Zucchini Lasagna Casserole
 
Prep time
Cook time
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If you're craving some healthy, vegan Italian food then this Zucchini Lasagna Casserole recipe is for you!
Author:
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 large zucchini, sliced
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • a few slices of white onion
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic
  • garlic powder
  • salt & pepper
  • olive oil or coconut oil
  • fresh basil
  • Daiya Mozzarella Cheese Shreds (or any vegan cheese)
Instructions
  1. The first step is to soak the quinoa in water to remove the acidic outer layer. You can either soak it overnight or the day of, just try to soak for at least 7 hours.
  2. Once you're ready to prepare the dish, drain & rinse the quinoa. Bring water to a boil (it's a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water), add the quinoa and reduce to low heat. Depending on how much quinoa you're cooking, it could take anywhere from 30 mins-1 hour to get a nice, fluffy texture with all the moisture absorbed.
  3. While your quinoa is cooking, heat a large pan with some extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. Saute onion and garlic until golden brown. Put into a blender with fresh tomatoes, some basil leaves, salt, and pepper. Blend until until everything is mixed. This will be your homemade tomato sauce. Of course, you don't have to make it at home. If you prefer to buy sauce, that's totally fine. If you do make your own sauce, be sure that it's thick and not watery, otherwise it will make the finished dish liquidy.
  4. In the same pan, saute slices of the zucchini in oil until they are nice and browned on both sides. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You can use the same seasonings for your quinoa once it's cooked.
  5. Spoon the quinoa into your casserole dish, spread evenly, and smooth down. Pour the tomato sauce over. Layer your zucchini slices on top. Sprinkle a layer of vegan cheese on top. If you love basil, you could also put a few leaves straight onto the dish. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  6. It tastes best straight from the oven, with a couple of minutes to cool down. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. If you don't want to use quinoa as the base, you could go for brown rice or millet. Or hey, some vegan & gluten free lasagna or whatever kind of pasta you like! And if you aren't crazy about zucchini, substitute it for any veggie that sounds good. Makes about 4 servings.
Recipe by Compassionate Women at https://compassionatewomen.org/zucchini-lasagna-casserole/