This vegan version of green bean casserole features a creamy mushroom sauce, tender green beans, and the irresistible crispy onion topping you know and love!
1poundgreen beanstrimmed and cut in half, blanched
3tablespoonsof vegan butter
8ozbaby bella/white mushroomssliced
½red onionfinely diced
½ to ¾teaspoonof sea salt
¼teaspoonground black pepper
5clovesgarlicminced
2tablespoonsflour
1cupvegetable broth
¾cupcoconut milk
6ouncepackage of crispy fried onions
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans, blanch for 2-3 minutes, then remove. Pour into a colander or strainer in your sink, and pour cold water over the top to stop the cooking process. This will cook the beans, as well as brighten the colour. Set the beans aside until needed later.
In a 8-10 inch cast iron skillet (or regular pan if you don’t have a cast iron skillet), over medium high heat, melt the vegan butter. Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to absorb colour, the onions are translucent and everything is fragrant.
Sprinkle the flour over the mix and stir again thoroughly, until the flour is completely incorporated and smooth. Add the coconut milk and the vegetable broth to the pan, and mix everything together vigorously to combine. Bring to a boil, then immediately lower again to medium heat, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken. This might take up to five minutes, but just watch it. You can always thin the sauce a bit with some more vegetable broth.
Once the sauce has thickened, taste test and season with more salt if necessary.
Add the green beans in and stir to combine. Allow the green beans to sit in the sauce for about 3 minutes to absorb the flavours. Taste test one more time.
Remove from the heat. Top the mixture with the entire container of fried onions, distributing evenly over the top. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, pour the green bean mix into an 8 inch or 10 inch container, then top with the fried onions. Bake for 20-25 minutes (watch at 20 minutes to ensure your fried onions aren’t burning).
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storing Leftovers: Transfer any leftovers to an airtight storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To keep the onions crispy, reheat in an oven-safe dish at 350ºF until warmed through. Freezing: You can pour the green beans into a casserole dish, top with the onions, wrap tightly, then freeze for up to 2 months. Let the casserole thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake in the oven at 350ºF for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the beans are warm and the onions are nicely browned.Tips for Success
Using frozen green beans. If fresh green beans aren’t in season (or they’re not looking so hot at the grocery store), you can substitute frozen green beans instead and skip blanching them.
A note about the sauce. Because this casserole is baked in the oven, the sauce will thicken a bit more, so you don’t want to cook it down too much. If you think the sauce seems too thick, you can always thin it out by adding some additional vegetable broth.
Using homemade onion rings. You can take your green bean casserole to the next level by topping it with homemade onion rings.