Easy Sweet Potato Lasagna | Plant-Based Dinner Recipe

This vegan sweet potato and lentil lasagna is healthy, hearty, wholesome, comforting, packed with fiber and plant-based protein, and ready in just 55 minutes with just a dozen simple, inexpensive ingredients!

Cozy, Comforting, Flavor-Packed, Easy Vegan Lentil Lasagna

With fall in full swing, and winter creeping upon us, cozy, comforting meals like Pumpkin Curry, Root Vegetable Lentil Stew, vegan lasagna soup, and this sweet potato and lentil lasagna are becoming weekly staples. Unlike regular lasagna, though, this easy vegan lasagna is not only 100% meat and dairy-free, but it’s even free from processed vegan alternatives.

Instead, it loads up on nourishing plant-based ingredients for crowd-pleasing comfort food enjoyed by vegans and non-vegans alike (and child approved!). The combination of slightly sweet and savory sweet potato (or butternut squash/ pumpkin) and carrot with earthy lentils in a tangy, savory tomato sauce is wonderfully satisfying without needing tons of ingredients. Plus, lentils provide a hefty dose of plant-based protein to keep you satisfied for hours.

There are also plenty of ways to adapt the recipe to your budget, flavor, and dietary preferences. These include adding a quick vegan bechamel sauce, extra veggies, making it gluten-free, etc.

Best of all, this lentil and sweet potato lasagna recipe is ready in under an hour with just 10 minutes of hands-on prep. You can even meal prep it in advance, store it in the freezer (unbaked or baked), and it reheats wonderfully for days of leftovers (if you have any).

The Ingredients and Substitutes

This easy vegan lasagna recipe relies on just a dozen simple and inexpensive ingredients.

• Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil, like vegetable oil, olive oil, avocado oil, etc.
• Aromatics: This plant-based lasagna relies on onion (we use red onion, but yellow also works) and garlic for flavor depth.
• Lentils: We recommend canned brown or green lentils (regular or low sodium).
• Carrots: Regular carrots work fine. Look for similar-sized ones to cut into even-sized pieces.
• Sweet potato: Choose similar-sized medium sweet potatoes.

• Tomatoes: We use a combination of tomato passata (or marinara) and canned chopped tomatoes.

You can use fresh tomatoes in season, but you’ll need to simmer them until they’re soft and saucy. Alternatively, you could use a labeled lasagna sauce.

• Lasagna sheets: Use no-boil vegan lasagna sheets.
• Fresh basil: For extra flavor depth.
• Salt & black pepper: Season to taste.
• Vegan cheese: (optional) If you’d prefer a ‘cheesy’ flavor, use your favorite melty vegan cheese (or nutritional yeast) to sprinkle over the top of the dairy-free lasagna.

The Add-ins and Variations:

There are several ways to add extra flavor and nutrients to this sweet potato and lentil lasagna recipe.

• Italian seasoning: To add even more flavor to the tomato lasagna sauce.
• Bay leaf: Simmer in the sauce until layering the vegan lasagna (then discard).
• For spice: There are several ways to add spice to the lentil lasagne recipe. You could add chili powder or cayenne powder to the filling. Alternatively, sprinkle some red pepper flakes into or over the vegan lentil lasagna.
• Smoked paprika: This will add a subtle smoky depth to the lentil lasagna sauce and pairs well with sweet potato and lentils.
• Greens: Adding spinach (or kale) to this vegan lentil sweet potato lasagna is a simple, fuss-free way to further boost the nutrients. You can add the leaves raw to the filling or pack in more by sautéing it first.
• Other vegetables: There are several other veggies you could add to this plant-based lasagna with minimal extra effort (or cost), including:
  • Green peas (frozen)
  • Sweet corn (frozen)
  • Bell pepper (finely diced)
  • Zucchini (finely diced)
  • Mushrooms (thinly sliced)
• Soy sauce: (tamari if you’re gluten-free) To use in place of salt and pepper for savory saltiness but with added umami.
• Vegan white sauce: If your favorite part of lasagna is the creamy white sauce, add a top layer of it to this dairy-free lasagna recipe. Recipe in FAQs.

How to Make Sweet Potato and Lentil Lasagna

Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.

• 1) First, peel and finely dice the red onion, dice the carrots and sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces, and mince/finely chop the garlic.
• 2) Then, in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.

• 3) Add the carrots, lentils, and sweet potato, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 7 minutes.

• 4) Stir in the chopped tomatoes, passata, and water (or vegetable stock. Enough to cover the ingredients), and lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

• 5) Season again with salt and pepper, add the basil, then leave it to simmer for around 15 minutes or until the sweet potato/carrots are semi-tender (they continue cooking in the oven). Also, preheat the oven to 375F/190C.

• 6) To assemble the vegan lentil lasagna, start by spreading 1⁄4 of the lentil filling across the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Follow that with a layer of lasagna sheets. Continue to layer the filling and lasagna sheets until everything is used. Then, if using, sprinkle the top of the sweet potato and lentil lasagna with shredded vegan cheese.

• 7) Transfer the lasagna to the oven and cook for 40 minutes, until bubbly. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

FAQs

Recipe Notes and Tips

• To save time: You may find pre-peeled and chopped sweet potato (or butternut squash/pumpkin) and carrot pieces in the grocery store. If frozen, thaw them entirely first.
• Use no-boil lasagna sheets: Otherwise, you need to cook them before adding them to the lentil lasagna.
• Leave it to rest after baking: This gives the vegan lasagna time to thicken up/ set slightly, making it easier to slice and serve.
• If the top browns too quickly: Tent the dish with foil and continue to bake.
• Use your favorite starch: You can make a sweet potato, pumpkin, or vegan butternut squash lasagna using this vegan lasagna recipe.

What To Serve With Vegan Lasagna?

While this Easy Sweet Potato Lasagna is super warm and cozy, it’s also very light and perfect for enjoying alongside:

• A slice or two of crusty bread, garlic bread, or focaccia
• Cornbread
• A simple green side salad or Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Roasted veggies like broccoli, green beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, etc.

Make Ahead Instructions

One of the reasons we love lasagna dishes so much is because they’re so meal-prep friendly. You can cut down on basic prep, get it ready to bake, or even store it in the freezer. Here’s how.

Prep: You can prepare the filling in advance and store it for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and bake.

Assembled: Assemble the entire lasagna up until the point of baking it, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Freezer meal: Line the baking dish with foil before assembling the lentil sweet potato lasagna. Freeze until solid, then transfer the lasagna from the dish into a large Ziplock or wrap in more foil/ plastic wrap. Store for up to 2 months in the freezer.

You can then transfer it back to the baking dish to thaw overnight and bake from chilled the following day, adding 5-10 extra minutes to the baking time (as you’re baking from chilled).

How To Store Vegan Lentil Lasagna?

Allow the dairy-free lasagna to cool, then store the leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.

You can reheat portions of lasagna in the microwave (for 2-3 minutes) or bake larger amounts at 350F/180C until heated through (around 20-30 minutes, based on how much you’re reheating).

More Easy Vegan Fall/Winter Recipes

• Matzo Ball Soup
• Creamy Curried Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
• Potato Lentil Turmeric Soup
• Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
• Simple Pumpkin Risotto
• Cozy Quinoa and Sweet Potato Chili

Photos by Alfonso Revilla