Say hello to the most delicious vegan green bean casserole recipe on the internet. This vegan green bean casserole is made with fresh green beans, mushrooms, a vegan roux, and fried onions!
Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole!
The holidays are upon us and you’ve asked time and time again for more vegan Thanksgiving recipes!
We’re here today sharing a delicious vegan green bean casserole made with fresh green beans and the most scrumptious homemade mushroom gravy you’ve ever tried! This recipe is dairy-free and we’re sharing tips to make it gluten-free too!
PS: there is no cream of mushroom soup involved in this recipe because it’s 100% homemade from scratch.
Vegan Swaps
I know what you’re thinking…a vegan green bean casserole not made with butter or milk? Listen, it can be done and it WILL be tasty!
This recipe tastes exactly like a traditional green bean casserole but uses simple swaps to make it plant-based. Let’s check it out.
What does green bean casserole taste like? This popular Thanksgiving side dish is savory and saucy with a hint of mushrooms and garlic. It tastes very similar to classic green bean casserole, but without dairy.
We are huge fans of cooking from scratch and with fresh ingredients whenever possible. This recipe features fresh green beans, Bella mushrooms, onion, and garlic.
- fresh green beans – the fresher the better!
- olive oil – you can also try a vegan butter, if you’d like.
- Bella mushrooms – mushrooms add such an amazing flavor to the homemade creamy sauce.
- white onion – onion is another flavor powerhouse. Feel free to use any color.
- minced garlic – anyone else naturally double the garlic in every recipe? Feel free to do that here!
- fried onions – we kept this part super simple and actually used a store-bought fried onion product. Just read the label and make sure it’s plant-based.
- white whole wheat flour – this is used to make the roux AKA the thickening agent for the sauce.
- unsweetened almond milk – almond milk is also used in the roux. Feel free to use whatever plant-based milk you choose.
- Worcestershire sauce – a little goes a long way. This adds a flavor blast of salty and savory.
- vegetable broth – veggie broth is used to thin things out a bit. It helps the sauce go a LONG way.
The only ingredient in this recipe that is not naturally gluten-free is the white whole wheat flour. You need some kind of flour to create your roux, which is what thickens the sauce. So, simply swap the white whole wheat flour for an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
Also, make sure to buy a gluten-free friendly Worchestershire sauce. Some sauces can be sneaky with additional, unnecessary ingredients!
More of our Favorite…
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
Looking for more healthy Thanksgiving recipes to fill your holiday table with? Check out all of our best turkey day recipes in one spot!
How to Make Vegan Green Bean Casserole (step by step)
Follow our super simple tutorial to whip this vegan Thanksgiving recipe up in less than an hour!
Good news for you is that this recipe is made with the freshest of green beans! Can green beans –> no thank you.
The first step in making green bean casserole is prepping your green beans. Rinse them under cold water and pat them dry. Then, use a pair of kitchen sheers (a knife works too) to snip off the ends of each bean. You can also break the neds right off too!
Transfer green beans right into a greased 9×13-inch casserole dish and set aside.
You’ll notice that there is no need to boil and/or drain your green beans. Why? Because all of the cooking happens in the oven!
Who needs cream of mushroom soup when you can make your own mushroom gravy in just a few steps? Not us!
Next, saute mushrooms, onions, and garlic in olive oil for 5-8 minutes. The goal here is to remove moisture from your mushrooms and cook them down.
Now, it’s time to ditch the store-bought creamy mushroom soup for a homemade mushroom gravy. In order to thicken up your gravy, we must make a vegan roux! Here’s how to do it:
- Heat a saucepan over medium/high heat. Add olive oil. Add flour and whisk until a crumble or paste forms.
- While continuing to whisk (this is important), slowly add in almond milk. Continue Whisking for around 3-5 minutes over medium heat until it begins to thicken.
- Once thick, you can remove your roux from the heat and add Worcestershire, salt, pepper, garlic powder, fresh thyme, and vegetable broth and whisk until combined.
- Finally, add in the sauteed mushrooms and mix to combine.
Pour the delicious mushroom gravy sauce right on top of your green beans and use a wooden utensil to mix to combine. Make sure that all green beans are coated in the gravy.
We wanted to make this vegan green bean casserole extra saucy because everyone needs a little sauce in their life.
Cover casserole dish and bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and mix. Then, cover again and bake for 15 more minutes, covered.
Remove and mix one more time. Taste your green beans and bake for 10-15 more minutes, covered, or until green beans are tender and cooked.
The last step is to add the fried onions! Now, we kept things pretty simple and use a store-bought fried onion for this recipe, but you can make your own.
Mix 1/2 cup into the casserole and then top the casserole with another full cup.
Get sassy and make our famous caramelized onions. You can see how we made them crunchy in our healthy green bean casserole.
You can even swap the onions for toasted breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs, too!
This Thanksgiving side dish is a great one to make ahead of time. Follow these super-simple instructions on how to do so:
- Make the casserole as is following steps 1-7 in the recipe card. Do NOT mix in or top it with the fried onions.
- Let the casserole cool completely and then cover it.
- Place casserole in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF and bake the casserole, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir, and see how warm it is.
- Bake the casserole for an additional 10-15 minutes as need.
- Before you’re ready to serve, mix in 1/2 cup of fried onions and then top it with another 1 cup.
Got leftovers? Store your casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Reheating Directions
To reheat, you can either microwave on high for 90 seconds to 2 minutes OR add the entire casserole into a medium frying pan and reheat on low/medium for 5-10 minutes.
More of our Favorite…
Vegan Thanksgiving Recipes
- Green Beans Almondine (sub butter for more olive oil)
- Delicata Squash
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes (use vegan butter and use dairy-free yogurt)
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Vegan Mushroom Gravy
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Print Rate
Casserole Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. fresh green beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8–0z. bella mushrooms, chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 medium white onion, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1.5 cups fried onions (we used French’s, but you can make homemade)
Roux Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- First, preheat oven to 375ºF. Then, generously spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking.
- Next, wash and pat dry fresh green beans and then snip the ends off with a pair of scissors. Place green beans on the bottom of the casserole dish and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Then, add mushroom and salt and saute 3-5 minutes. Then, add onion and garlic and continue to saute for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Make a roux by heating a medium saucepan over medium/high heat. Add olive oil. When olive oil is fragrant, add flour and whisk until a crumble or paste forms. While continuing to whisk, slowly pour in almond milk. Whisk for 3-5 minutes over medium heat until it begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat and add Worcestershire, salt, pepper, garlic powder, fresh thyme, and vegetable broth and whisk until combined.
- Next, add the mushroom mixture into the sauce and mix to combine. Pour sauce on top of the green beans and mix to combine.
- Cover casserole dish and bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes. Remove and mix. Cover again and bake for 15 more minutes, covered. Remove and mix one more time. Taste your green beans and bake for 10-15 more minutes, covered, or until green beans are cooked.
- Once your green beans are fully cooked, add 1/2 cup of fried onions to your casserole and mix. Then, top the casserole with 1 more cup of fried onions.
Serving Size: 1/8 Calories: 218 Sugar: 4 Fat: 15 Carbohydrates: 19 Fiber: 4 Protein: 4 Author: Lee FunkeCategory: SideMethod: OvenCuisine: AmericanDiet: Vegan
Keywords: vegan green bean casserole
