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+ servings

Vegetarian Cabbage Lasagna with Red Lentil Sauce

A deliciously cheesy, comforting gluten free lasagna made with cabbage leaves for the lasagne noodles and a tasty red lentil bolognese. You won't believe how decadent this lasagna is! It's a real treat that is super inclusive too - vegetarian, low carb and gluten free.
4.86 from 7 ratings

Ingredients

  • 1 head leafy cabbage (I used savoy), Leaves removed, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1 small glass white wine
  • 500 g (18 oz) of ricotta cheese
  • A few handfuls grated mozzarella cheese, see notes
  • A few handfuls grated cheddar and/or parmesan cheese, see notes

Lentil sauce

  • 3 cans chopped tomatoes, 14oz / 400g size
  • 1 red onion, minced
  • 6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp mixed Italian dried herbs
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 200 g (1 cup) dried red lentils

Instructions 

  • First, make the lentil sauce. In a large saucepan, soften the onions and garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the herbs, and then the canned tomatoes. Once bubbling, add the red lentils + half a cup of water (120mls). Bring to a simmer, add the balsamic vinegar and lots of salt and pepper, and then leave simmering for at least half an hour. Stir regularly, and add additional water if the mixture gets too thick.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the cabbage leaves. You ideally want to cook this in a deep frying pan or shallow casserole dish with a lid. Heat a glug of olive oil and throw in 4-5 cabbage leaves, with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Fry for about 30 seconds, and then add a little white wine (about 1-2 tablespoons worth at a time). Cover, and allow the wine to steam the cabbage leaves until they have softened. You don't want them to be fully cooked, just a little softened up, and infused with the flavor. Do this in batches until the entire head's worth of cabbage has been prepared.
  • Assemble your lasagne. First, pour a little lentil sauce into the bottom. Cover with one layer of cabbage leaves, and then spoon 1/2 of the remaining lentil sauce on top. Cover with another layer of cabbage leaves, and then spoon all of the ricotta cheese, and handfuls of the other cheeses on top. Cover with the final layer of cabbage leaves, and then the remaining lentil sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 180C / 350F.
  • Remove from the oven and take off the foil. Cover the lasagne with a mix of mozzarella and grated cheddar (or whichever hard cheese you're using). Return to the oven and cook, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.
  • Use the grill (broiler) to brown the cheese if required.
  • Once finished, allow to stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and eating.

Notes

Cheese measurements - the amount of cheese you use will end up depending on the width of your pan, and how much of an indulgent lasagna you're going for, so make sure to have a fresh bag of grated mozzarella and a fresh block of cheddar when you start off, and just see how you feel.
Nutritional calculations are based on using 2 cups each of cheddar and mozzarella, which will give you a super cheesy result. 
Calories: 612kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 110mg, Sodium: 851mg, Potassium: 933mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 1282IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 737mg, Iron: 6mg