Cheesy Raw Vegan Zucchini Lasagna Recipe

Cheesy Raw Vegan Zucchini Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:

“CHEESE” SAUCE:

• 1 cup raw cashew nuts
• ¾ cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• Pinch sea salt and pepper

TOMATO SAUCE:

• ? cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 1 beefsteak tomato
• 4 tablespoons filtered water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• ½ garlic clove

HERBY PESTO:
(a great fast alternative is Trader Joe’s Vegan Cashew pesto)

• Handful of fresh basil
• Handful of fresh parsley
• ½ ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup filtered water
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Pinch sea salt and pepper

VEGETABLE LAYERS:

• 2 zucchinis
• 8 radishes
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes
• Handful of fresh spinach
• Handful of fresh basil leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Soak the cashew nuts in water for at least 1 hour.
2. MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE: Drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and transfer to the bowl of a blender. Add the beefsteak tomato, filtered water, olive oil, lemon juice, basil and garlic. Pulse until the ingredients are combined but still slightly textured.
3. Pour the sauce into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until ready to assemble the lasagna. Wash the blender.
4. MAKE THE “CHEESE” SAUCE: Drain the soaking water from the cashews; transfer to the blender. Add the almond milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, thyme and sea salt and pepper. Blitz the ingredients until you have a silky smooth sauce.
5. Scrape the sauce into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until ready to assemble the lasagna. Wash the blender.
6. MAKE THE HERBY PESTO: Blitz the basil, parsley, avocado, olive oil, filtered water, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice and sea salt and pepper in the blender until smooth. Add a touch more olive oil or some water if your pesto isn’t wet enough. Scrape into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge until ready to assemble the lasagna.
7. PREPARE THE VEGETABLE LAYERS: Using a mandoline on its finest setting, carefully slice the zucchinis lengthways into long strips. Use a sharp knife to slice the radishes and tomatoes as thinly as you can. Wash the spinach and basil leaves.
8. To assemble the lasagna, you can use a square or ring or just layer everything up in a tray. First, create a layer with the zucchini slices. Moving upward, layer the radishes, tomatoes, spinach, tomato sauce, cheese sauce and pesto. Repeat the layer once more and garnish the stack with more fresh basil leaves.