Vegan Green Bean Casserole

5 from 1 vote
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This from-scratch vegan green bean casserole is delightfully creamy and savory. It’s made with fresh green beans, mushrooms, a vegan roux, and fried onions for a plant-based alternative to classic green bean casserole.

casserole in dish
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Our healthy green bean casserole is a reader favorite Thanksgiving side dish, so we thought it would be fun to put a vegan twist on this classic recipe. Today’s recipe for vegan green bean casserole is made with fresh green beans and the most scrumptious homemade mushroom gravy you’ve ever tried. It’s completely dairy free and we share tips to make it gluten free, too!

This wholesome casserole comes together with a base of fresh green beans (no pre-cooking required!) that are mixed with a roux-based mushroom gravy and baked to perfection in the oven. Top it off with fried onions for the ultimate vegan side dish.

And, if you’re thinking… a vegan green bean casserole made without butter and milk? Trust us! This vegan green bean casserole tastes just like the traditional version made with simple swaps for a totally plant-based alternative.

Featured Comment

“I made this for Thanksgiving last year and it was a crowd pleaser! Only after it was gobbled by my family did I reveal it was vegan. No one could tell! 5/5 stars.” – Ellen

What You Need for Vegan Green Bean Casserole

There are 2 parts to this from-scratch green bean casserole. Here’s what you’ll need for each:

For the Casserole

  • Fresh green beans
  • Mushrooms
  • Onion + garlic
  • Fried onions
  • Olive oil

For the Roux

  • Flour
  • Almond milk
  • Olive oil
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt + pepper
  • Garlic powder + thyme
  • Vegetable broth
green bean casserole

Vegan Green Bean Casserole Variations

Customize this naturally vegan green bean casserole with any of these swaps and substitutions:

Almond Milk: Use any kind of plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk in this casserole.

Fried Onions: We kept it simple and used store-bought fried onions. You could also make your own fried onions by following the instructions in our healthy green bean casserole recipe (these are vegetarian but not vegan). Or, swap the onions for toasted breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs!

Gluten Free: Swap the white whole wheat flour for an all-purpose GF flour blend and make sure to use GF Worcestershire sauce (some sauces can be sneaky with ingredients).

making mushroom sauce in pot

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What does this green bean casserole taste like?

This popular Thanksgiving side dish is savory and saucy with a hint of mushrooms and garlic. It tastes very similar to classic green bean casserole, but without dairy.

Do you need to cook the green beans first?

Nope! You’ll notice that there is no need to boil and/or drain your green beans. All of the cooking happens in the oven!

Why is my casserole too soupy?

If your green bean casserole is too soupy, the sauce likely didn’t thicken properly. Make sure the roux is really thick before removing from the heat.

pouring sauce onto green beans
green bean casserole in dish

Storage

Store leftover vegan green bean casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

We don’t recommend freezing this casserole to enjoy later. The mushroom gravy turns gravy when thawed and reheated.

Reheating Instructions

To reheat this casserole, microwave individual portions OR transfer the casserole to a frying pan and reheat on low/medium heat until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Make Ahead Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Free up valuable stovetop space around the holidays and make this vegan green bean casserole ahead of time! Prepare the casserole through step 7. Let cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, continue with the recipe as written (you may need to add a few minutes to the bake time).

casserole with onions and a spoon

Serving Suggestions

Serve this green bean casserole alongside all of your favorite holiday recipes for a vegan option that everyone loves! This plant-based casserole is delicious with other classics like cornbread stuffing or butternut squash quinoa stuffing, sweet potatoes au gratin, bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts, and twice baked potatoes.

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

The most delicious, from-scratch vegan green bean casserole that tastes just like traditional green bean casserole.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8
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Ingredients 

For the Casserole

  • 1.5 lbs. fresh green beans
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 oz. bella mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 medium white onion, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1.5 cups fried onions, store-bought (like French's) or homemade, divided

For the Roux

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Generously spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking. Set aside while you prepare the green beans.
  • Wash the green beans and pat them dry. Use a kitchen scissors (or sharp knife) to snip the ends off. Place the trimmed green beans into the prepared casserole dish. Set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to sauté for another 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
    Sauteed mushrooms in a pan with a wooden spoon.
  • Make the roux. Heating the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat. When the oil is fragrant, add the flour and whisk until a crumble or paste forms. While continuing to whisk, slowly pour in the almond milk. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
  • When thick, remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, fresh thyme, and vegetable broth.
  • Add the mushroom mixture into the roux and mix to combine to create a sauce.
    A bowl filled with mushrooms and sauce.
  • Pour the sauce on top of the green bean in the casserole dish and mix to combine.
    Mushrooms and green beans in a casserole dish.
  • Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring the beans every 15 minutes. Bake until the green beans are cooked.
  • Once the green beans are fully cooked, mix in 1/2 cup of fried onions. Then, top the casserole with the remaining 1 cup of fried onions and serve.
    vegan green bean casserole

Tips & Notes

  • Storage: Store leftover vegan green bean casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • Reheating Instructions: To reheat this casserole, microwave individual portions OR transfer the casserole to a frying pan and reheat on low/medium heat until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
  • Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare the casserole through step 7. Let cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, continue with the recipe as written (you may need to add a few minutes to the bake time).

Watch It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”xiBoB4Kv” upload-date=”2020-11-10T10:00:00.000Z” name=”Vegan Green Bean Casserole” description=”Say hello to the most delicious vegan green bean casserole recipe on the internet. This vegan green bean casserole is made with fresh green beans, mushrooms, a vegan roux, and fried onions!”]

Nutrition

Calories: 218 kcal, Carbohydrates: 19 g, Protein: 4 g, Fat: 15 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 4 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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green bean casserole

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Ellen
Ellen
November 16, 2020 6:15 pm
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5 stars
I made this for Thanksgiving last year and it was a crowd pleaser! Only after it was gobbled by my family did I reveal it was vegan. No one could tell! 5/5 stars. Also, how amazing is that Yield adjustment feature?? Thanks for taking the math out of my recipes ๐Ÿ™‚