Meaty Tempeh Lasagne.
I wasn’t lying when I said this tempeh lasagne is meaty. Lasagne is always an intricate dish; it takes time and love, but I promise the time it takes to make is totally worth it. It’s rich in flavour, chewy, creamy and it would fool any meat-eater. Plus, it’s perfect for batch cooking and freezing for a comforting meal later in the week when you don’t feel like cooking!
Serves: 6 | Total Cooking Time: 60 minutes (it’s worth it!!)
Ingredients
Lasagne
500g tempeh
1 tbsp date or maple syrup
5 tbsp tamari
1 tsp brown rice miso paste
3 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
1 medium white onion
2 medium carrots
2 sticks of celery
2 cloves of garlic
1x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
50g finely chopped medjool dates
300g wholewheat lasagne sheets
Bechamel Sauce
1ltr oat milk
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp onion powder
40ml extra virgin olive oil
40g wholemeal plain flour
6 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
Begin by making the tempeh ‘meat’ by ether chopping finely, or placing in a food processor until crumbly.
Heat up a nonstick pan with some oil on medium heat and pour in the tempeh. Allow to sizzle and turn a golden brown colour whilst you prepare the vegetables.
Using the same food processor (or chop), mince up the onion, carrots, garlic, and celery until fine and crumbly.
Add the veg to the tempeh pan and allow that to cook whilst you mix together the syrup, tamari, miso, smoked paprika, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Add this sauce to the pan and allow to everything to cook for around 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes, add in your chopped tomatoes and chopped dates to the pan and allow to sit and cook for around 20 minutes, mixing half way.
Whilst your ‘meat’ is cooking, preheat the oven to 200ºC, fan and begin to prepare your Béchamel sauce. Start by mixing together your olive oil and plain flavour together in a small bowl until a smooth paste forms. Then mix in your nutritional yeast and spices.
Heat up a saucepan on medium heat and add in your olive oil/flour paste. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, then slowly pour in your oat milk, around 250ml at a time.
Once all the milk has been added, allow the béchamel sauce mixture to boil and thicken for around 15 minutes. Your sauce and ‘meat’ mixture should both finishing cooking around the same time, which means its time to assemble everything!
Take a 20x20cm oven proof dish and start with layering down a few table spoons of your ‘meat’ mixture, followed by the béchamel sauce, then a few lasagne sheets. Repeat this pattern until your dish is complete, making sure to finish on a layer of ‘meat’ and béchamel sauce of the top.
Cover the lasagne with tinfoil and place in the oven for around 30 minutes, removing the half way, to allow the top to crispen.
Remove from the oven, and slice into 6 servings. Serve and enjoy! You can store this dish in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container, or freeze for up to 3 weeks.
If you do make this recipe let me know by sharing a photo with me! I would love more than anything to see your creations.
