Vegan Green Bean Casserole

A super creamy & flavorful 9-ingredient dairy-free green bean casserole without mushroom soup or dairy! This vegan green bean casserole is healthier, adaptable, baked or air fried, and perfect for your holiday table!

Super Creamy Vegan Green Bean Casserole without Mushroom Soup

Traditional green bean casserole was actually the creation of Campbell’s soup in the 1950s as a recipe to use their canned mushroom soup with canned green beans and fried onions. While the resulting dish was undoubtedly flavorful, it was also loaded with unnecessary sodium, fat, processed ingredients, and dairy.

Luckily, you can follow this easy dairy-free green bean casserole recipe (from our cookbook The Friendly Vegan Cookbook) for a dish that’s easy to prepare, made primarily with fresh ingredients, and has plenty of flavor to enjoy on your Thanksgiving table and at other holidays, potlucks, and special events!

This vegan green bean casserole recipe ditches the canned soup and beans, replacing them with fresh or frozen green beans and a creamy mushroom cashew sauce (nut-free option available) for superior consistency, flavor, and nutritional value.  

Even without the ‘ease’ of all pre-prepared ingredients, this non-dairy green bean casserole is still super simple to throw together with minimal effort and just 9 ingredients (plus salt and pepper), with the option of using a homemade or store-bought onion topping. There are also several ways to adapt this recipe to various dietary and flavor preferences (including gluten-free, spicier, ‘cheesy’, etc.).

The resulting vegan green bean casserole recipe is super creamy yet healthier than the traditional version and perfect for serving during the holidays as a crowd-pleasing side dish alongside vegan stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, and homemade cranberry sauce!

Looking for more green bean recipes? Try out this simple green bean salad!

The Ingredients

Prepare this easy vegan green bean casserole recipe with under a dozen simple, inexpensive, and pantry-friendly ingredients.

• Green beans: Use fresh or frozen green beans (thawed first is best) for the best texture. While you can make green bean casserole with canned beans, the result will be mushier.
• Vegetable broth: Either prepared or a combination of vegetable bouillon/ stock cubes and water.
• Cashews: Raw unsalted cashews are our secret to a wonderfully rich, creamy, dairy-free green bean casserole. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seeds.
• Vegan butter: To create the roux to thicken the sauce. I love Miyoko’s or Earth balance.
• Aromatics: You’ll need onion and garlic. We prefer fresh garlic, but garlic powder will work in a pinch.
• Mushrooms: Regular button mushrooms work, but use brown mushrooms, like Chestnut button mushrooms, for the most flavor. Baby Bella (cremini mushrooms) also work great for robust flavor.
• Flour: All-purpose flour works great. To make vegan gluten-free green bean casserole, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill.
• Salt & black pepper: Season to taste. For more depth and umami, use soy sauce (or tamari if gluten-free) instead of salt.
• Crispy onions: We use store-bought crispy onions (ensure they’re GF if necessary). However, you could make a homemade onion topping (either crispy or caramelized). Method in recipe notes.

Add-ins & Recipe Variations

Add to this simple and delicious Thanksgiving green bean recipe in several ways, including:

• Herbs: Add more flavor to the filling with fresh or dried herbs added to taste, like oregano, thyme, or basil.
• Nutmeg: Add a small pinch to the mushroom sauce for a subtle yet noticeable depth.
• Nutritional yeast: Add a small amount to the mushroom cashew sauce for added umami and a subtle ‘cheesy’ flavor.
• For spice: Add chili/cayenne powder to the mushroom sauce or sprinkle some red pepper flakes into or over the vegan green bean casserole.
• Vegan bacon: Finely chopped and fried for added smoky flavor.
• Breadcrumbs/crushed nuts: To sprinkle over the top of the vegan bean casserole for even more crunch.
• Corn: Add a cup of frozen corn for delicious corn and green bean casserole.
• Water chestnuts: Add a can for bites of crisp texture.
• Cranberries: To sprinkle over the top for some sweetness.
• ‘Cheese’: To make vegan green bean casserole with vegan cheese, use some shredded melty plant-based cheese either into or over the non-dairy green bean casserole. Optionally, garnish the vegan casserole with dairy-free parmesan/nutritional yeast.

How to Make Vegan Green Bean Casserole?

• 1) First, rinse and trim the ends of the green beans by lining up the ends of a small bundle of beans, chopping off the end, turning them over, and repeating. Repeat this with the remaining beans.
• 2) Then, transfer the beans to a streamer basket and steam for 7 minutes before rinsing them with ice-cold water to halt the cooking process. Set them aside.

If you’re making green bean casserole with frozen green beans, they’re already par-cooked, so there’s no need to complete this step. Instead, stir them (thawed first is best) into the sauce at the end of step 7.

• 3) Meanwhile, in a high-powered blender, combine 1 cup of vegetable broth with the cashews and blend on high until smooth and creamy.

It may help to give the machine a break now and then, stopping to scrape down the sides.

• 4) Then, blend in the remaining vegetable broth and salt and pepper and set aside.

• 5) Preheat the oven to 375F/190C, melt the vegan butter over a large pot and then clean (with a damp cloth) and slice the mushrooms, dice the onion, and roughly chop the garlic.

• 6) Melt the vegan butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• 7) Sprinkle in the flour and whisk well for 2-3 minutes to create a thickened roux. Then, bit by bit, pour in the cashew mixture, whisking continuously. Turn the heat off once you’ve added all the liquid and it’s thickened to your desired level.

The mixture will thicken quickly as you pour in the liquid. To avoid lumps, whisk throughout this entire step (2-3 minutes).

• 8) Spoon the green beans into a 9×13-inch baking dish, mix with the creamy dairy-free mushroom sauce, and mix well to combine. Top that off with an even layer of fried onions, and bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Air Fryer Green Bean Casserole

Follow the above recipe until step 8, then transfer the ingredients (minus the crispy onions) to a baking dish that fits your air fryer basket (like an 8-inch square) and cook at 350F/175C for 11-12 minutes, stirring halfway. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Enjoy!

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Time-saving hack: Use pre-sliced mushrooms and diced onions. You can even purchase pre-trimmed and chopped green beans.
• For the most flavor: Use brown mushrooms rather than white ones.
• For a homemade onion topping: For crispy onions, sauté them until lightly browned and crisp in plenty of oil. For caramelized onions, cook them over low for 40-60 minutes until well caramelized.
• Adjust the green bean texture: Steam them for less or more time, depending on whether you prefer tender-crisp or more tender beans.  

Storage Recommendations

To make the dairy-free green bean casserole ahead, prepare the filling 1-2 days in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator. Leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, adding the fried onions just before it goes in the oven.

Once baked, store the leftovers either covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Reheat it in the microwave (in 30-second increments until hot) or oven at 350F/175C until heated through and the onion becomes crispy again.

Can You Freeze Green Bean Casserole?

We prefer to freeze the green bean casserole pre-baking, without the onions, ready to thaw and bake as needed. However, you can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Just note that the beans and onions will be mushier after thawing (leave in fridge overnight to thaw).

More Vegan Side Dishes

• Easy glazed carrots
• Vegan mashed cauliflower
• Sweet and salty Brussels sprouts
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with cranberries
• Mushroom stuffing
• Simple vegan gravy

You may also enjoy browsing these 45 vegan Thanksgiving recipes.

Photos by Alfonso Revilla