This vegan green bean casserole recipe uses fresh green beans and homemade cream of mushroom soup. It's an updated version of the classic Thanksgiving side dish!
It takes 30 minutes to bake so you're not using too much precious oven time.
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I remember eating "traditional" green bean casserole as a child. You know, the kind made with canned green beans, Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, and French's Crispy Fried Onions. It's a side dish that really delivers—it's salty, creamy, crunchy, and comforting with a hint of vegetable.
A great Thanksgiving side
This casserole is quick to throw together and makes a perfect Thanksgiving side dish. Blanched green beans are coated in creamy mushroom soup and topped with crispy fried onions before and after baking. Its a little crunchy, a little creamy, and the fresh beans still offer a little "snap" when you bite into them.
As a vegan, canned cream of mushroom soup is out of the question. Still, a vegan green bean casserole made with fresh green beans and homemade cream of mushroom soup is almost as easy.
I don't know if green bean casserole is specifically a Thanksgiving dish, but that's when people make it most often. The recipe is easy enough to make any time of the year though!
Prep ahead of time
Since this recipe uses fresh ingredients, it's going to take a little longer to make than the canned goods version. I know time and oven space is limited on Thanksgiving day, so prepare the casserole in advance.
You can start the prep work for this dish 2-3 days ahead of time. I'd actually recommend it to save time since you have to make the mushroom soup separately.
The dish will be ready to go from the fridge to the oven when it's time for dinner. Just add the french fried onions!
- Make the Cream of Mushroom Soup and wash and chop the green beans up to 2-3 days in advance.
- Mix everything (except the french fried onions) in a baking dish or casserole dish the day before. Add the milk (I recommend almond milk for a nutty flavor), seasonings, salt, and pepper.
- When you're ready for dinner, add the french fried onions and bake the casserole.
Doubling the recipe
If you're cooking for a crowd, this recipe doubles (or triples) well. Just make sure to double all of the ingredients, including the mushroom soup. Leftovers are essential on Thanksgiving!
Cream of Mushroom Soup
I scoured supermarket shelves looking for a suitable substitute for condensed cream of mushroom, but everything had dairy. Luckily, it's really easy to make a substitution for cream of mushroom soup. It's basically a mix between gravy and cream soup.
Head over to my recipe for Cream of Mushroom Soup, which you'll need for the green bean casserole recipe. You'll also learn about my distaste for mushrooms in that post. I didn't know green bean casserole had mushrooms in it because that Campbell's stuff doesn't actually taste like mushrooms.
You can use the Cream of Mushroom Soup for other casseroles too! Or eat it on its own if you like. It's much fresher than the kind that comes in a can.
If you prefer to use store bought mushroom soup, it's fine to use. It just might be difficult to find a vegan version.
Vegan French Fried Onions
Are they called french fried onions or crispy fried onions? Or are they only "french" because the brand name of the most popular fried onions is French's? No matter what, they're delicious, and most (if not all) brands are vegan!
I used the Trader Joe's Gourmet Fried Onion Pieces for my casserole. You can get the classic French's Fried Onions, 365 brand at Whole Foods, and many other store brands. Just make sure to read the ingredients to confirm that they're vegan.
If you have leftovers, you can keep them for snacking or as a salad topper. They would be a mighty fine addition to my Roasted Squash & Pear Fall Salad, or on top of Kale Pesto Pasta.
Canned vs fresh green beans
To be totally honest, the recipe tastes a little (okay, a lot) different than the casserole you might remember from childhood. That's because the ingredients are fresh!
If you're eating the casserole solely for nostalgia, you can remedy that by using canned green beans. It'll up the mush factor and that "straight outta the can" flavor. I'm not judging. In fact, I will probably do the same thing next time because I love canned green beans.
I made the substitution easy by calling for the green beans by volume vs weight. Simply swap the 4 cups fresh green beans with 4 cups canned green beans. This is somewhere between 2-3 cans.
This recipe isn't an exact science, so you can toss the rest of the beans into the casserole, or snack on them while you're cooking.
Now that you've sourced all of your recipe components, onto the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
This vegan green bean casserole uses fresh green beans and homemade cream of mushroom soup for an updated version of the classic Thanksgiving side dish.
Ingredients
- 1 batch Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 4 cups green beans, washed and cut in half
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 ½ cups crispy fried onions
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the Cream of Mushroom Soup according to recipe directions. Set aside.
Blanch the green beans:
- Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, bring to a boil, then add the green beans.
- Cook until bright green and tender, 7-8 minutes.
- Immediately stop the cooking by placing the beans in an ice bath or running under cold water.
To prepare the casserole:
- Place the blanched green beans in a large casserole dish.
- Stir the non-dairy milk to the Cream of Mushroom Soup, then pour over the green beans, stirring to coat. The soup should be the consistency of a milkshake.
- Add ½ cup of the crispy fried onions to the casserole and stir to incorporate.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes.
- Uncover, top with the remaining 1 cup of fried onions, then bake uncovered for 5-8 more minutes.
- Serve immediately, topping each serving with more onions if desired.
Notes
- This recipe calls for my homemade Cream of Mushroom soup. Find the recipe here.
- If you'd like to use canned green beans, replace the fresh green beans with 2 cans of green beans.
- I'd recommend using almond, oat, or cashew milk for this recipe. Soy milk can overpower the delicate flavors.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: ¼ recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 255Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 804mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 6g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.
Looking for more vegan Thanksgiving ideas?
- Check out my semi homemade vegan Thanksgiving guide! Sometimes there just isn't time to make everything from scratch. Luckily, there are plenty of options for store bought vegan roasts and Thanksgiving sides.
- What's Thanksgiving without stuffing? I love making this Sage Stuffing. I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe if your family loves stuffing!
- Need some new ideas for your leftovers? Try my Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza! It calls for leftover gravy and cranberry sauce as "marinara". You can top it with mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and more! Maybe just not the pumpkin pie.
Brian
DELICIOUS!!!!