CARAMELIZED ONION LASAGNA WITH TOFU RICOTTA & BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

This is elevated comfort food... it hits all the right spots! This is CARAMELIZED ONION LASAGNA WITH TOFU RICOTTA & BÉCHAMEL SAUCE.

Think French Onion Soup, but in a lasagna.

This recipe layers on a lot of flavors to deliver a big, warm hug on a plate. The star of the show are the sweet, golden brown, caramelized onions. That unique sweet flavor of the onions permeates in every bite, and it's absolutely wonderful.

You'll need to start by caramelizing the onions. This process takes a bit of time (about 25 to 30 minutes) but it's completely worth it. We're using 3 yellow onions, thinly sliced, which will be cooked in vegan butter with a bit of maple syrup until golden brown.

The next layer is a creamy tofu ricotta which is very easy to make, it's protein-packed, and it tastes amazing! It's my go-to recipe for lasagnas and any other dish that calls for creamy cheese.

The ricotta is a mixture of pressed tofu, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and salt & pepper. Process or blend everything together, and adjust seasoning to your liking.

The third layer of flavor is by way of a creamy béchamel sauce that comes together easily. We're adding some fresh thyme leaves to the sauce for additional flavor.

The sauce is made by cooking some flour with melted butter to create a roux. Then, add some unsweetened non-dairy milk and whisk until

It thickens. At that point, we season with the nutmeg, thyme leaves, and salt & pepper to taste.

You're going to want to eat this sauce by the spoonful!

Once all the main components are ready, it's pretty much down to assembling and baking.

Add a bit of the béchamel to the bottom of your baking dish and then top with cooked lasagna noodles. Then start layering the ingredients in this order: tofu ricotta, thin layer of onions, shredded vegan mozzarella, more béchamel, and top with another layer of lasagna noodles.

You should be able to do at least two layers. To top off the last layer, spread some béchamel, sprinkle some shredded vegan mozzarella and some more caramelized onions.

Finally, just bake at 375°F for about 30 minutes and get ready to enjoy one of the best tasting lasagnas you've ever had!

You can garnish with some more fresh thyme and grated parmesan, and enjoy!!

Though this is absolutely incredible as is, you can modify the recipe to add more ingredients as you'd like. For example, you can make the ricotta with spinach like I did on this recipe.

You can also sauté some sliced mushrooms and add those to the béchamel sauce.

Perhaps add a bit of truffle oil for added depth of flavor.

Feel free to make this your own!

This is one of those dishes that everyone will enjoy. I hope you get around to making this. And, if you do, please tell me how you liked it!

Let’s get cooking!

CARAMELIZED ONION LASAGNA WITH TOFU RICOTTA & BÉCHAMEL SAUCE

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

For the caramelized onions:

• 2 Tbsp vegan butter

• 3 yellow onions, sliced thin

• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

• Pinch of salt

For the Tofu Ricotta:

• 1 block firm tofu, pressed

• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk (+1 more, if desired)

• 1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning or basil

• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• Pepper to taste

For the béchamel sauce:

• 3 Tbsp vegan butter

• 3 Tbsp all purpose flour

• 2 1/2 Cups unsweetened non-dairy milk

• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the lasagna:

• 1/2 Cup vegan shredded mozzarella

• 12 lasagna noodles or sheets

HOW TO MAKE IT:

1. Cook the onions first by heating the butter in a large skillet and add the sliced onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

2. With a spatula, press the onions down into the pan to form a thin layer. Reduce heat to medium/low and allow to cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then, toss and press them back down into the pan to cook again for another 5 minutes. Keep doing this until they start to brown.

3. Drizzle the maple syrup over the onions and add the pinch of salt. Mix well and continue to sauté until they are completely browned. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. While your onions are caramelizing, add all of the ricotta ingredients to a blender. Make sure your tofu is well pressed to eliminate excess moisture. Blend everything until smooth. If it’s too dry and crumbly, add more milk. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Set aside.

5. Get started on the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a large skillet. Once melted, add the flour and whisk to incorporate. Allow to cook for a minute before adding in the milk.

6. Whisk thoroughly to make sure there are no lumps. Once it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium/low and continue to whisk until it thickens.  At this point, add the fresh thyme, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.

7. Simmer the sauce for another minute and turn off the heat. Leave the pan on the stove to keep warm while you assemble the lasagna.

8. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

9. Grab your baking pan (I used 2 smaller 6 inch oval baking dishes) and start assembling your lasagna. First add a bit of the béchamel sauce to the bottom. Then, place a layer of cooked lasagna noodles, a layer of the tofu ricotta, a thin layer of caramelized onions, vegan mozzarella, and more béchamel sauce. You should be able to do at least two layers just like this.

10. Then, top off your lasagna with a layer of noodles, some béchamel sauce, vegan cheese, and caramelized onions.

11. Bake for 30 minutes. Check towards the end of cook time since oven times and temperatures may vary. I like to broil my lasagna for a couple of minutes at the end to make the tops turn golden.

12. Remove from the oven, garnish with some fresh thyme leaves and freshly grated vegan parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from rabbitandwolves.com

Let me know if you make this! Tag me by using @mindfulgrub or the hashtag #mindfulgrub when you share your creations on social media. I‘d love to hear how it went for you!

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