It's not a holiday dinner without Vegan Green Bean Casserole! It's taken me a while to attempt to veganize this classic Thanksgiving side dish. It was once my favorite dish and I didn't want to be disappointed.
Luckily, this vegan version is just as good as the original thanks to the crispy onions! So let this classic side return to your holiday table.
Why You'll Love This Casserole
- No canned soup: This recipe tastes just like the original but without canned soup or dairy!
- Crispy fried onions: The crispy fried onions make this dish. Luckily, they are vegan.
- Holidays and more: While it definitely has it's place on your holiday table, green bean casserole is also great as a side dish any time of year.
- Quick and easy: This only takes about 30 minutes start to finish.
Ingredients Needed
- Canned green beans: French-style canned is the best type to use.
- Mushrooms: I use regular white button mushrooms.
- Vegan butter
- All purpose flour
- Vegetable broth: Homemade or packaged
- Non-dairy milk: I find almond milk works best in this dish. You can also use unsweetened rice or soy milk, but soy will add more of a flavor.
- Soy sauce
- Crispy fried onions: Find these in your local grocery store. French's is my favorite brand.
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder
How To Make Vegan Green Bean Casserole
1. To begin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Finely chop the mushrooms and measure out about 1 cup worth.
3. Next, it's time to make the creamy sauce. In a large pan or cast-iron skillet, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms and cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add in the flour and whisk to combine. Continue to cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently.
5. Add in the veggie broth and whisk until very well combined. The sauce will start to thicken.
6. Add the unsweetened almond milk, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powder.
7. Cook for 5 minutes while whisking occasionally. The sauce will continue to thicken.
8. In a 9" x 9" casserole dish, pour in the drained green beans. Make sure there is no excess water with the green beans.
9. Add ½ cup of the crispy fried onions to the green beans. Pour the creamy mushroom sauce into the baking dish and stir until well combined.
10. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of crispy fried onions over the top of the creamy green bean mixture.
11. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
- Even if you prefer fresh green beans, in this recipe canned French style green beans are best. Make sure they are well drained before putting them in the baking dish. If you must use fresh, check out the FAQs for tips.
- I recommend Earth Balance vegan butter.
- My favorite brand of crispy fried onions is French's. Don't double the amount of fried onions you put in, even if you love them. I made that mistake once and it came out really oily.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator
Once cooled, transfer the casserole to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat
Reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1 minute. You can also reheat in the oven at 350 for 7-10 minutes.
My Thanksgiving Menu
I love cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Over the years I've been veganizing my favorite dishes to serve alongside the originals. And in some cases, I've completely replaced the originals with vegan versions.
Here is what I typically cook for our Thanksgiving Dinner.
- Roasted Turkey (for the non-vegans)
- Vegan Roast (I like Trader Joe's one.)
- Mashed Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole
- Best Savory Vegan Stuffing
- Easy Vegan Cornbread Casserole With Jiffy Mix
- Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
- Another Vegetable - either roasted asparagus or collard greens
- Cranberry Sauce (both homemade and from a can)
- Gravy (traditional and mushroom gravy)
- Dinner Rolls
Recipe FAQs
Yes, feel free to use olive oil. I prefer the flavor of vegan butter but both options work.
Yes. But if you want to use fresh, you need to cook them first. Boil them for about 5 minutes and rinse in cold water. Then continue with the recipe using the cooked green beans.
I like using button mushrooms but cremini work well too.
Sure. You can sauté the garlic (about 1-2 cloves) with the mushrooms before adding the flour.
It could be because the canned green beans weren't well drained. Make sure there's no extra water in the green beans. To fix it afterwards, just use a spoon to try to get some of the liquid out of it.
Did you know that rating and commenting on recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite food bloggers? If you try the recipe, please click the star rating on the recipe card and add a comment below. Thanks!
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ¾ cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (or less depending on salt preference)
- 2 cans French style green beans, drained
- 1 ½ cups crispy fried onions, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Prepare the mushrooms by finely chopping them.
- In a large skillet, melt the vegan butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the flour and whisk to combine. Keep whisking as it cooks for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable broth and whisk until very well combined.
- Add the unsweetened almond milk, soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder. Cook for 5 minutes while whisking occasionally. Sauce will thicken.
- Pour the drained green beans in a 9" x 9" baking dish.
- Add ½ cup of the crispy fried onions to the green beans.
- Pour in the creamy mushroom sauce into the baking dish and stir until combined.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of crispy fried onions over the top of the creamy green bean mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Let sit about 10 minutes before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
- Even if you prefer fresh green beans, in this recipe canned French style green beans are best. Make sure they are well drained before putting them in the baking dish. If you must use fresh, check out the FAQs for tips.
- I recommend Earth Balance vegan butter.
- My favorite brand of crispy fried onions is French's. Don't double the amount of fried onions you put in, even if you love them. I made that mistake once and it came out really oily.
Sam says
I’m not vegan but some family members are. Since I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year I’m trying to accommodate everyone. I tried this out and it was great! It tastes just like the original. Thanks for the recipe.
jencardenas says
Thanks Sam for the comment and for trying a vegan recipe! I'm sure your family members will appreciate it.