GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
My family loves green bean casserole and we have it every year at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. When my two daughters and I became vegan, it was easy to transition to this recipe because it is so delicious. Even the rest of my non-vegan family thinks it’s great.
I found the original recipe years ago at vegan.com but it is no longer available.
Why don’t I just use Campbell’s 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup? Read the ingredients and you will see why:
Water, Mushrooms, Modified Cornstarch, Wheat Flour, Contains Less Than 2% Of: Cream, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/Or Soybean), Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Whey, Soy Protein Concentrate, Yeast Extract, Dried Garlic, Natural Flavoring. Contains: Wheat, Milk, Soy
What are “natural flavors?” Read this article by a dietitian at GoodRx Health: What Are ‘Natural Flavors,’ and Are They Really Natural?
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (I use 4 cans (14.5 oz each) French style green beans instead)
1 TBSP olive oil (I do not add)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (I use 8 oz baby bella mushrooms and chop them in a food processor)
1 teaspoon dried savory
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup flour
1 cup vegetable broth (I use reduced sodium)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (I use reduced sodium tamari)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk (I use whatever plant-based milk I have made, usually homemade cashew milk)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional but I add it)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (I don’t add salt since the canned green beans have salt)
1 (3-oz) can French fried onions (I avoid them but my family required them. I add 1/2 cup in with the casserole and then add another 1/2 cup on top towards the end of baking)
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook the green beans in a pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain well and set aside. (If using canned, drain and rinse the beans)
Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat (I dry sauté without oil, adding a splash of water if the vegetables start to stick). Add the onion and garlic, cover (I do not cover since need to stir consistently since not using oil) and cook until softened. Stir in the mushrooms, savory, and thyme, and cook until the mushrooms are soft and release their juices.
Combine the vegetable broth and soy sauce in a small bowl. Whisk in the flour until smooth and add it to the mushroom mixture. Simmer, stirring until the liquid thickens. Stir in the soy milk and nutritional yeast (if using) and simmer until thick, about 7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the reserved green beans, stirring to coat.
Transfer the green bean mixture into an oiled (I do not oil) casserole dish (I use a glass casserole dish 13x9x2 inches). Cover and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and top with the French fried onions. Bake uncovered until browned and bubbly, about 10 minutes longer.
Serves 6.
