Grilled Eggplant Lasagna

When I opened Heartbeat Restaurant in 1997, half of the dishes were vegetarian and half of those recipes were vegan. For the vegan dishes, I wanted to make sure I had some menu items that were comforting and filling. It is at Heartbeat where I created the first recipe for tomato soup with no dairy. It didn’t take long for me to utilize the soup as a base sauce, and lasagna was the perfect subject. Because we committed to not use any processed carbohydrates, I needed a replacement for noodles. Long slices of grilled eggplant more than fit the bill!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large or 2 medium-to large eggplants

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup diced red onion

• 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic

• 1 cup red lentils

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 32 ounces Tomato Basil soup

• 1 tablespoon Nutritional yeast

• 2 12-ounce bags of frozen spinach

• 2 cups of Daiya cheese

Preheat grill 

1. Cut the stem end from the eggplant, and then slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Season by sprinkling over each slice with salt and let stand for 15 minutes, or until the eggplant slices weep some liquid.

2. Pat the slices dry and brush lightly with olive oil. Grill 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are softened but not brown.

2. Add the lentils and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the lentils are hot.

3. Reduce the heat to low, add the Tomato Basil soup and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir-in the nutritional yeast. Keep warm.

4. Spoon 1/3 of the lentil mixture over the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish, and arrange a layer of grilled eggplant slices over the top to completely cover. Spread 1/3 of the spinach evenly over the eggplant.

5. Sprinkle 1/3 of the “cheese” over the spinach, then repeat step 4. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the cheese over the second half of the spinach.

6. Top with the remaining eggplant slices, followed by the rest of the sauce and bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

7. Un-cover the casserole, and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the Daiya Cheese over the top and return to the oven. Place the oven on broil, and return the lasagna to the oven on a center rack. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the Daiya Cheese is melted and nicely browned.