Vegan Green Bean Casserole is the dish everyone at your holiday table can agree on! It's every bit as cozy, creamy, and crave-able as the one you remember but leveled-up with a silky homemade mushroom sauce, perfectly tender green beans, and plenty of crispy onions on top!
Bonus: It's make ahead-friendly and easily made gluten-free and/or oil-free.
Green bean casserole might sound tricky to veganize, but honestly, it's one of the easiest holiday dishes to make dairy-free. When I started researching traditional recipes, I noticed that even the big non-vegan sites are ditching the canned soup these days and making their creamy mushroom sauces from scratch. Apparently, the era of the "open three cans and dump" casserole is over.
So while we vegans might have to make our own soups and sauces, it turns out everyone else is choosing homemade, too. Look at us, always ahead of the curve. 😉
Now, I already have a Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup that'll rock your socks, but for this casserole I wanted a version that doesn't require cashews or a blender. One less dirty dish!
The sauce starts with sauteed mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Next, we make a simple roux with flour, olive oil and vegan butter, and plain non-dairy milk. The result is a silky, savory, classic-tasting sauce that holds its own at any holiday table.
For anyone keeping things oil-free (or just curious about another twist), my Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup works beautifully here, too. It's made with fresh and dried mushrooms, a touch of rosemary, and no oil at all. In fact, that's where I got the idea to use rosemary in this casserole. It adds just enough depth to make the whole thing feel a little fancy without straying from the nostalgic flavor everyone expects.
To summarize: this is a real food green bean casserole - minus the canned soup, but yes, we're keeping the fried onions. Some traditions are sacred. But if you'd rather skip the store-bought kind, I've linked a couple of oil-free crispy onion options below.
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What You'll Need
Since we're creating this dish from scratch, building layers of flavor, I'm including a few important notes here to make sure your casserole turns out as intended.
- green beans - fresh green beans give the best color and texture. Just trim the ends and cut into bite-size pieces. If you're short on time, frozen green beans work too.
- mushrooms, onion, garlic - these build the rich, savory flavor foundation. Although cremini (baby bella) have a deeper flavor, I like to use mostly white button mushrooms to maintain a lighter color to the sauce. Feel free to mix this up however you like, though! Or incorporate fancier varieties, like shiitake.
- olive oil and vegan butter - I like to use both because oil raises the smoke point (vegan butter tends to burn easily), while the butter gives the sauce that buttery flavor you expect in a holiday casserole. If you're oil-free, just skip both and use a few tablespoons of vegetable broth instead. The texture will be slightly lighter but still delicious.
- flour - all-purpose flour thickens the sauce to that perfect creamy consistency. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or rice flour.
- non-dairy milk - okay, this is an important one! Some unsweetened milks contain added flavors that lean toward vanilla-ish. You do NOT want that in your casserole. So be sure to taste the milk first. I used half almond milk and half soy milk (the kind in the box), because in my experience, these are the most neutral-tasting non-dairy milks for savory sauces. Even oat milk can be too sweet, so choose wisely.
How to Make Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Blanch the green beans: Cook in salted boiling water for 5 minutes.
- Drain: When the green beans are bright green and still crisp, drain in a colander and rinse briefly with cold water.
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- Ice bath: Immediately plunge those green beauties in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Then drain, pat dry, and set aside.
- Make the sauce: Cook the mushrooms and onion until the moisture released from the shrooms has mostly evaporated. Add the vegan butter, garlic, and rosemary, and cook for another minute or so.
- Thicken: Stir in the flour, then gradually add the milk while stirring. Season with nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Combine: Toss the green beans with mushroom sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings. I also like to fold in ½ cup fried onions at this point.
- Casserole time: Transfer your saucy green beans to a standard 13x9-inch (3 quart) casserole dish.
- Top and bake: Sprinkle with the panko, if using, and a generous layer of crispy fried onions. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 min, uncover, and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the onions are browned.
