macadamia nuts replace traditional dairy for a healthy, plant-based vegan “cheese”. For more dairy-free tips, check out: Chef’s Guide for Plant-Based Dairy-Free Cooking.
Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional Yeast adds cheesy, umami flavor to many vegan recipes. Use it sauces, soups, stews, dressing, mashed potatoes, and stuffed sweet potatoes. Besides great flavor, it has healthy protein and essential vitamins like B-12.
Vegan Southwestern Sweet Potato Lasagna with Macadamia Nut Cheese
Ingredients
For the Oil-Free Kidney Bean Filling:
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Lasagna:
- 2 medium Sweet Potatoes
For the Macadamia Nut Ricotta “Geez!”:
- 1 cup macadamia nuts 4 ounces
- 1 yellow bell pepper seeded
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup water as needed
For the Fire-Roasted Cashew Chili Sauce:
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews soaked at least 8 hours
- 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F.
To Make the Oil-Free Kidney Bean Filling:
- Pre-heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook until the onion starts to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes, until aromatic. Add the red kidney beans. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to assemble.
- To make the Sweet Potato Noodles:
- Use a mandolin to thinly slice the sweet potatoes into “sheets”. I use a Japanese-style mandolin and set it on thickness “3”. Submerge the noodles in water and keep them covered in water until ready to assemble. This will prevent the sweet potato from oxidizing and turning brown.
To make the 5-Minute Vegan Macadamia Nut Ricotta “Geez!”:
- Place all ingredients except the water in a food processor. Pulse 15-20 times, until you get a light, fluffy consistency. You don’t want to totally puree the mixture as you want to have a texture similar to traditional Ricotta cheese. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add water, as needed, to reach this consistency. Set aside until ready to assemble.
To make the Fire-Roasted Cashew Chili Sauce:
- In a food processor or blender, puree all of the ingredients. Taste to adjust seasoning. Set aside until ready to assemble.
To assemble and bake the Vegan Southwest Sweet Potato Lasagna:
- Pour a layer of the Fire-Roasted Cashew Chili Sauce in the bottom of a 9×9″ baking dish (about 1/2 cup). Spread one layer of the sweet potato noodles. Try to keep the sweet potatoes in a single layer as much as possible. Spread 1/4 of the Oil-Free Red Kidney Bean Filling on top of the noodles. Spread 1/4 of the Vegan Macadamia Nut Ricotta “Geez!” on top of that. Add another layer of sweet potato noodles. Pour on 1/2 cup of the Fire-Roasted Sauce.
- Repeat: filling, cheese, noodles, sauce…three more times. End with a top layer of sweet potato noodles.
- Pour any remaining sauce over top. Cover the lasagna and bake at 375F for 75 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender. A knife should easily glide in and out.
- Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with 5-Minute Vegan Cashew “Parm” if you like.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 8.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 464 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 17 g | 26 % |
| Saturated Fat 2 g | 11 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 10 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 694 mg | 29 % |
| Potassium 1199 mg | 34 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 71 g | 24 % |
| Dietary Fiber 15 g | 61 % |
| Sugars 12 g | |
| Protein 18 g | 35 % |
| Vitamin A | 104 % |
| Vitamin C | 203 % |
| Calcium | 32 % |
| Iron | 30 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. |
Shopping and Gear List
- Macadamia Nuts Raw Whole (Style 1) Unsalted – 8oz
- Bragg Premium Nutritional Yeast Seasoning 4.5 Ounce
- McCORMICK Culinary Thyme Leaves
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