Vegan Green Bean Casserole
This is literally the BEST Vegan Green Bean Casserole I have ever had. It is comforting, creamy and crunchy all at the same time. Perfect holiday side!
I took a poll on Instagram stories to see what recipe you guys NEEDED this Thanksgiving and the overwhelming answer was a Vegan Green Bean Casserole! Well you asked for it, so here it is. And I am so excited to share this one.
Not only is it freaking delicious, it is super easy to make! And can you really go wrong with green beans swimming in a creamy onion sauce and then topped with crispy onions?!? The answer is no, trust me.
To make or buy the crunchy onions
When it comes to a green bean casserole, you have 2 options for that crunchy topping. Make it from scratch, or buy it pre-made. I went the pre-made route. It is faster, easier and it is so easy to find crispy onions at just about any grocery store.
I got mine at Trader Joe’s, but you can buy them online or at your regular grocery store as well!
Why didn’t I use mushrooms?
Well, to be honest, I don’t love mushrooms. I like them in some recipes, but I really wanted this one to highlight the onions. And you still get a great flavor without using mushrooms, trust me.
If you absolutely have to have them, go ahead and add a cup of chopped mushrooms while the onions and garlic are cooking down. This will add more water to the sauce, so just keep that in mind and adjust your flour ratio if needed.
Can I make this ahead of time?
This is best prepared and served right away. Mostly because the green beans will continue to cook as they sit in the casserole dish. BUT, if you need to make this ahead of time, I would prep the green beans (through the ice bath step) and place them, drained, in a container. Then prep the sauce, let it cool, and place it in a separate container. Refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to serve, combine the sauce and the green beans in a casserole dish. Stir to combine and top with the rest of the crispy onions. Pop it in the oven, covered, at a lower temperature (around 375) for 20-30 minutes. Remove the cover and broil the top for 2-3 minutes.
This is if you want to prep everything a full day before serving. If it is just going to be a couple hours, then make the casserole, cover it, and reheat in the oven right before serving.
Need more vegan Thanksgiving recipes? Check out these:
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans ends trimmed and broken in half
- salt
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 cup broth*
- 1 cup non-dairy milk unsweetened
- salt to taste
- 1.5 cups crispy onions separated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Rinse the green beans then trim the ends and break them in half. Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water then add the green beans. Cook for exactly 5 minutes.
- Drain the green beans, then immediately add them to a bowl of ice water. Set them aside.
- Place the pot back on the stove over medium heat. Add the vegan butter and allow it to melt. Add the onion, garlic and pepper to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If anything starts to brown, turn down the heat.
- Add the flour, thyme and poultry seasoning and stir until everything is coated. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and non-dairy milk. Cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened, whisking frequently.
- Add 1/2 cup of the crispy onions and stir to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Drain the green beans from the ice water and add them to the pot. Stir until everything is coated. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and top with the remaining crispy onions.
- Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the top is crispy and the green beans are bubbling. This is best served immediately.
Video
Notes
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I made this last year for Thanksgiving and it was a hit. Absolutely delicious! I’m definitely making it again this year and highly recommend it.
Can this be made in microwave or crockpot to free up oven space?
Hi Vernette – I haven’t tried either method, so I couldn’t say for sure. What I would do instead, is cook it entirely on the stovetop. To get the crispy topping, I’d toast some of the onions in a pan and add them to the green beans right before serving.
Which non-dairy milk do you recommend using?
I usually use soy for savory recipes, but any unsweetened non-dairy milk will work!
This is the best green bean casserole I’ve ever had. Vegan or not. I made it for my husband and I for our solo Thanksgiving dinner and it was so good. I added a few finely chopped mushrooms to mine. I’ll make this every year!
Yay! So glad you found a new recipe to add to your Thanksgiving menu!
This is so much better than a traditional green bean casserole. So creamy and was really easy to throw together.
Yay! I’m so happy you liked it!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I think next time, I’ll add some mushrooms.
Yay! So glad you liked it!
instead of dairy free milk, could a dairy free heavy cream be used instead?
Totally! That would be delicious!
Can’t wait to try this Rene, looks really good…btw, your videos are looking great, nice job.
Thank you!
If I use frozen beans for this: Would I thaw and not do the 5min hot water bath. Or do from frozen and follow all directions as wrote?
If your frozen beans are already cooked, then yes, skip the cooking step. If they are raw, I would thaw them and still cook them 👍
I haven’t made this yet, but I am certainly going too ! It looks delicious and I love green bean casserole. May I ask a few questions ? For the flour, can I use rice flour ? ( I try to avoid gluten and regular white flour ). Which type of milk did you use for this ? I know you said non dairy, but was it rice, oat, or some other flavor ? Thank you so much. I love your website !
GF flour should work – it is just used as a thickener. And for savory dishes my go-to non-dairy milk is soy or oat 👍