What to Serve With Green Bean Casserole
Round out your vegan holiday table with a few of my favorite pairings:
- Vegan Turkey Roast - hearty, flavorful, and perfect for soaking up that extra mushroom gravy.
- Vegan Cornbread Dressing - like green bean casserole, it's not Thanksgiving without this Southern favorite!
- Vegan Corn Pudding - creamy, decadent, and the most irresistible combination of savory and sweet.
- For dessert, you can't go wrong with Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Healthy Pecan Pie, or Walnut Pie to finish things on a sweet note.
Make Ahead Options
Green bean casserole is great for making in advance! There are a couple of ways to do it:
- Prep the sauce and green beans 1-2 days in advance and store separately. Reheat together on the stovetop as described in Step 5, then proceed with the recipe.
- Or assemble the casserole the day before (without any toppings), cover, and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature for 30-40 minutes, top with panko and fried onions, and bake. Add 10-15 minutes to the covered bake time.
Can I use frozen green beans?
Fresh beans have the best texture, but frozen is great for convenience and when green beans aren't in season. Just thaw and drain first. Avoid canned green beans unless that's all you have, or that's what Grandma always used, and you're dead-set on re-creating the vibe. They don't need to be pre-cooked.
Can I make vegan green bean casserole without oil?
You sure can. Skip the oil and butter and sauté the veggies in broth. Also, use homemade baked crispy onions or onion rings. Here are two options:
- Air Fryer French Fried Onions by That Girl Cooks Healthy
- Crispy Un-Fried Onion Rings by Dreena Burton
Top Tips
- Recipe yield: If you don't need a full-size casserole, halve the ingredients, and bake in an 8- or 9-inch dish.
- Don't skimp on the seasoning: Two pounds is a LOT of green beans, y'all! Not to mention the large amount of mushrooms and non-dairy milk. So we want the sauce to be bold and salty. And don't forget to salt the cooking water for the beans!
- Keep an eye on the onions: Check on it 5-8 minutes early because crispy fried onions can quickly go from perfectly browned to charred. Also, if you're using an alternative to the canned onions, whether store-bought or a homemade option, yours may brown in slightly less or more time.
I hope you LOVE this veganized classic holiday dish as much as we do! If you give it a try, come back and let us know in the comments!
Recipe
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans - trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil - see Notes for oil-free
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 12 ounces mushrooms, chopped - I like a blend of white and baby bella
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 5 cloves garlic, minced - minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, optional
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 2¾ cups plain and unsweetened non-dairy milk - see Notes
- 1½ Tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg, optional -
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt - plus more for cooking the green beans
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper - or more to taste
- 5 ounces crispy fried onions - such as French's or store brand (check ingredients); see Notes for subs
Optional panko breadcrumb topping:
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add 1 Tablespoon salt. Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes. While they cook, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain the green beans in a colander, rinse with cold water, and transfer to the ice bath. Let sit for until cold, about 1 minute. Drain, pat dry, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Preheat a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, and add the oil. Sauté the onion and mushrooms until the moisture releases from the mushrooms and evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the vegan butter, garlic and rosemary, and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle in the flour, and stir well. Slowly pour in 1 cup of milk while stirring. It will quickly begin to thicken. Gradually add the rest of the milk while continuing to stir. Add the nutritional yeast, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes or until hot and creamy. Stir in ½ cup fried onions.
- If the skillet is large enough to hold the green beans, add them and toss with the sauce. Otherwise, transfer the green beans to a 13x9 casserole dish (or comparable 3-quart dish), and pour the mushroom mixture evenly over top.
- If including the optional panko, mix it with the oil and salt, and sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
- Top with fried onions (use as much as you like!). Cover with foil, and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the onions are golden brown and the sauce is bubbly. Keep an eye on it in the last 5 minutes so the onions don't burn. Serve hot.
Notes
- Air Fryer French Fried Onions by That Girl Cooks Healthy
- Crispy Un-Fried Onion Rings by Dreena Burton
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
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