Green Bean Casserole

What is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish? For me it is hands down the green bean casserole and the stuffing. Perhaps two of the most decidedly non-vegan items on the menu. I mean corn, sweet potatoes, bread, yadda yadda you can probably convince your family to swap in a stick of plant based butter and make ends meet right?

I have been perfecting my vegan green bean casserole for close to a decade now, and phew she’s come a long way. What used to be a sad excuse for the most beloved Thanksgiving side dish has now proudly grown into a casserole to beat all others. I’ve been bringing it to family holiday events for the last few years, and I can say that even my meaty friends and family get down with it. I’m calling that a win.

this recipe is:

• vegan

• classic comfort food

• great for meal prep

• oil free

for this recipe you will need:

• mushrooms

• vegan butter

• vegan Worcestershire

• non-dairy milk

• salt + pepper

• onion powder

• flour of any variety

• green beans (canned, frozen, or fresh)

• fried onions

How to make vegan green bean casserole

In traditional green bean casserole, you usually dump a can of cream of mushroom soup in the casserole pan. I have yet to find a vegan cream of mushroom soup, but honestly, who needs it? This roux is super fast, emulates the creaminess, and has flavor you just can’t beat.

Wash and pat mushrooms dry. I find it easier to just wipe with a wet rag, as they will tend to absorb all of the water if you rinse the in a sink. Cut into thin slices and add to a pan with vegan butter. Saute for about 5-10 minutes or until mushroom sides start to brown.

If using fresh green beans, wash and dry. Cut the pointed tips off of both ends and discard. Put green beans in the pan with mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes or so. If using canned green beans, simply drain, rinse, and add in. There’s no need to cook at all before adding in next ingredients.

Add in your vegan Worcestershire sauce, non-dairy milk, and spices. Mix on medium heat until the milk is warm.

Add in flour to thicken until the milk forms a sauce that is almost a paste like consistency. See below for different thickener ideas if you want to skip the flour.

When this is done cooking, add 1 cup of the fried onions in with this mixture, reserving the rest for topping. Add the green bean mixture to a baking pan. No need to grease the pan.

Bake this for about 20-25 minutes at 400°. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the rest of your fried onions on top, and bake for another 5 minutes or until crispy and browned. Serve hot. 

Substitutions:

• You can used canned or fresh green beans. The canned just need to be drained and rinsed, and only need to cook for half the time.

• Any kind of non-dairy milk will do. I used oat milk, but I also recommend rice or almond milk.

• Gluten free flour such as coconut, chickpea, or almond works well in this recipe as well with a 1:1 ratio. You can also add in tapioca starch or arrow root powder to thicken if you have that handy and want to skip the flour altogether.

Serving suggestions:

Well Thanksgiving - duh. It’s theeeee vegan green bean casserole that I promise you will even fool your grandma. And I know she ain’t no fool.

Also, we casually meal prep this every now and then when we have fresh green beans, and it’s great to just keep in the fridge. I often eat it with a slice or two of seitan and another veg for a protein, starch, and veggie old school style dinner.

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