Mushroom and Lentil Lasagne (to die for)

Name: Mushroom and Lentil Lasagne (to die for)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 100g (½ cup approx.) un-cooked Puy lentils (sometimes called French lentils); Splash extra virgin olive oil; 1 onion, peeled and halved; 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 stick celery, roughly chopped; 2 carrots, roughly chopped; 1 medium zucchini (courgette), roughly chopped; 2 bay leaves, dried; Generous handful (small bunch) fresh thyme, (leaves picked off the stems); 250 grams approx. swiss brown or portobello mushrooms; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 400 ml vegetable stock ((or bone broth if not worried about it no longer being vegetarian)); 1 x 400 gram tin diced tomatoes or 6 vine ripened roma tomatoes (diced (you can skin them also if you like, personally I don't bother)); Sea salt and black pepper, (to taste); 2 handfuls baby spinach leaves, (chopped); 200 grams dried lasagne sheets, (see below for GF and GrF); 1 cup grated mature cheddar cheese; 30 grams butter; 50 grams spelt flour (or GF flour); 500ml (2 cups) milk of your choice, (full-fat is best); Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

March 1, 2018 | Meals, Vegetarian

Mushroom Lentil Lasagne - This Mushroom and Lentil Lasagne is so delicious and is sure to win over meat lovers and fussy little ones. This is one nutrient and protein rich vegetarian meal (with an option for vegans too). It's perfect family food.

I have SO much thyme in my garden at the moment and even though it is just one of many ingredients in this totally divine Mushroom and Lentil Lasagne, it was what ultimately inspired this dish. I’m constantly experimenting on delicious ways to win over my meat loving family and this is our latest vegetarian favourite so I thought I’d better share it.

For about 20 years of my life I was a vegetarian, many of those years I was a student also so legumes, being a cheap, healthy source of protein, were my go to. Various types of vegetarian bolognese type dishes were staples for me back than- the base ingredients were similar, always a legume of some kind + vegetables + tomatoes + various herbs and spices depending upon what I felt like.

So in creating my latest vegetarian lasagne, I returned to my tried and tested formula, balancing the flavours of thyme and vegetables until it was perfect – and now it is, so I hope you love it as much as my family does (even the legume fussy one in our household loves this).

For a legume-free lasagne, my Pumpkin Lasagne has been a huge hit with the Well Nourished audience too.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit many specific dietary requirements.

If you’re looking to save money across pantry items such as French lentil, nuts, seeds, flours and meals, I personally shop at The Wholefood Collective – great whole foods at heavily discounted prices, click HERE to take a look.

Mushroom and Lentil Lasagne (to die for)

Prep 20 minutes

Cook 1 hour

Total 1 hour 20 minutes

Serves: 4

5 from 32 votes

This super tasty Mushroom and Lentil Lasagne will win over any meat lovers in your family. Vegetarian lasagne just doesn't get any better.

Ingredients

100g (½ cup approx.) un-cooked Puy lentils (sometimes called French lentils)
Splash extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and halved
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 stick celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 medium zucchini (courgette), roughly chopped
2 bay leaves, dried
Generous handful (small bunch) fresh thyme, leaves picked off the stems
250 grams approx. swiss brown or portobello mushrooms
3 tablespoons tomato paste
400 ml vegetable stock (or bone broth if not worried about it no longer being vegetarian)
1 x 400 gram tin diced tomatoes or 6 vine ripened roma tomatoes diced (you can skin them also if you like, personally I don't bother)
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 handfuls baby spinach leaves, chopped
200 grams dried lasagne sheets, see below for GF and GrF

Cheese sauce (see below for a vegan version)

1 cup grated mature cheddar cheese
30 grams butter
50 grams spelt flour (or GF flour)
500ml (2 cups) milk of your choice, full-fat is best
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 180℃ / 350℉ (about 10 minutes before you are ready to bake the lasagne).
I personally like to soak all legumes overnight in water with a splash of vinegar, so do this with the puy lentils if you like (you don't have to, but I'd recommend it).
I used my Thermomix to do all the chopping, but you can easily use a regular food processor or grate/ finely dice all the veggies by hand. No need to wash or rinse the food processor in between each step too.
In a food processor or thermomix chop your garlic (TMX 5 secs, speed 5) and then onion (TMX 5 secs, speed 4).
Heat a large pan over a low heat and add the olive oil (or you can use ghee or butter if not vegan). Add the chopped garlic/onion and gently sauté whilst processing the other veggies.
Now pop the celery, carrots and zucchini into your food processor and pulse to chop - you are looking for a course consistency so be careful not to over process (TMX use the turbo button, quick pulses until the right consistency, about 2-3 should do it look through the lid after each pulse). Alternatively grate the carrot and zucchini and finely dice the celery. Add this to the pan with the onion.
Sauté for a few minutes with the bay leaves and thyme leaves.
Pulse the mushrooms in the food processor until just chopped (TMX pulse 1-2 times).
Add them to the pan with the Puy lentils, tomato paste, stock and diced tomatoes. Season, stir to combine and allow to simmer with the lid ajar, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the lentils are cooked. This will take about 30 minutes.
Once cooked, add the chopped spinach and stir though to wilt it. Taste, adjust the seasoning if you need to (salt brings out the flavour so don't be shy). Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cheese sauce

Grate the cheese (in the processor and set aside).
For the Thermomix method, follow the recipe for Béchamel in your basic cookbook.
In a medium sized pot, melt the butter over a low heat. Remove from the heat and add the flour mixing to combine.
Return to a medium to high heat and gradually add the milk, approx. half a cup at a time mixing constantly. As it heats it will thicken, this is when you should add another half a cup of milk. Do this until all the milk is added and the sauce is thick.
Add about a quarter of the cheese, season with sea salt and pepper to taste, and stir well (reserve the rest of the cheese for the top of the lasagne).

Assemble

To assemble the lasagne, use a medium size baking dish (mine is 25 x 25cm), placing half of the lentil sauce in the base, top with lasagne sheets, then the remaining lentil sauce, another layer of pasta and finish with the cheese sauce and the remaining grated cheese.
Bake for 30 - 45 minute or until the lasagne is cooked through.

Variations

Gluten and grain-free

Choose gluten-free lasagne sheets and for grain free layer with thinly sliced eggplant (aubergine) or zucchini (courgette).

Vegan (dairy-free) cheese sauce

Steam half a large head of cauliflower, then puree with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast, a generous pinch of sea salt and pepper and a splash of almond milk to achieve a Béchamel consistency (thick sauce). Top with grated vegan cheese.

Onion and Garlic-free

Replace both with finely diced fennel sautéed with a pinch of cumin and chilli powder.

All in the Thermomix

I personally used my TMX for all the preparation (chopping) and making the cheese sauce but cooked the lentil sauce in the pan as I prefer the consistency the pan produces (plus the volume of the sauce is pushing the bowl limits). But if you did want to cook it all in the TMX, I'd cook on reverse, speed 1, temp 100, 30 minutes (or until the lentils are cooked through) with the lid ajar.

TIP

The lasagne can be made ahead, refrigerated and re-heated as required. It can also be portioned and frozen.

You can also serve this as a pasta sauce if you can't be bothered with the few extra steps to the lasagne.

Enjoy! I'd love to hear how you and your family enjoyed this tasty dish. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think (star rating extra appreciated as that way this recipe will entice even more people).

Course: Main Course

Author: Georgia Harding