This healthy vegan green bean casserole recipe is creamy and flavourful, without using canned soup! It makes for the perfect gluten free vegetable side dish.
I have very few holiday memories that DON’T feature a green bean casserole. I would even argue that a holiday dinner spread just isn’t quite complete without one.
While I love the flavour and creaminess of a delicious green bean casserole, I always felt like it could do without the addition of canned mushroom soup. And hey – nothing against mushroom soup! Those bad boys have gotten me through sick days in my childhood more times than I can count. But with a little bit of culinary magic, I promise you won’t even notice the difference with this vegan green bean casserole.
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
This vegan green bean casserole ditches the usual canned mushroom soup for the real deal – fresh cremini mushroom. We also make a simple and savoury cream sauce that is totally vegan and 100% drool worthy. The best part about this recipe is topping it off with crispy onions for a little extra crunch and flavour. Pass the beans please!
Key Ingredients
Green Beans – I like to use fresh blanched green beans for this recipe. While you can use frozen if you prefer, the end result won’t be as crispy and the frozen variety may result in a more watery casserole.
Spices – we use a blend of salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder. Simple and to the point, but will bring out the savoury flavours of this dish.
Casserole Sauce – to make the sauce, we combine a mixture of vegetable broth, almond milk, lemon juice, coconut aminos and tahini. We also make a delicious slurry using vegetable broth and gluten free flour to help thicken the sauce.
Crispy Onions – to really boost the flavour and texture of the green bean casserole, we like to add a special touch by topping it off with some crispy onions. These are insanely delicious and I highly recommend you don’t skip out on this step!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Blanch green beans in a large pot of boiling water. Blanch them for a few minutes so they are tender but still crisp. Remove the green beans from the water and run them under hot water to stop them from continuing to cook.
Step 2: Heat your butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until very soft. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
Step 3: Add the mushrooms and half of the thyme, pepper, salt and garlic powder. Stir for a few minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
Step 4: Make a slurry with ¼ cup of the vegetable broth and the flour.
Step 5: Pour the remaining vegetable broth into the skillet along with the almond milk, lemon juice, coconut aminos and tahini and stir. Once the mixture begins to bubble, add the slurry to the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens.
Step 6: Add the green beans to the pan and coat the green beans in the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat.
Step 7: Pour the green bean mixture into a 9”x13” baking dish. Top with crispy onions. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until the onions are browned and the sauce is bubbly. Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before eating.
Expert Tips
We used gluten-free crispy onions from Whole Foods but you can also make your own by following this how-to recipe here.
Feel free to use your favorite milk of choice for this recipe. I used a full-fat dairy-free almond milk which made it super creamy. If you can’t find full fat almond milk, you can combine any store-bought unsweetened almond milk with a little coconut milk to help boost the fat content.
The thickness of coconut aminos tends to vary by brand. We used a thicker variety which only required 2 tablespoons, but if you are using a thinner brand like, you can use 3 or even more tablespoons. You can also swap out the coconut aminos for a low-sodium gluten-free tamari. If you do this, use a bit less salt than the recipe calls for and adjust salt to taste.
Recipe FAQs
Yes this recipe is totally gluten-free for all my gluten intolerant friends.
Oh you absolutely can! And it would make it totally delish. If you don’t need to make this vegan you can add a cup of gruyère, parmesan, or Monterey jack for the last 10 minutes in the oven. You can also use any shredded vegan cheese as well if you want to keep this recipe vegan friendly.
Super simple! All you gotta do is coat sliced onion rings with flour, panko, and salt and pop them in the oven until golden brown. You can follow this recipe right here.
More Recipes You Might Like
Here are more of my favourite casserole recipes that you might also enjoy!
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole (Gluten Free)
- Cauliflower Rice Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli
- Mexican Pasta Casserole (Vegan)
- Cajun Sausage and Cauliflower Rice Casserole
Do you love a good veggie casserole this time of year? Have you every made green bean casserole without canned soup before?
Vegan Green Bean Casserole (Healthy with No Canned Soup)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. green beans trimmed and blanched
- 2 tbsp. butter or vegan butter
- 1 cup minced onion
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms sliced or chopped
- 2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup almond milk I used a full-fat almond milk from Elmhurst1925
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp. Gluten-Free flour
- 2.5 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. coconut aminos I used Big Tree Farms brand
- 1 tbsp. tahini paste
- 3 cups or more Gluten-Free Crispy Onions (I used Whole Foods brand)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat a large pot of water over medium heat on your stovetop. Once boiling, add the green beans and blanch them for a few minutes so they are tender but still crisp. Remove the green beans from the water and run them under hot water to stop them from continuing to cook.
- Heat your butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until very soft. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and half of the thyme, pepper, salt and garlic powder. Stir for a few minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
- Make a slurry with ¼ cup of the vegetable broth and the flour.
- Pour the remaining vegetable broth into the skillet along with the almond milk, lemon juice, coconut aminos and tahini and stir. Once the mixture begins to bubble, add the slurry to the pan. Stir until the sauce thickens.
- Add the blanched and drained green beans to the pan and coat the green beans in the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat. The sauce should be the consistency of a thick cream sauce. If the mixture is too thin, heat it over the stovetop for a little longer until it thickens. If it is too thick, add a little more broth.
- Pour the green bean mixture into a 9”x13” baking dish. Top with crispy onions.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until the onions are browned and the sauce is bubbly. Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before eating.
Notes
- We used gluten-free crispy onions from Whole Foods but you can also make your own!
- Feel free to use your favorite milk for this recipe. I used a full-fat dairy-free almond milk which helped it be super creamy. If you don’t have access to a milk like this or don’t want to make your own, you can combine any store-bought unsweetened almond milk with a little coconut milk.
- The Big Tree Farms brand coconut aminos is thick and flavorful. If you are using a thinner coconut aminos from a brand like Coconut Secret or Trader Joes, you can use 3 or even more tablespoons. You can also swap out the coconut aminos for a low-sodium gluten-free tamari. If you do this, use a bit less salt than the recipe calls for and adjust salt to taste.
Nutrition
Now tell me – Did you enjoy this vegan green bean casserole? Don’t forget to rate it and leave me a comment down below!
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
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