Low-Carb, High-Protein Zucchini Lasagna

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Somehow, every time summer arrives and Shavuot is around the corner, I am filled with a strong desire to incorporate as many fresh vegetables as possible into my cooking.

Just recently, I started incorporating more and more fresh zucchini into my kitchen.

Listen, I'm addicted!

I add them grated, peeled, or just fresh inside a sandwich.

The reason I'm so excited is simple:

Zucchini creates a lot of volume without adding a dominant flavor or many calories, and it fits perfectly into any dish or bake.

How many calories, you ask?

One large zucchini weighing 200g contains about 40 kcal, plenty of dietary fiber, and a lot of water.

Is there a more perfect vegetable for toning up?

Now, check out the game-changer:

Believe it or not (and you have to believe me!), in this recipe, the zucchini slices replace lasagna sheets almost perfectly.

Not that there's anything wrong, heaven forbid, with lasagna sheets, but if you're in a toning phase and want to slightly cut back on the calories you consume daily, this is an excellent way to do it.

A bit about Zucchini Lasagna

1: The base of the lasagna is zucchini.

You can, of course, substitute with green zucchini (Zucchini) which is firmer and releases less liquid, but it's not critical in my opinion.

What if I really don't like zucchini? No problem!

Replace them with very thin layers of kohlrabi, eggplant, carrots, or any firm, fibrous vegetable you enjoy.

2: The lasagna filling is ground tofu with seasonings like nutritional yeast, basil, mustard, garlic, and olive oil.

Don't like one of the seasonings? Swap it for something you love. Go with the flow.

3: I topped the lasagna with a bit of "Vegan Mozzarella" by Plenty (who also helped in the preparation of this post - thank you, it helps the blog continue to thrive).

If you're not familiar with their vegan cheeses, this is a great opportunity.

Can't get your hands on Plenty's delicious cheeses? Simply sprinkle some nutritional yeast and olive oil over the lasagna.

4: In the recipe, I added a step not shown in the video where I soak the zucchini strips in a bit of salt to draw out the excess moisture.

This step isn't mandatory, but if you skip it, keep in mind that liquids may pool at the bottom of the pan. (It's not a big deal - up to you).

Nutritional values by Nutritionist and Fitness Coach Noam Bachar:

One serving of zucchini lasagna weighing 300g contains:

• 263 calories
• 18g protein
• 14g carbohydrates
• 2.5g dietary fiber
• 15g fat (of which 1g is saturated fat)

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Zucchini Lasagna

Vegan lasagna with basil and tomato sauce, low-carb and high-protein

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 263 kcal

Ingredients

• 2-3 Medium zucchinis Total weight of half a kg
• 2 tbsp Salt
• 300 g Tofu
• 400 g Crushed tomatoes Canned
• 1 Bunch Basil leaves, stems removed
• 4 tbsp Olive oil 40 ml
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened soy milk
• 3 tbsp Nutritional yeast 30g
• 3-4 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Salt 5g
• 1/2 tsp Sugar 5g
• 30 g Plenty Like-Mozzarella cheese grated tbsp
• 1 Baking dish (24x15 cm)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (medium heat).

Prepare the Zucchini

1. Using a peeler, peel the zucchinis into uniform strips until you reach the core (the seedy inner part), which we won't use.

2. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of salt over the zucchini strips, mix, and wait about 10 minutes until they release their liquid.

3. Drain the zucchinis and rinse off the salt.

Prepare the Cream

1. In a blender or food processor, add the tofu, one garlic clove, half of the olive oil, mustard, nutritional yeast, and half of the soy milk.

2. Blend until a smooth, liquid consistency is achieved.

3. If the blender struggles or the texture is lumpy, add a bit more soy milk until the desired texture is reached.

4. Pour half of the mixture into a bowl and set aside.

5. Add the basil leaves to the remaining half in the food processor and blend until uniform and aromatic.

6. Set aside.

Prepare the Tomato Sauce

1. In a deep bowl, pour the crushed tomatoes.

2. Add the minced garlic, the remaining olive oil, salt, and sugar, and mix well.

3. Set aside.

Assemble the Lasagna

1. Place 2 layers of zucchini slices at the bottom of the baking dish.

2. Add 3-4 tbsp of the tomato sauce and spread across the dish.

3. Top with 2-3 tbsp of the white cream and 2-3 tbsp of the basil cream.

4. Use a spoon to lightly swirl the two creams together.

5. Add another layer of zucchini and repeat the process until all ingredients are used.

6. Sprinkle some Like-Mozzarella cheese on top.

7. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the lasagna is browned.

8. When the lasagna comes out of the oven, it may seem unstable, but it will firm up as it cools.

9. Can be frozen for up to a month or refrigerated for 3-4 days.

Recipe Video