Vegan lasagna with sweet potato, spinach and comfy cashew cheese

The lasagna is such a classic – and we all have expectations of how the taste and consistency should be like. The perfect challenge!

I experimented with different ideas and this recipe is the absolute best (inspired by a recipe on the amazing app ForksOverKnives). Perfect consistency and the familiar cheesy comfort. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

1 cup cashews (not salted)
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
3 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 crushed garlic cloves
1 kg sweet potatoes (white-flesh)
4-5 big leeks
15-20 mushrooms
1 bunch spinach
2 cans tomato paste (2x 130 gram cans)
2 cans peeled cherry tomatoes
1 red onion
Lasagna sheets (fresh and thin are better)
3 tablespoon dried oregano
Himalayan salt
Pepper
Fresh basil for toppings

Cook

Soak the cashews in water 2 hours
Put peeled and cut sweet potatoes to a boil and cook until you are able to mash them (15 minutes)
While sweet potatoes boil cut the leeks and put in another pan with a cup of water to boil until very soft (15 minutes)
Cut mushrooms into small pieces and boil with the soft leeks and garlic (5 minutes)
Add spinach, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon salt to the greens and cook until everything is soft (5 minutes)
Set the greens aside (ready to add to the lasagna mix)
Mash the potatoes with 1 tablespoon limejuice and salt to taste
Set the potatoes aside (ready to add to the lasagna mix)
Preheat the oven 180 degrees celsius
Combine the tomato paste, peeled cherry tomatoes, onion, 2 garlic cloves and 1 cup of water – blend until smooth
Transfer the tomato mix to a saucepan and add the oregano, a bit of pepper, 2 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 cup of water – cook over medium heat 20 minutes
While tomato sauce is cooking make the vegan cheese. Place the cashews in a blender with the nutritional yeast, 2 tablespoon lime juice, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 3/4 cup water. Blend until you get a smooth cream cheese consistency.
You are now ready to assemble the lasagna in a big baking pan
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce over the bottom of the pan and arrange a layer of lasagna sheets on top
Top with half of the sweet potatoes then add another layer of lasagna sheets
Spread all of the sautéed greens on top and half of the cashew cheese then add another layer of lasagna sheets
Spread half of the remaining tomato sauce on top along with the rest of the sweet potatoes then add the last layer of lasagna sheets
Spread the remaining tomato sauce and cashew cheese on top (I put the cashew cheese in a small plastic bag – cut of the corner and add the cheese in a pretty pattern)
Bake in the oven until the top is slightly browned and the sauce is bubbling along the sides of the pan (around 40-45 minutes)
Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes and serve with fresh basil on top.