The best, easy vegan green bean casserole recipe from scratch, made with creamy but healthy mushroom gravy, fresh green beans and just a touch of nutritional yeast.
You can take this casserole in a rich smoky direction with a dash of smoked paprika, or stay smooth and creamy with a simple dairy-free almond milk gravy and a touch of nutritional yeast.
This Easy Vegan Green Bean Casserole is Simply the Best:
Healthy
Lusciously Creamy
Mushroomy
Comforting
Dairy Free
Perfect for Thanksgiving & Christmas
No Oil (Fat Free)
Simple to Make
Savory
Crunchy Topping
From Scratch
As always, If you make this green bean casserole recipe please come back here to rate it, snap a photo and hashtag it with #VeggieSociety on Instagram. It would totally make my day!
Easy Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb green beans - fresh & cleaned
- 1 lb shiitake or baby bella mushrooms - sliced or chopped
- 1 yellow onion - chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - mince
- 2 cups warm almond milk ( plain, your favorite kind )
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 8 sprigs thyme - leaves only
- 8 leaves sage - chopped
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp sweet or smoked paprika ( optional )
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1.5 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 pinch sea salt - to taste
- 3 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 lemon + zest
- 1/2 cup crispy fried onions or Panko bread crumbs (OPTIONAL)
Instructions
- Prepare a double boiler with a couple of inches of water and bring to a simmer. Add the fresh green beans to the top basket making sure it doesn’t touch the water below it. Cover with lid and steam for about 10 minutes until the beans are tender to your liking. Make sure not to overcook them, you want a nice al dente texture not puree. Check after 5 minutes and keep a close eye on them.
Make the Mushroom Gravy:
- Heat a large skillet over medium low flame. Add a splash of water ( or a drop of olive oil) then add the onion and a tiny pinch of sea salt. Saute for a few minutes until the onion is wilted and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the mushrooms, thyme leaves, sage and oregano and cook another 5 minutes or so until they have wilted.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, onion powder, paprika and flour. Pour in the warm plant milk and stir or whisk well to combine and no lumps are formed.
- Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and cook for a few minutes until thickened up to your liking. Season to taste with sea salt, the nutritional yeast and freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest.
- Add the steamed green beans to the mushroom gravy and toss to combine well.
Optional:
- At this point you can transfer the beans to a broiler proof dish, sprinkle with panko bread crumbs or store bought crispy onions and broil for a few minutes until golden on top.
Alternately preheat your oven to 400 “F. Top the green bean casserole with the panko or the onions and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown on top to your liking.
Notes
- Almond milk can be substituted with coconut milk, however take into consideration that will alter the final flavor profile.
Nutrition
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So delicious, I love green beans and steaming them is by far the best idea. Can’t wait to make them again next week for Christmas dinner. Thank you for the recipe.
Best green beans I’ve ever made, all gone and I usually have so many leftovers. Now I won’t wait till the holidays to make green beans, absolutely delicious.