Vegan Asparagus Lasagna with Sauce Hollandaise
Well, did you miss it already? It's time for another vegan lasagna today! The classic among the casseroles is actually a typical winter feel-good dish, but is also great for seasonal interpretations of all kinds. In autumn we already had a vegan pumpkin lasagna and a rainbow lasagna. Today's asparagus recipe, on the other hand, fits perfectly into spring and brings back memories of the past for me. es, in fact, this dish was prepared at big celebrations for guests in my childhood. I remember the classic version with ham and white asparagus, but today we have green asparagus hidden in the casserole dish as well. The whole thing is topped with vegan sauce hollandaise, because as always, more is more!
A few notes about the recipe
The sauces: We prepared two different sauces. This is a little more time consuming, but definitely worth it! If you're in a hurry, you can leave it at one sauce and just cook more of that one. For the preparation of vegan sauce hollandaise, we already have a detailed instruction here, but you can also buy premade vegan sauce Hollandaise in supermarkets or organic stores, which will make this recipe even easier.
Asparagus & asparagus stock: Before draining, we reserve some of the cooking water of the asparagus, which adds even more flavor to the vegan béchamel. When it comes to asparagus, we know that everyone has their secret preference, but we can reassure you – it doesn't matter if you use white or green asparagus, so feel free to use both or just your favorite kind of asparagus.
Vegan ham: Vegan ham is optional and can be omitted. Just use your favorite plant-based ham substitute.
The baking time: Every oven is different and the baking time can vary depending on your appliance. Therefore, you better have an eye on your lasagna while it's baking. Once the plant-based cheese is browned, you can check if the pasta is done by piercing it with a knife. If it's not, cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil to prevent the top from getting too dark and keep baking the lasagna. Before serving, let it sit and cool down for a few minutes to prevent it from falling apart on the plate.
Vegan Asparagus Lasagna with Sauce Hollandaise
Ingredients
For the vegan sauce hollandaise:
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 100 ml (0.5 cup) vegetable broth
- 100 ml (0.5 cup) plant-based heavy cream
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp vegan white wine
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt
- white pepper
For the asparagus:
- 1.5 kg (3.33 lbs) white asparagus
- 1 kg (2.25 lbs) green asparagus
- salt
For the béchamel sauce:
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) plant-based milk
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) cooking water of the asparagus
- vegetable stock powder or salt
Also:
- 80 g (3 oz) vegan ham
- 500 g (18 oz) lasagne sheets
- 200 g (7 oz) plant-based shredded cheese
- 1 tbsp water
- pepper
Instructions
- Melt 2 tbsp vegan butter in a saucepan and stir in flour. Keep stirring to keep the mixture smooth.
- Add vegetable stock slowly, keep stirring all the time. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and add cream, 2 tbsp vegan butter, white wine, mustard and lemon juice . Season with salt and pepper.
- Let Sauce Hollandaise simmer for approx. 5 - 10 min. until thickened to desired consistency. Season to taste and set aside.
Asparagus
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the white asparagus, and remove any wooden ends. Halve the stalks and add them to the boiling water. Cook for approx. 6 minutes. Before draining, reserve 300 ml (1.25 cups) of the cooking water.
Béchamel sauce
- Melt vegan butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour and keep stiring to avoid any lumps in your sauce.
- Gradually stir in the plant-based milk and asparagus stock. Season with vegetable stock powder or salt. Let the sauce simmer until it reaches the desired rather thick consistency.
Layering
- Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F (top and bottom heat). Cut vegan ham into strips, and put out all of the prepared components: vegan sauce hollandaise, asparagus, and béchamel.
- Spread one third of the béchamel sauce on the bottom of a baking dish (25x30 cm / 10x12 inch). Arrange one forth of the asparagus evenly on top, then top with one third of the vegan ham and finish with a layer of lasagna sheets.
- Repeat these steps twice until both béchamel sauce and vegan ham are used up, and only a few of the asparagus stalks are left.
- For the final layer, arrange the remaining asparagus over the last layer of lasagna sheets. Drizzle sauce hollandaise on top. Mix plant-based shredded cheese with water, then sprinkle over the lasagna.
- Bake on the middle rack of your oven at 180°C/355°F for approx. 30 minutes. Before serving, let the lasagne sit for a few minutes, then sprinkle fresh pepper on top.
