Chickpea and vegetable lasagna

Ingredients

• ½ medium leek
• ½ red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, for the filling
• ½ medium zucchini
• 12-14 green asparagus spears
• 2 garlic cloves
• 400 g cooked chickpeas, drained
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped or crushed in a mortar
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ¼ teaspoon oregano
• 20-22 ripe cherry tomatoes
• Salt
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups water for the filling, and boiling water for the noodles
• 1 package egg-free lasagna noodles (about 250 g)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, for the béchamel
• 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour, for the béchamel
• 2 cups unsweetened soy milk, for the béchamel
• A piece of vegan cheese (optional)

Missing an ingredient?

• What to use instead of olive oil
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• What to use instead of oregano
• What to use instead of black pepper
• What to use instead of leek
• What to use instead of soy sauce
• What to use instead of cherry tomatoes
• What to use instead of thyme

Instructions

1. Make the filling first, so the pasta doesn't get too soft. Wash and finely chop the leek and onion.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the leek and onion.
3. Cut the zucchini into small cubes and add it. Remove the tough stems from the asparagus, chop them into half-centimeter pieces and add them. Sauté everything together.
4. Peel the garlic, remove the germ and crush or chop it very finely.
5. Add the chickpeas with the walnuts, garlic, thyme and oregano and sauté for a few minutes, mashing the chickpeas with a slotted spoon or wooden spoon.
6. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters and add them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the soy sauce, liquid smoke and vinegar and sauté briefly.
7. Add 2 cups of water and let it boil, stirring now and then and mashing the chickpeas, until there's hardly any liquid left and you have an almost spreadable paste (a few whole chickpeas are fine). Turn off the heat.
8. Meanwhile, put the noodles in a large dish with a drizzle of oil, cover them with boiling water and wait until they're tender (they don't need to be fully cooked). Drain them.
9. Preheat the oven to broil, top heat only, at medium-high.
10. In a not-too-large baking dish, put a layer of noodles, spread some of the filling on top and keep alternating layers, ideally finishing with noodles.
11. For the béchamel, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and gradually add the flour, whisking. Lower the heat and gradually add the soy milk, whisking constantly, until smooth and lump-free (if it gets too thick, add more soy milk). Season with salt to taste. This is your béchamel.
12. Pour the béchamel over the lasagna. If you have vegan cheese, lay a few thin slices on top and grate a little more over it.
13. Broil for about 10 minutes, until golden, checking it now and then. Serve hot.

Nutrition facts

Approximate, per serving (about 355 g). Calculated with data from USDA FoodData Central.