Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
Looking for a dairy free white sauce for lasagna? You’ll love my Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce Recipe! A dairy-free twist on traditional lasagna. Made without cashews, meat or tomatoes.
Simple vegetarian casseroles like lasagna bring together layers of tender vegetables, creamy white sauce, and layers of lasagna pasta sheets.
Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna
This easy dairy free vegetable lasagna with white sauce is absolutely delicious! Both nourishing and satisfying and without the need for meat or tomatoes.
Each bite is a delicious blend of tender vegetables in a creamy, dairy free white sauce, also known as béchamel. It’s a testament to how delicious and fulfilling plant-based cooking can be.
The white sauce is the heart of this recipe, carefully crafted to achieve the perfect creamy consistency without any dairy products or cashews, which you often find in dairy free white sauce recipes.
Moreover, for those who are both dairy and gluten intolerant, this recipe can easily be adapted with gluten-free lasagna sheets and gluten-free flour for the béchamel sauce.
This dairy free vegetable lasagna is perfect for family dinners and gatherings as it’s made in a large 8×13 baking dish!
How do I make the white sauce dairy-free?
Olive oil is the perfect substitute for butter and plant-based milk like almond or soy milk will be used to create the roux. Choose a dairy-free shredded cheese and you have yourself a completely dairy-free white sauce!
How can I prevent my lasagna from becoming watery?
To prevent your vegetable lasagna from being watery, cook the vegetables well on the skillet and drain any excess liquid from the vegetables before assembling if necessary. Make sure the white sauce is thick and use fresh or no-boil lasagna sheets. Lastly, let the lasagna rest uncovered for at least 10 minutes after baking.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
A full and detailed recipe card with all the ingredients to make these chocolate mint cupcakes is at the bottom of this post.
- Lasagna Noodles/Sheets: Use fresh or no-boil lasagna sheets, also known as oven-ready. Use gluten-free sheets for a gluten-free lasagna.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for the best results. This replaces butter to make the white sauce dairy-free.
- All-Purpose Flour: Also known as plain flour in Australia. Can be substituted with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
- Almond Milk: Or use your favorite dairy-free milk.
- Shredded Cheese: Use a dairy-free shredded cheese or grate a block of dairy-free cheese.
How to Make Dairy Free Vegetarian Lasagna (with photos)
A full and detailed recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Grease a 9-inch × 13-inch dish with olive oil. Set aside.
Sauté Onion & Garlic: In a large skillet, cook onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
Cook Vegetables: Add carrot and cauliflower and cook until starting to soften about 4 minutes. Add zucchini and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the peas and spinach, cooking until the spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat Oil: Heat Oil Skillet: Place a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Pour in the olive oil and warm over medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute until it’s heated through and warm/hot to the touch, don’t let it bubble.
Whisk in Flour & Milk: Turn the heat to medium-high, sprinkle in the flour and whisk through for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and continue cooking over medium heat, whisking gently until the sauce thickens, without boiling or simmering.
Season & Add Cheese: Once the sauce has thickened, whisk through the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk through 2 cups of the cheese until combined and melted. Turn off the heat.
Assemble Lasagna: First Layer; place 4 lasagna sheets in the baking dish.
Add Vegetables & Sauce: Spoon over half of the vegetable mix. Pour over one-third of the white sauce.
Repeat Layers: Another 4 sheets, remaining vegetables, second third of sauce.
Top Layer: Last 4 sheets, remaining white sauce and sprinkle over the last 1 cup of cheese.
Bake: Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley, serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Thick White Sauce: If it’s too thin and watery, cook it further over medium heat until thick and smooth.
- No-Boil Noodles: If using these, make sure you cover them completely in the white sauce layers so they cook through.
- Rest & Set: Let the lasagna sit for at least 10 minutes after baking. This helps it firm up and makes slicing easier.
Can I make this lasagna gluten-free?
Yes, use gluten-free lasagna sheets and all-purpose flour!
Can I prepare this lasagna ahead of time?
Absolutely! Assemble the lasagna and refrigerate it for up to a day before baking, or freeze it for longer storage.
Is this lasagna suitable for vegans?
Yes, this vegetarian lasagna is created without dairy, meat or eggs, making it vegan-friendly!
Storage Instructions
Store: Wrap leftover lasagna in the baking dish or individual portions in cling film and foil; refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Reheat: Reheat refrigerated lasagna in a preheated oven at 350ºF (175ºC) until warmed through.
Freezing Uncooked: Assemble uncooked lasagna in a freezer-safe dish, cover, label, and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight and bake as instructed.
Freezing Cooked: Cool completely, wrap whole or in portions, label, and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat at 350ºF (175ºC).
Make These White Sauce Dinners Next
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Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
Equipment
- 9 x 13 inch (22cm x 33cm) rectangle baking dish
Ingredients
- 12 sheets (340g/12 oz.) fresh or no-boil/oven-ready lasagna noodles, can use gluten-free noodles/sheets
Vegetable Mixture
- 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra if needed
- 1 large red or brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 large carrots, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 large zucchinis, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
- 1 cup frozen peas, don't need to thaw
- 2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, not frozen, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Dairy Free White Sauce
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 9 Tbsp all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour
- 4 cups almond milk, or soy milk
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups dairy-free shredded cheese, cheddar, tasty or pizza mix
- Small handful fresh chopped parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Grease a 9-inch × 13-inch dish with olive oil.
Vegetable Mixture
- Sauté Onion & Garlic: In a large skillet, cook onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.
- Add Carrot & Cauliflower: Cook for 4 minutes until carrot and cauliflower start to soften.
- Cook Zucchini: Add zucchini and cook for a further 2 minutes until just soft, adding more oil if needed.
- Mix in Peas & Spinach: Add the frozen peas and spinach, cook until spinach wilts, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Set Aside Vegetables: Turn off the heat and keep veggies in the skillet while you make the white sauce.
Dairy Free White Sauce
- Heat Oil Skillet: Place a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Pour in the olive oil and warm over medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute until it’s heated through and warm/hot to the touch, don’t let it bubble.
- Whisk in Flour: Turn the heat to medium-high, sprinkle in the flour and whisk through for 1 minute.
- Add Milk: Gradually whisk in milk, cooking over medium heat, whisking gently until sauce thickens, without boiling or simmering.
- Season: Once sauce has thickened, whisk through the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add Cheese: Whisk through 2 cups of the cheese until combined and melted. Turn off the heat.
Assemble Lasagna
- First Layer: Place 4 lasagna sheets in the baking dish.
- Add Vegetables: Spoon over half of the vegetable mix.
- Add Sauce: Pour over one-third of the white sauce.
- Repeat Layers: Another 4 sheets, remaining vegetables and the second third of the sauce.
- Top Layer: Last 4 sheets, remaining white sauce and sprinkle over the last 1 cup of cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden and bubbling around the edges.
- Rest: Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Garnish & Enjoy: Garnish with chopped parsley, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Store: Wrap leftover lasagna in the baking dish or individual portions in cling film and foil; refrigerate for 2-3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat refrigerated lasagna in a preheated oven at 350ºF (175ºC) until warmed through.
- Freezing Uncooked: Assemble uncooked lasagna in a freezer-safe dish, cover, label, and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight and bake as instructed.
- Freezing Cooked: Cool completely, wrap whole or in portions, label, and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat at 350ºF (175ºC).