lasagne

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 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 vegetarian lasagne, my Pumpkin Lasagne has been a huge hit with the Well Nourished audience too. They are both the best veggie lasagna recipes.

Health benefits

Lentils are a fantastic source of plant-based protein, fibre, and essential nutrients like iron and folate. Mushrooms add depth of flavour and are rich in antioxidants, while the variety of vegetables provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals. This dish supports a balanced, gut-friendly diet.

Ingredients

Key ingredients include Puy lentils, mushrooms, an array of vegetables (onion, garlic cloves, carrots, celery, zucchini, and spinach), and a rich cheese sauce. For a gluten-free or vegan version, variations are provided below.

How to make this mushroom lentil lasagne

To make this vegetarian lasagne is super simple. To make the lentil sauce, begin by sautéing the onions and garlic in olive oil. Add the finely chopped celery, carrots, and zucchini, followed by mushrooms, lentils, tomato paste, stock, and tomatoes. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked and the sauce thickens. Stir in the spinach to wilt before setting aside.

For the cheese sauce, melt butter in a pot, then whisk in flour to form a paste. Gradually add milk while stirring, allowing the sauce to thicken. Add grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.

If you own a Thermomix, we’ve also included Thermomix instructions for this recipe.

To assemble, layer the lentil sauce and lasagna noodles (sheets) in a baking dish, topping it all off with cheese sauce and extra grated cheese. Bake for 30–45 minutes at 180℃ until the lasagne is cooked through and golden on top.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve with a green salad or steamed vegetables for a complete meal. Leftovers can be portioned and stored in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Reheat in the oven until just hot.

Vary this mushroom lentil lasagne to suit

For a gluten and grain-free option, use gluten-free lasagne sheets or layer with thinly sliced eggplant or zucchini. For a vegan cheese sauce, steam and puree cauliflower with nutritional yeast, almond milk, and seasoning to create a dairy-free Béchamel. Top with grated vegan cheese. For an onion and garlic-free variation, replace with sautéed fennel, cumin, and chilli powder for a delicious alternative.

Quicker version

If you’re short on time, the lentil sauce can be simply served as a pasta sauce or made into a pasta bake.

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

For more delicious, easy to make healthy lasagne recipes, click HERE.

Print Recipe

4.74 from 142 votes

Mushroom and Lentil Lasagne (to die for)

This wholesome Mushroom and Lentil Lasagne is a delicious, vegetarian twist on the classic dish. Packed with vegetables and hearty Puy lentils, it’s a great comfort meal that’s both nutritious and satisfying.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Servings: 4

Author: Georgia Harding

Ingredients

• 100 g Puy (French) lentils (½ cup approx.)
• 15 ml extra virgin olive oil -extra virgin (1 tbsp)
• 1 onion/s -peeled and halved
• 3 clove/s garlic -peeled and chopped
• 1 stick/s celery -roughly chopped
• 2 carrot/s -roughly chopped
• 1 zucchini/s (medium) roughly chopped
• 2 bay leaf/s -dried
• 1 bunch/s fresh thyme leaves - leaves picked off the stems
• 250 g mushrooms -Swiss brown or portobello
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 400 ml vegetable stock (or bone broth if not worried about it no longer being vegetarian)
• 400 g diced tinned tomatoes (or 6 vine ripened roma tomatoes) diced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste
• 60 g baby spinach -chopped (2 cups)
• 200 g dried lasagne sheets (see below for GF and GrF)

Cheese sauce (see below for a vegan version)

• 115 g cheddar cheese (1 cup) grated
• 30 g butter
• 55 g wholemeal spelt flour (½ cup)
• 500 ml milk (of choice) (2 cups) -see below variations
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Pre-heat your oven to 180℃ / 350℉ fan-forced (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. If using a Thermomix, 5 secs, speed 5 and then add onion 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. If using a Thermomix 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. If using a Thermomix 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.

Serve

• With a big green salad or steamed veggies.

Make-ahead

• Re-heat in a low oven until just hot.

Store

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge. I store it in a rectangle shaped oven proof glass pyrex or glass lock container so I can simply remove the lid and reheat in the storage container (saves washing up).
• Can also be frozen.

Notes

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. 

 

 

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).