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This Sweet Potato Lasagna makes a comforting meal, made entirely out of whole foods. Instead of using traditional pasta, these lasagna “noodles” are made out of thinly sliced sweet potatoes for a naturally gluten-free dish.
I love using sweet potatoes as an alternative to pasta, as they still have a starchy, comforting texture, and they’re loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, which is not only linked to boosting the immune system, but it may also help your body produce collagen, which helps maintain the skin’s elasticity.
This lasagna is packed with plant-based protein, thanks to a hearty layer of quinoa and lentil “meat.”
Quinoa is a complete source of protein, containing all the essential amino acids your body needs, and I love pairing it with red lentils for an extra boost. They cook together in just 15 minutes, making this lasagna relatively quick to assemble!
To keep this vegan dish nut-free, I made a béchamel sauce out of pureed white beans for added creaminess. It blends together in just minutes and adds a comforting creaminess to the overall lasagna. (Plus, even more fiber and protein.)
The result isn’t exactly like traditional lasagna, but I find it equally as comforting.
Feel free to add a layer or two of cheese to this lasagna if your family isn’t dairy-free. It’s a great way to sneak more vegetables and plant-based protein into your week, especially if you have leftovers to enjoy for a future meal, too.
Sweet Potato Lasagna (Vegan & Soy-Free!)
Ingredients
Sweet Potato "Noodles
- 3 large sweet potatoes , peeled (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Quinoa Lentil "Meat" Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 cup quinoa , rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1 (25 oz) jar marinara sauce , divided (no sugar added)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
White Bean Cream Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans (or one 15 oz. can drained and rinsed)
- 1/4 cup water , plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Use a mandoline slicer to slice the sweet potatoes into very thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. (You can use a sharp knife to do this if you prefer.)
- Arrange the sliced sweet potatoes on the lined baking sheets and bake until they are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the quinoa filling. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute another minute, just until fragrant.
- Add in the quinoa, lentils, 2 cups of the marinara sauce, water, and salt into the saucepan and bring everything to a boil. Cover with a lid, lower the heat, and simmer until the quinoa and lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the white bean sauce. In a blender combine the beans, water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and blend until smooth. Adjust any seasoning to taste, then set it aside.
- To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of the remaining marinara sauce in the bottom of the pan to help prevent sticking. Arrange a single layer of the cooked sweet potato slices on the bottom, then spoon half of the quinoa lentil mixture on top of that. Spread it around evenly. Spoon half of the white bean sauce over that and spread it with a spatula.
- Repeat the layering process with another round of sweet potato slices, quinoa "meat" and white bean sauce, then top it off with a final layer of sweet potato slices. Finally, spread the remaining marinara sauce over the top of the sweet potato slices to help prevent them from drying out or burning. Bake the lasagna at 400ºF until heated through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm.
- This lasagna can be stored in the fridge for up to a week in a tightly sealed dish. I like to reheat it by the slice for faster reheating-- typically a couple slices in the oven will reheat in about 15 minutes at 350ºF.
Video
Nutrition
Per Serving: Calories: 165, Carbohydrates: 26, Fiber: 6, Protein: 7, Fat: 3
Recipe Notes:
- Need a tomato-free option? Try using my Tomato-Less Marinara Sauce instead.
- When shopping for marinara sauce, check the label to make sure it’s sugar-free and has less than 4 g of oil per serving. I like the “Fat Free Marinara Sauce” from the 365 Brand at Whole Foods, which is oil-free, as well.
I imagine you could customize this recipe in a number of different ways, so please leave a comment below if you try something different! We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite healthy comfort food?
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Hi, do you think I can use green lentils?
I used a mix of green red and black lentils, it was great!
This was great!!! So comforting and wonderful ingredients, thank you!
This was reaaaaallllyyyy good. The beans puréed into a water, so we couldn’t use it. Luckily we had Daiya vegan mozzarella shreds on hand and layered it with that instead. I highly recommend it! We will definitely be making this again. We are going to stick with the vegan cheese, will add spinach, mushrooms and a little more marinara sauce on the next round. Thanks!
Made this exactly and came out great. Will take idea to add spinach next time.
This is so creative! I want to make this for dinner. Like now 🙂
Delicious!!! I shared with a co-worker who also loved it! Thank you 💖
I made the dish the same day I got the email or text year was very nice but it was blended I didn’t know what other spices to add to it what can you recommend
I’m a new cook in the kitchen eating healthy like this. As soon as I got your email I got the ingredients and made it the same day. The texture was just fine but it was lacking in some kind of spice it was kind of bland. I don’t know if I didn’t put in enough of what you said, or you always say to fix it up to your own taste. But with my lack of experience I wouldn’t know what spice to put in to give it a little kick. Can you help?
This was delicious and really felt like a true lasagna fix!
I added a handful of spinach to the quinoa/lentil mixture near the end of cooking and 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast to the bean sauce.
Thanks always for your wonderful recipes!
Hi Megan,
I have one suggestion. One of the layers could have spinach or some greens added in. I have done this in other lasagna recipes and it works well. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
Enjoy….Robin M