Autumn Mushroom Lasagne

 
Autumn Mushroom Lasagne

This unique recipe celebrates Autumn in all its glory. Earthy, meaty, oyster mushrooms, heavenly herb infused cashew cream and a touch of sweet sherry, come together to create this divine take on the familiar lasagne. The result is a fresh, light, fragrant dish, creamy, warming and satisfying with every mouthful. 

Ingredients

- For the cashew cream -

300g raw cashews, soaked and drained

2tbsp linseed mixed with 5tbsp water

350ml plant based milk (we use soy)

Juice of 2 lemons

100g vegan cheddar cheese

3tbsp fresh dill

2tbsp fresh parsley 

1tbsp vegetable bouillon powder

- For the lasagne -

2tbsp olive oil

1 large white onion, finely chopped

2 medium leeks, finely chopped

500g oyster mushrooms

2tsp soy sauce

120ml sherry

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Lasagne pasta sheets*

2tbsp toasted pine nuts

Method

Preheat the oven at 200C.

Soak the cashews in fresh water over night. Alternatively you can boil them in water for 20 minutes. Mix the linseed with the water and set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the cashews and place them in a food processor with all the rest of the cashew cream ingredients. Process for a few minutes, until you have a very smooth cream, resembling a thick béchamel.

With a pair of scissors, cut the entire stems off the oyster mushrooms. Set the caps aside. Place the stems in the food processor and pulse until you have a bread crumb texture. Set aside.

In a large frying pan pour 1tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion, leeks and processed mushroom stems and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1tsp soy sauce and 60ml of the sherry and continue to stir until the liquid has evaporated. Place in a bowl and set aside. In the same frying pan, add another tbsp olive oil and the reserved oyster mushroom caps. Sauté over medium heat. Add 1tsp soy sauce and the remaining 60ml of the sherry and sauté. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground pepper. Keep sautéing and stirring, until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are nicely browned. Now mix them into the bowl with the stem, onion, leek mixture and stir well. Set aside.

To assemble, you will need a lightly greased square or rectangular ovenproof dish, the lasagne sheets, the cooked mushroom mixture and the prepared cashew cream. Start by adding a small ladle of the cream into the dish and spread. Add 3-4 lasagne sheets, in a single layer to cover the base. You may need to cut them accordingly. It’s fine if they slightly overlap, this doesn’t have to be perfect. Now add a generous ladleful of the cream and spread once more. Dollop spoonfuls of the mushroom mixture over the cream and again spread it out evenly. Repeat this process with another layer of lasagne, cream and the rest of the mushrooms. Finally, add a third layer of lasagne and cover them generously with the remaining cream.

Cover the dish well with baking paper or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 30 minutes, till the top is slightly browned and firm.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on the surface and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

*The lasagne may need cooking before you assemble this dish. Please follow the package instructions.

Any other type of mushrooms can be used instead of the oysters. When prepared in the suggested way, they do however give a lovely taste and texture to this dish.