This creamy vegan green bean casserole is the perfect holiday side dish. This classic recipe has been reimagined to include all of the good stuff; green beans, mushrooms, a creamy sauce, and a crunchy onion topping, but without the dairy or gluten! It’s simple and easy, tastes like the original, and is only better!
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It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without green bean casserole! This iconic American side dish is a must for the holidays! However, if you or a friend or family member are vegan, preparing this iconic dish the traditional way means that you won’t be able to enjoy it.
This recipe has all of the classic components of the traditional dish, the creamy mushroom sauce, and the crunchy onion topping, but it’s vegan and gluten-free.
This vegan checks all of the boxes, but it’s lower in fat and calories and doesn’t use processed ingredients. It’s a whole food plant-based take, making it suitable for those on a special diet.
Try these simple vegan green beans with a citrus glaze for another classic side dish!
💗 Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy to prepare
- Creamy and dairy-free sauce made with soy milk
- No processed ingredients
- Crunchy gluten-free onion topping
- Suitable for those with food allergies
- Heart healthy
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Frozen or Fresh Green Beans: Fresh or frozen work well. I used a 16 oz package of frozen green beans.
Sliced Mushrooms: Save yourself some time by using pre-sliced and cleaned mushrooms. Mini bellas work well for this recipe.
Vegetable Broth: Instead of butter or oil, vegetable broth is used to sauté the vegetables, reducing the overall calories and fat.
Gluten-Free Flour: Used to create a roux for the cream sauce.
Soy Milk: I find that soy milk works best as a dairy-free substitute to create a thick and creamy sauce. You could also use coconut milk or oat milk. However, if you choose to use coconut milk, the sauce will have a coconut flavor.
Dijon Mustard: Adds flavor to the cream sauce.
Sage: Fresh or dried sage. I prefer using dried sage for this recipe as the flavor is more concentrated.
Oregano: Dried and used in the sauce.
Salt and Black Pepper: Added to your taste preference.
Thinly Sliced White Onion: For the crunchy onion topping. I don’t recommend using canned fried onions like the traditional recipe as they are high in fat and calories and have added processed ingredients.
Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs: Creates a gluten-free crunchy topping.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Add the green beans and then the mushrooms to the casserole dish. Set aside.
- In a saucepan on low heat, add two tablespoons of vegetable stock. Stir in the flour until a paste is formed. Add soy milk, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, sage, and oregano. Whisk the mixture together. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer until desired consistency is reached. Remove from the heat, and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoon of vegetable stock to a large skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions. Sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle gluten-free breadcrumbs overtop. Continue to sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes to get crispy onions and toast the breadcrumbs.
- Pour the cream sauce over the mushrooms and the green beans. Top with onions and breadcrumbs. Add a touch more breadcrumbs if you desire.
- Bake for 35 minutes uncovered. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
❓ FAQS
The best way to keep the casserole from becoming soupy or watery is to add a thickener. The cream sauce uses a roux to thicken the sauce. If you don’t want to use gluten-free flour to create a roux you can use cornstarch instead.
Green bean casserole was initially developed by the Campbell Soup Company in 1955. Using a can of cream of mushroom soup and green beans, it was meant to be a quick and easy side dish that used ingredients most Americans had on hand.
The recipe was printed on the back of the Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup cans. It took off as a must-have comfort food around the holidays because it’s comforting and evokes a sense of nostalgia and tradition. It’s also easy to prepare in large quantities, making it a convenient side dish for Thanksgiving gatherings.
🍽 How to Serve
This recipe is a must-have Thanksgiving and holiday side dish. If you’re looking for a dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free main dish to serve it with, I suggest my meatless meatloaf or my vegan potato casserole with cauliflower. I also have many options for vegan turkey alternatives that give you many ideas of main dishes to serve at your holiday meal.
🫙 How to Store and Keep
Refrigerator: Store in the casserole dish covered with plastic wrap or another cover. This recipe will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge covered.
Freezer: Transfer the green bean casserole to a freezer-safe container. Mark with the date and contents. It will keep frozen for 2-3 months.
Reheat: When ready to reheat, transfer to an oven-safe container and bake at 375° F for 30 minutes or until warm and bubbly.
💭 Expert Tips
- There is no need to defrost the green beans before cooking.
- Buy pre-sliced mushrooms to save yourself a step.
- Be sure to use unsweetened plain soy milk, with no vanilla or sugar added. If you can’t find unsweetened soy milk, use unsweetened coconut milk or cashew milk.
- Use coconut milk, soy milk, or coconut cream. I prefer soy milk because it doesn’t have a coconut flavor undertone. Just be sure to buy unsweetened and unflavored.
- Since this recipe doesn’t use butter to create a roux, it’s important to whisk continuously so that the flour incorporates with the milk.
- If you do not need to worry about gluten-free friends or family, you can buy the French fried onion topping and use that instead.
😋 More Thanksgiving Recipes!
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⚖️ Serving Size
This casserole bakes eight large servings. However, if you are preparing this recipe as one of many side dishes for the holidays, it can easily stretch to 12 servings.
Recipe
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 oz frozen green beans
- ¾ cup sliced mushrooms
- 4 tablespoon vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon gluten-free flour
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon sage
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 small white onion finely sliced
- ¼ cup gluten free Panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Add green beans, then mushrooms to casserole dish. Set aside.
- In a saucepan on low heat, add 2 tbsps of vegetable stock. Stir in the gluten-free flour until a paste is formed. Add soy milk, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, sage, and oregano. Whisk together. Continue to whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat, and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoon of vegetable stock to fry pan. Add thinly sliced onions. Sauté until soft about 3 minutes. Sprinkle gluten-free breadcrumbs overtop. Continue to sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes or until breadcrumbs are toasted and onions begin to brown.
- Pour cream sauce overtop the mushrooms and green beans. Top with onions and breadcrumbs. Add a touch more breadcrumbs if you desire.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Nutrition facts are estimated.
- Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in the oven or microwave.
- It will freeze for 2-3 months.
- There is no need to defrost the green beans before cooking.
- Buy pre-sliced mushrooms to save yourself a step.
- Be sure to use unsweetened plain soy milk, with no vanilla or sugar added. If you can’t find unsweetened soy milk, use unsweetened coconut or cashew milk.
- Since this recipe doesn’t use butter to create a roux, it’s important to whisk continuously so that the flour incorporates with the milk.
Lizet Bowen
This is such a great alternative. I need to make it for our Thanksgiving dinner. I know my neighbor we’ll be happy to see I have a classic dish she can enjoy.
Anita
Finally a great dairy-free option green bean casserole that I would be proud to serve for Thanksgivings dinner. 🙂
Angela
A great casserole when you need an alternative to the original. My family loved it.
Beth
My sister in law always made these with canned mushroom soup and green beans! Blech! I can’t wait to try your recipe because I’m dairy intolerant! Thanks for a more delicious option than hers!