Vegan Green Bean Casserole

close up overhead shot of green bean casserole in baking dish.

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Goodbye, holiday slop; hello, green bean casserole at its finest! With a richly savory mushroom-forward cream sauce, green beans that don’t lose their bite, and that iconic crown of crispy fried onions, this casserole will make any holiday table all the more special!

Prep Time25

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

Vegetables

1 ½ lbs (680g) green beans (or French green beans)
Diamond Crystal kosher salt (see Note 1 for other salts)
3 tablespoons (42g) extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large shallots, sliced into rings but not too thinly (~150g sliced; see Note 2 for sub)
20 oz (570g) mushrooms, ideally a mix such as cremini, oyster, shiitake, or maitake
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 TBSP fresh thyme leaves)
Freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup (120 mL) dry white wine (optional but recommended, see Note 3 for sub)

Sauce

3 tablespoons (42g) vegan butter
40 g all-purpose flour (this is ~ 4 packed tablespoons)
2 ¼ cups (540 mL) cashew milk (see Note 4 for sub)
1 ½ tablespoons (30g) white miso
1 ½ tablespoons (26g) soy sauce

Topping

2 cups (125g) store-bought fried onions (see Note 5)

Instructions

Blanch the green beans: Bring 12 to 14 cups (~3 L) of water to a boil in a large saucepan (5 quart or larger), then add 2 ½ TBSP (24g) kosher salt. Add the green beans and cook for 3 minutes (4 for fatter beans), or until bright green and partially tender.
Drain, rinse under cold water for 1 minute or until room temperature, and shake dry. Trim the ends and halve the beans (cut into thirds for large ones).
Prep: Preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC with a rack in the top third of the oven.
Lightly grease a 3-quart / 3L (13”x9”) baking dish and add the green beans.
Grab a cast iron skillet (or other heavy large pan) to weigh down the mushrooms when they cook.
Prep the mushrooms: Wipe clean with a dry cloth. Slice cremini and shiitake varieties, removing shiitake stems. For oyster or maitake, tear into pieces, leaving smaller ones whole.
Cook the shallots: Heat a large frying pan (see Note 6) over medium heat with 1 ½ TBSP (21g) olive oil until shimmering. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally until the edges brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
Cook the mushrooms: Now add the remaining 1 ½ TBSP (21g) oil and mushrooms to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. It will look crowded now but they'll shrink down.
Stir occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes, then place a cast iron skillet on the mushrooms. Press for 1 minute to release their liquid, then remove the pan and stir occasionally until the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are golden brown, another 4 to 6 minutes (see Note 7).
Add the garlic, thyme, ¼ tsp kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Stir frequently for 1 minute, until fragrant. Pour in the white wine, scrape up any browned bits, and simmer rapidly for 4 minutes, or until the wine smell fades (see Note 3 if skipping wine).
Combine: Transfer the mushroom mixture to the dish with the beans. Rinse out the pan for the sauce (or use a medium saucepan).
Make the miso slurry: Using a fork or whisk, whisk the miso with 2 to 3 TBSP warm water until miso is dissolved, then stir in the soy sauce. Set aside.
Make the sauce: Add the butter to the cold frying pan (or saucepan) and set over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk constantly for 60 to 90 seconds. Gradually pour in the milk in stages, whisking as you go to minimize clumps.
Whisk in the miso-soy slurry. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and stir frequently until a bit thicker than spoon-coating, 3 to 4 minutes (faster with soy milk).
Assemble: Pour the sauce over the beans and mushrooms and toss to coat very well.
Bake uncovered at 375ºF/190ºC until the edges bubble, 15 to 18 minutes.
Scatter the fried onions on top, pressing them in gently so they don’t just float. Bake 8 to 10 minutes more, until the sauce bubbles throughout and the onions are deep golden brown.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

If using sea salt or Morton's kosher salt, use slightly more than half the amount of salt listed. If using table salt, use half the amount of salt listed.
This is about 4 medium shallots. Feel free to use a small yellow onion instead.
Can't have wine? In step 6, deglaze the mushroom mixture with ⅓ cup (80 mL) vegetable broth and 2 tsp white wine vinegar; cook for 2 minutes.
For the best results, I recommend cashew milk, particularly one that's made with just cashews and water, such as this. If allergic, soy milk works, though it won't be quite as rich. Avoid using any milk that has a slightly sweet undertone. For homemade cashew milk, see the FAQ section.
The classic brand is French’s fried onions. Similar fried onions are also available as store-brands at Trader Joe’s and other grocery stores.
You can also cook the shallots & mushrooms in a 3-quart cast iron or enameled cast iron pan. And make the cream sauce in a medium saucepan. Add the blanched beans and cream sauce on top of the cooked mushrooms and transfer the cast iron pan to the oven.
If using only cremini/button mushrooms, they may take an extra couple of minutes to brown since they are water-heavy mushrooms.

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