Vegan Green Bean Casserole (From Scratch)
This Vegan Green Bean Casserole is a from-scratch take on a Thanksgiving classic. Fresh green beans, sautéed mushrooms, and a creamy homemade sauce come together for the perfect cozy, plant-based holiday side dish — no canned soup required.
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Servings: 6
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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 8x8" 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 9x13" 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 394mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 554IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg
The nutrition information provided on Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen is an estimate and is offered for general informational purposes only. Values will vary depending on the specific brands and amounts used.