Ultimate Chilli Lasagne
Do you love chilli? Yeah, you do. Love lasagne? What kind of question is that. Struggling to choose between the two? This beast of a recipe combines the best of both worlds. Now, we know this isn't the most authentic lasagne/chilli recipe in the world but before you report us to the Italian and Mexican embassies for crimes against cuisine, hear us out. We promise you're going to love this freaky fusion. The spices in the béchamel give it a little kick and the mushroom mince in the chilli is super meaty. This is a superb idea for a big family vegan dinner, one that everyone will love! We also think it's a good dish to pop in the fridge and eat again the next day!
Serves
Ingredients
For the mushroom mince
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>400g mushrooms<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
For the chilli ragu
<item-todo-done>1 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp chilli powder<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp cumin<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp smoked paprika<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp cinnamon<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp oregano<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 tsp soy sauce<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp balsamic vinegar<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 ½ tsp maple syrup<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 red onions<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 garlic cloves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 red chillies<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>10g coriander stalks<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 celery stick<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 red bell pepper<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 bay leaf<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tbsp tomato purée<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>250ml red wine<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 cans x 400g can(s) of chopped tomatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can of black beans<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 x 400g can of kidney beans<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>10g dark chocolate<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>20g coriander leaves<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>200ml vegetable stock<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> Salt & pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
For the béchamel
<item-todo-done>1 ½ tbsp Nooch<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp chilli powder<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tsp cumin<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>125ml olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>125g flour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 ¼ litre unsweetened plant-based milk<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>½ tsp cinnamon<item-todo-done>
For the lasagne
<item-todo-done>200g plant-based cheese<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>500g dried lasagne sheets<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 jalapeño chilli<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> salad leaves to serve<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Preheat oven to 180°C l Food Processor l Large Saucepan l Stock pot l Lasagne Dish l Foil
First, prepare the veggies
- Mince the mushrooms in a food processor
- Peel and dice the red onions
- Finely grate the garlic
- Trim, halve, de-seed and dice the chillies
- Pick the coriander leaves and dice the stalks
- Trim and finely slice the celery
- Trim, halve, core and dice the pepper
- Drain the beans
Now, cook the mushrooms
- Warm a splash of olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat
- Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pan and stir for 5-6 minutes
- Take the pan off the heat, transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set to one side
Now, prepare the chilli
- Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat
- Add the onions and a pinch of salt to the pan and stir for 2-3 minutes
- Add the garlic, chillies and coriander stalks to the pan and stir for 2 minutes
- Add the celery and pepper to the pan and stir for 4-5 minutes
- Add the chilli powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, oregano and bay leaf to the pan and stir for 1 minute to combine and coat
- Add the tomato puree to the pan and stir for 1 minute
- Add the red wine, balsamic vinegar and soy sauce to the pan, stir to combine and leave to simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent catching
Time to bulk out the chilli
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan, stir to combine and simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add the beans, maple syrup, chocolate and mushrooms to the pan, stir to combine, reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Remove the bay leaf, stir the coriander leaves into the chilli
- Add the stock, stir to combine and take the pan off the heat
- Taste and season to perfection with salt and pepper
Make your béchamel
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat
- Add the flour and whisk for 3–5 minutes
- Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly
- Add the nutritional yeast, chilli powder, cumin, cinnamon and whisk until smooth
- Bring the béchamel to the boil then lower the heat and simmer until the it thickens to the consistency of custard
- Taste and season to your liking
Build your lasagne and bake
- Slice the jalapeno
- Spread a quarter of the ragu into the lasagne dish
- Spoon over a quarter of the béchamel
- Cover with lasagne sheets, breaking them if necessary to make a complete layer with no gaps
- Repeat three times, reserving some béchamel to cover the top completely
- Garnish with a few sliced jalapeño chillies
- Cover with foil and put on the lowest shelf of the oven and bake for 50 minutes
- Remove the foil and bake for a further 15 minutes
- Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving with the salad leaves