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Vegan Green Bean Casserole

green bean casserole in white casserole dish with silver serving spoon

5 from 10 reviews

This Healthy Green Bean Casserole is creamy and cozy! A wholesome twist on the classic savory dish, this version is vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Casserole:

  • 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 cremini mushrooms, finely chopped (about 2.5 ounces / 70g)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/21/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
  • 2 cups (475 ml) creamy plant-based milk*
  • 16 ounces (450 g) fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half

For the Tamari Almond Topping: (Optional)

  • 1 cup (90 g) slivered almonds (or sub chopped pecans)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons low-sodium tamari

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375F and set a 8×8″ (or similar sized) casserole dish to the side.
  2. Caramelize the Onions: Bring a large, nonstick pot to medium-high heat and add the onion along with 1-2 tablespoons of water. Stir the onions occasionally; you will notice the edges of the onions starting to brown, as well as brown marks on the bottom of the pan. Continue dry searing the onions for 3-5 minutes, then deglaze the pan with 1 tablespoon of tamari and reduce the heat to medium-low. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape off the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
  3. Make the Soup: add the mushrooms and garlic to the pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the nutritional yeast, thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper to taste. Stir well and let the spices toast for 1-2 minutes. While toasting, whisk the chickpea flour and plant milk together until smooth. Add the milk mixture to the pot and stir well. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally; the soup should noticeable thicken. Turn off the heat and stir in the green beans.
  4. Bake: Mix the almonds and tamari together in a small bowl, until evenly coated.  Transfer the creamy green bean mixture to the casserole dish, then top evenly with almonds. Place the dish on the top rack of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes; the mixture should be browned on top and bubbling when it is finished, but it will appear slightly liquid-y. Remove from the oven and let set for at least 5 minutes before serving as desired.
  5. Leftovers: this recipe is best served fresh, but leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Green Beans: the green beans in this recipe are fully cooked, but still retain some crunch. If you would prefer your green beans to be completely soft, add them in with the plant milk and simmer with the soup mixture to pre-cook them before baking.
  • Milk: I would recommend using soy milk for this recipe; however, another creamy plant-based milk (such as full-fat coconut or a creamy oat milk) should work well in its place. Try to make sure the milk has at least 8-9g of fat per 1 cup serving.
  • Other Substitutions: tamari can be replaced with coconut aminos or reduced sodium soy sauce. Chickpea flour can be swapped for brown rice flour, and all-purpose gf blend, or all-purpose flour.

Keywords: healthy green bean casserole, homemade green bean casserole, vegan green bean casserole, green bean casserole with almonds