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5 from 20 votes

Vegan Caramelized Onion Butternut Squash Lasagna

This Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna with Caramelized Onions and Spinach features a creamy tofu cashew bechamel sauce and lots of melted vegan cheese. A vegan lasagna recipe perfect for feeding a crowd during the fall holidays. Soyfree option Nutfree option
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: butternut squash lasagna, vegan lasagna
Servings: 6
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the butternut squash:

  • 10-12 ounces cubed butternut squash use double amount for a double layer
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme

For the caramelized onion:

  • 1 yellow or red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce optional
  • 2 teaspoons oil

For the cream sauce:

  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 4 ounces of firm or soft tofu
  • 1.5 tablespoons flour
  • 1 3/4 cup of water
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons miso use chickpea miso for Soyfree
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the spinach:

  • 6-8 ounces frozen spinach thawed and squeezed lightly to remove excess water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • red pepper flakes to taste

For Lasagna:

  • vegan mozzarella shreds as needed about 3/4 cup
  • vegan Parmesan and pepper flakes for topping about 1/3 cup
  • 12-16 no boil lasagna sheets see note for regular
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Bake the squash the caramelized onion: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F(205 c). In a square 9x9 lasagna dish, add the onions, salt, sugar, and oil and toss well.
  • In another baking sheet, add the butternut squash and add the oil, salt, pepper, and thyme and toss well to coat. Then spread out evenly.
  • Put the onion dish and the butternut squash baking sheet to bake. Check at 12-13 minute mark and mix them around. Add the balsamic vinegar and vegan Worcestershire sauce to the onions and mix in.
  • Then continue to bake for another 10 minutes for the onions. Depending on your butternut squash, it might get done in that time, earlier or later. Once the butternut is tender to preference, remove the dish. The onions should also be caramelizing by now. If not, then you can move them around a little bit and then continue to cook for another few minutes.
  • Make the cream sauce: by adding all the ingredients to a blender and blending until smooth. Blend for 1 minute then let it rest for 5 minutes and blend again so that the cashews break down really well.
  • Thaw the spinach if you haven't already and squeeze it to remove excess moisture. Then add the salt and pepper flakes and mix in and set aside.
  • Assemble the lasagna : remove the caramelized onions from the lasagna dish into another bowl. Then add about a 1/4 cup of the blended sauce in the dish, 1/4 cup of water, then place no-boil lasagna noodles (you'll need 12-16 noodles depending on the number of layers).
  • Add 3 noodles then add some more of the cream sauce. Put the butternut squash evenly on this layer. Add some more cream sauce.
  • Add a layer of the lasagna noodles. Add some cream sauce, some spinach, a little bit of the caramelized onion, and more cream sauce or you can use vegan mozzarella.
  • Top it with another layer of lasagna noodles. Add some cream sauce. All of the remaining caramelized onion. Top it with some more cream sauce or you can use a mix of sauce and vegan mozzarella and the next layer of the lasagna noodles.
  • Then add all of the cream sauce all over. Then top it with some vegan mozzarella and vegan parmesan and pepper flakes.
  • Drizzle another 1/4 cup of water around the edges of the noodles. Then cover the dish with a foil and bake at 350 degrees F (180 c) for about an hour.
  • Let the lasagna sit for another 10 minutes then open the foil and serve.
    Cool compeletely and refrigerate for upto 5 days. Or freeze for upto 2 months. Freeze individual slices tightly wrapped in foil. Reheat in the oven for 20-25 mins.

Video

Notes

  • Add a pinch of nutmeg to the bechamel for variation
  • Nutfree: Use my nutfree Cauliflower Alfredo or Pumpkin seed Alfredo or creamy tofu sauce instead of the bechamel. You will need a double serving of the sauces.
  • Soyfree: omit the Worcestershire , use chickpea miso instead of soy miso. Use 1.25 cups total cashews instead of tofu+cashews 
  • Regular lasagna noodles : Soak the regular noodles in boiling hot water for 5 minutes, then use. Use 1 1/2 cup water in the sauce 

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 696mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8360IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg