I used to be a green bean casserole skeptic. It never made its way into my family’s Thanksgiving spread. The first time I tried it was at a Friendsgiving after college, and it was the classic version made with canned green beans and Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. To my own surprise, I liked it! It was creamy, salty and comforting — but I knew it had the potential to be so much better.
This vegan green bean casserole is my from-scratch take on the classic. It’s made with fresh green beans, blanched and folded into a savory homemade sauce with sautéed mushrooms and onions. It has the same creamy, cozy goodness of the Campbell’s recipe, but the fresh ingredients take it above and beyond.
Why You’ll Love It
- Fresh, from-scratch flavor: Skip the canned soup and the mushy green beans! Our version boasts perfectly tender-crisp green beans and a dreamy homemade sauce.
- Simple, wholesome ingredients — familiar taste: This recipe may be plant-based, but it has all the nostalgia of the classic version. If you’re sharing a Thanksgiving spread with non-vegans, I promise they won’t miss the dairy at all!
- Make-ahead friendly: I know the kitchen can get chaotic before Thanksgiving! Luckily this casserole can be assembled a day in advanced and baked just before serving.
Table of Contents
Vegan Green Bean Casserole Ingredients
- Green beans. Fresh is best! I especially love the thinner French green beans (haricots verts). Trim the ends and cut in half to help them cook evenly.
- Vegan butter + all-purpose flour. Together, these form a roux which will thicken the vegan-friendly creamy mushroom sauce.
- Cremini mushrooms. Traditional green bean casserole calls for a can or two of Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. For this vegan-friendly recipe, we’re using fresh mushrooms to make our own creamy sauce. Button mushrooms can also be used.
- Onion and garlic. Classic aromatics.
- Dry white wine. Just a splash, to brighten the flavor and balance out the earthiness of the mushrooms. (Sub extra broth if you don’t have any wine.)
- Chicken-style bouillon. Adds concentrated savory flavor to the sauce to make it taste extra comforting and nostalgic.
- Homemade cashew cream (or plant milk). My go-to for savory sauces, cashew cream is super luscious and neutral in flavor. See the FAQ for substitutions.
- Onion & garlic powder: For an extra savory kick, in addition to the fresh aromatics.
- Fresh thyme. Thyme gives this an extra cozy flavor for the holidays. Fresh is ideal, but dried will work too.
- Kosher salt & black pepper. To taste.
- French fried onions: Super crispy, salty, and satisfying. No green bean casserole is complete without a generous topping of these.
How to Make Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Prep the green beans. If using fresh green beans (highly recommended), give them a thorough wash and trim the tips. Cut them into nice bite-sized pieces (either halves or thirds). Blanch the green beans for about 5 minutes, until they are bright green.
- Shock the green beans: Drain them and transfer directly to the ice water to stop them from cooking further. Drain the shocked green beans and shake off excess water.
- Cook onions. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
- Cook mushrooms. Add mushrooms and sauté until they have shed their excess moisture. Keeping cooking till most of that extra liquid cooks off.
- Form a roux. Sprinkle flour over the mushroom and onion mixture. Stir to cook out the raw flavor of the flour for about a minute, then deglaze with dry white wine (or veggie broth). Give the wine 1-2 minutes to simmer
- Combine the ingredients. Add in the chick’n bouillon, cashew milk, water, onion and garlic powder, thyme, and black pepper. Cook until thickened, then remove from heat.
- Add green beans. Shake the green beans dry and fold them into the mushroom sauce.
- Adjust seasoning. Season the casserole to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Bake casserole. Transfer to greased or buttered casserole dish and bake in preheated 350°F oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Top with crispy onions and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole
This vegan green bean casserole is super easy to prep in advance, to help streamline your busy Thanksgiving cooking schedule.
To prepare the day ahead, assemble the casserole without the fried onion topping. Cover and store in the fridge overnight. When ready to cook, place it in the oven and bake as directed until hot and bubbly (you will need to add extra time since it’s cold). Top it with the remaining fried onions and bake for 5-10 minutes to crisp up the topping.
If you want to prep even further in advance, you can prepare the creamy mushroom sauce and either refrigerate or freeze it until ready to use. When ready to assemble, just blanch and drain the green beans as directed, combine with the creamy mushroom sauce in a casserole dish, and bake fresh. The sauce thickens when chilled, so you may wish to add a splash of veggie broth, non-dairy milk, or water when assembling.
Storage & Reheating
To store, first allow the casserole to cool completely. Cover tightly or transfer leftovers to container with a lid. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, you bake in the oven at 350°F until the onion topping becomes crisp again. (Between 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your portion.)
You can also microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through, but the onions will remain soggy. You can always top with some extra fried onions to restore the crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, absolutely! See the Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole section for more details. Assemble the casserole in the pan without the crispy onion topping. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, pop it in your preheated oven until hot and bubbly. Top with the crispy onions and finish as directed.
A dry white wine with higher acidity will work best in this recipe, such as a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio. There’s no need to splurge, but you should pick a wine that tastes good enough for you to drink. You can check that the wine is vegan-friendly using Barnivore.
You can use a store-bought plant milk — ideally something creamy and neutral in flavor such as oat or cashew milk. Choose one that is unsweetened (or only very lightly-sweetened). Almond milk can work, but it tends to be more watery. Soy milk can work, but choose the brand carefully as some can leave a beany aftertaste.
You can also use a vegan cream substitute. Brands such as Silk, Califia Farms, Country Crock, etc., all have options. I recommend tasting first, because they all have distinct flavors and I think some taste better in dessert contexts.
While fresh green beans will retain the best texture, you can definitely sub in canned or frozen to save time. Note that they will have a mushier texture in the finished dish. For frozen green beans: Thaw them out overnight and drain the excess water before using. No need to blanch. For canned green beans: Just drain them and give them a rinse, as they are usually salted. You may need to reduce the salt in the sauce.
Sure, just deglaze with a splash of broth or even water. To replace some of the brightness that the white wine would normally add, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
I typically use cremini or white button mushrooms as they’re easy to find and affordable. However, feel free to splurge on a fancy blend of mushrooms to elevate the flavor of this dish even further! Shiitakes and porcinis are incredible in dishes like this.
Yes! Simply substitute in white rice flour (or a 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour blend) in for the flour in the roux. Check your store for gluten-free crispy onions. (At the time of writing, Sprouts brand crispy onions are gluten-free.) Just double-check the label.
More Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
- Classic Stuffing – Maybe the most popular side dish on Thanksgiving, our classic vegan stuffing is sure to satisfy that once-a-year craving.
- Scalloped Potatoes – Slices of potato baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce.
- Vegan Chicken Pot Pie – Not a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but would be a hit on any holiday dinner table!
- Pumpkin Bread – A delicious alternative to pumpkin pie. Mix in chocolate chips, nuts, or both!
For all of our Thanksgiving recipes, check out our Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Guide! There, you’ll find everything you need to have a holiday feast that’s 100% plant-based and unbeatably delicious.
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Vegan Green Bean Casserole (From Scratch)
Video
Ingredients
For the Green Bean Casserole
- 1 pounds green beans ends trimmed, cut in half
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced or chopped
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2-4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 chicken-style bouillon cube or 2 teaspoons chicken-style bouillon paste; see notes
- 1/4 cup dry white wine e.g. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay; or sub vegetable broth
- 1 cup homemade cashew milk recipe follows; or sub store-bought unsweetened oat or cashew milk
- 1 cup water more to adjust texture
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 cup vegan cheddar-style shreds (optional)
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups French fried onions divided
Homemade Cashew Milk
- 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked 4+ hours or overnight, or boiled 10 minutes
- 3/4 cups water
Instructions
Make the Homemade Cashew Milk (or sub store-bought plant milk)
- Combine soaked raw cashews with fresh water in a high powered blender and blend for several minutes, until completely smooth. Set aside. (To reduce steps on Thanksgiving day, the milk can be prepped a few days in advance and kept in the fridge in an airtight container until needed.)
Prepare the Green Beans
- Prep: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prep large bowl with ice water to shock the green beans.
- Blanch green beans: Add green beans and boil for 5-10 minutes. (5 for tender-crisp green beans, and up to 10 to make them extra tender.) Drain in a colander, then transfer to the ice bath to stop cooking. Once cooled, drain and shake off as much excess water as possible. Set aside.
Make the Creamy Mushroom Gravy
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease or butter a medium casserole or 8×8" baking pan.
- Sauté onions and mushrooms: In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, melt 1/4 cup vegan butter. Add in diced onions and minced garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until transparent. Then add in the sliced mushrooms and sauté for 8-10 minutes, until the extra moisture from the mushrooms has mostly cooked off.
- Make the roux: Sprinkle all-purpose flour over mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. The flour mixture may stick to the bottom of your pan — that's okay!
- Deglaze: Add dry white wine (or vegetable broth) to deglaze, scraping and stirring any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Make the gravy: Add in the homemade cashew cream (or store-bought plant milk) along with the chicken-style bouillon cube (or bouillon paste), and 1 cup water. Bring to a gentle boil and stir to dissolve the bouillon. Reduce heat and simmer to thicken. You can add extra water if needed to thin it out to your preferred consistency.
- Season the gravy: Remove from heat and stir in the thyme, onion powder, and garlic powder. Taste and season with salt and black pepper to preference. Then fold in 1/2 cup of the French fried onions.
- Add cheese (optional): Fold in the shredded vegan cheese now if you will be adding it.
Assemble the Green Bean Casserole
- Assemble and bake: Stir the blanched green beans into the gravy. Transfer to prepared baking pan or casserole dish and bake in preheated 350°F oven for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly.
- Crisp the top: Top with the remaining 1 cup French fried onions and place the casserole back in the oven for about 5-10 more minutes to make the onions extra crispy. (If you are prepping the dish ahead of time, I recommend waiting till the last few minutes to add the onions and crisp them up in the oven.)
Storage & Reheating
- To store, first allow the casserole to cool completely. Cover tightly or transfer leftovers to container with a lid. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, you bake in the oven at 350°F until the onion topping becomes crisp again. (Between 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your portion.)You can also microwave in 30-second bursts until warmed through, but the onions will remain soggy. You can always top with some extra fried onions to restore the crunch.
Notes
- Double batch: This recipe scales beautifully! For a double-batch, use a 9×13″ baking pan or large casserole dish and the same cook time.
Ingredient Notes
- White wine: Use a dry white wine such as a Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio. You can check that the wine is vegan-friendly using Barnivore. You can sub in an equal volume of extra veggie broth to deglaze the pan.
- Chicken-style veggie broth: My favorite cubes come from Edward & Sons, and my favorite pastes are from Zoup! or Better Than Bouillon, but there are lots of options out there. If you can’t find one, a regular veggie bouillon cube will work too.
- Vegan cheese: I typically don’t add cheese to my green bean casserole, but it is very tasty! I’m a big fan of the cheddar-style shreds from Violife, Follow Your Heart, and Daiya. You can also use vegan parmesan if you prefer that flavor profile.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Substitute in white rice flour (or a 1:1 gluten-free all purpose flour blend) in for the flour in the roux. Simple Truth Organic French Fried Onions are gluten-free (available at Kroger family stores).
- Canned or frozen green beans: You can substitute canned or frozen green beans for the fresh. No need to pre-cook them; thaw out the frozen green beans and drain them, or drain the canned ones before using.
- Plant milk: You can use a store-bought oat milk or cashew milk (these tend to produce the creamiest results). Make sure to use an unsweetened or very lightly-sweetened variety. Almond milk can work too but tends to be a bit more watery. You can also use canned coconut milk if you don’t mind the flavor, or a store-bought vegan heavy cream alternative. I recommend tasting them beforehand, since some of them are more geared towards use in desserts.
As one of the few Americans who had still never tried nor made green bean casserole, veganized or otherwise, I somehow got it into my head that I needed to make this “classic dish” after seeing the video posted on YouTube 😂 Prepared it pretty much exactly as the recipe stated, although I used frozen green beans soaked in hot water for a few minutes instead of fresh. The final outcome was super delicious and comforting! I really like how deglazing the pan with white wine gives it an elevated flavor that the traditional version probably lacks. Will definitely make this again!
Forgot to add, I did sprinkle some sliced almonds under the fried onions for extra texture, which was also really good.
Not the biggest fan , but I still ate it.
I have been vegan for almost two years and this was the first year I prepared a full plant based meal including these delicious green beans. The recipe was spot on and so easy to prepare. Thank you so much for sharing.
I had so much fun preparing this dish. It was prepped Thanksgiving Eve and cooked Thanksgiving day. I served it to family members that had never had a vegan Thanksgiving dish and it was their FAVORITE
(They made sure I packed them a to-go container). I’ve been reheating leftovers in the oven since Thursday… I rate this with 5 MMMMMs! Thank you for cooking and sharing.
That’s amazing! We’re so happy you and your family enjoyed it.
This was a great dish! I have a family member who doesn’t eat mushrooms, so I tried subbing them with a few tablespoons of soy sauce and it still came out great! Next time I want to try making it the night before, since the leftovers were so great. Definitely adding this to my holiday recipe rotation!
Awesome! Thank you for making it!