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.
Print
Pin
Servings: 6
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 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.
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.