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  • 2 medium zucchini, washed and cut into thin slices (about 1/8" thick)

kale pesto

  • about two handfuls of washed, fresh kale
  • 1/3 cup raw cashews
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove fresh garlic
  • juice of 1/2 small lemon
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • add a small amount of water if needed to combine ingredients

sundried tomato spread

  • 3 ounces of sundried tomatoes (dry in a bag to reconstitute - I use Mediterranean Organic Sundried Tomatoes)
  • 4 pitted dates
  • sprinkle of garlic powder
  • pinch of salt

almond ricotta

  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

Warm weather is the perfect time to try out some raw vegan dishes. When it’s hot outside, most of us don’t want to turn on a stove or oven. This was my first attempt to try making a version of raw vegan lasagna. I think because the ingredients were on the drier side and not thinner consistency like a sauce, the dish held together very well. There was also a nice blend of textures and flavors, with spices and saltiness; yet a just a hint of sweet with the sundried tomatoes. The great thing about raw vegan too is that you can taste the recipe as you go and see if it needs more of any particular ingredient. As with any recipes that have nuts, if you happen to be allergic to nuts, you can easily substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds. This dish is raw vegan and gluten free.

Directions

Cut the ends off of the zucchini and discard, then cut each of the zucchini in half. Cut into 1/8″ thick slices by placing the round sides of the zucchini on a cutting board and cutting down vertically. Set aside the slices for assembly later. For the kale pesto, wash the kale and and add to a food processor with the other pesto ingredients. Process until desired consistency and set aside. For the sundried tomato spread, place the sundried tomatoes in a bowl and add some boiling water to cover. Let them soak for about 10 minutes, then drain. Add the tomatoes and the other ingredients for the spread to a food processor and process until well combined, then set aside. For the almond ricotta, add the almond flour and other ricotta ingredients to a bowl. Mix well to combine and add more of any ingredient that it needs. It’s amazingly simple, yet has a ricotta consistency. You may need to add a little more water if too dry.

To assemble the lasagne, start with a layer of the zucchini, then a layer of the almond ricotta; a layer of zucchini, then a layer of the sundried tomato spread; a layer of zucchini, then a layer of the kale pesto. Repeat with another layer of each. You may have some leftover zucchini depending on size, so you can make several individual servings of the lasagne. My recipe made about 3 servings. Top with basil or arugula.