Vegan Green Bean Casserole (with French Fried Onions)
This vegan green bean casserole gives you all the creamy, savory comfort of the American holiday classic without any dairy or canned soup. Fresh green beans get folded into a homemade mushroom sauce made with olive oil, garlic, flour, and almond milk, then baked until tender and topped with crispy French fried onions. It comes together in one skillet plus a quick trip to the oven, so it works just as well on a busy weeknight as it does on your holiday table.
Green bean casserole is a very popular side dish created in America. Learn how to make the most delicious vegan version with the flavor of the authentic recipe.
A short history of green bean casserole
The original green bean casserole was created in 1955 by a team at the Campbell Soup Company led by home economist Dorcas Reilly. Her goal was to build a quick, easy recipe around two things most Americans kept on hand in the 1950s: green beans and cream of mushroom soup. It did not make a splash right away, but it went on to become one of the most-served comfort foods at the American holiday table, and this vegan take keeps that same cozy spirit intact.
Traditionally the dish is green beans folded into a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with crispy fried onions. My version swaps the canned soup for a from-scratch sauce built on real mushrooms and almond milk, which means you control the salt, skip the additives, and keep it fully plant-based.
The ingredients you’ll need
This recipe uses a short, honest list of ingredients, and a few of them are worth a closer look before you start:
- Green beans (500 g): fresh beans, rinsed and trimmed, give the best bite and color. Choose firm, bright pods that snap cleanly rather than bending.
- Mushrooms (250 g), sliced: they are the backbone of the sauce. White or cremini both work; cremini bring a slightly deeper, earthier flavor.
- Onion and garlic: one julienned onion and two minced cloves build the savory base of the sauce.
- Flour (2 Tbsp): this thickens the sauce into that classic creamy texture. Use a gluten-free blend if needed.
- Vegetable broth (200 ml) and almond milk (125 ml): the broth carries flavor while the unsweetened almond milk adds creaminess. For a vegetarian version, you can use regular dairy milk instead.
- French fried onions (1 cup): the crispy topping is what makes this dish feel finished. Homemade is best, and there’s a link in the recipe card for making your own.
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper: two tablespoons of olive oil to cook everything down, then seasoning to taste.
How the creamy sauce comes together
The whole dish hinges on getting the sauce right, and the method is simple once you understand why each step matters. You start by softening the onion and garlic in olive oil, then whisk in the flour and let it cook for a full minute. That minute is not optional: cooking the flour briefly removes its raw, pasty taste and lets it thicken properly once liquid goes in.
Next you add the vegetable broth first, whisking to incorporate, then the almond milk. Adding the liquids gradually and whisking as you go is what keeps the sauce smooth instead of lumpy. Let it cook for about five minutes until it thickens, then stir in the green beans and sliced mushrooms and pull it off the heat. Everything goes into a casserole dish and bakes at 200C for 20 minutes, until the beans are tender.
Tips for the best results
- Use unsweetened almond milk. Sweetened or vanilla versions will throw off the savory balance of the sauce, so check the label.
- Don’t skip toasting the flour. That one minute of cooking is the difference between a silky sauce and a raw, floury one.
- Add the onions at the end. The crispy French fried onions go on top just before serving so they stay crunchy rather than turning soggy in the oven.
- Watch the beans, not the clock. Twenty minutes is a guide; the real cue is beans that are tender when pierced but still hold their shape.
- Season in layers. Salt and pepper the onions early, then taste and adjust the finished sauce before it goes in the oven.
What to serve with green bean casserole
This casserole is a side dish at heart, so it shines next to a spread of other comforting plates. It’s a natural fit for a plant-based holiday menu, and you’ll find plenty of companions in my collection of vegan Thanksgiving recipes. For a cozy weeknight dinner, pair it with a bowl of vegan red lentil soup to start, or serve it alongside a hearty butter beans stew for a filling, protein-rich meal. If you love a creamy, comforting spread, it also sits happily next to a cauliflower casserole.
Storing and making it ahead
Green bean casserole is great for prepping in advance, which is exactly why it earns a spot on busy holiday menus. You can assemble the beans and sauce in the casserole dish, cover it, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking; just add the fried onions right before it goes in the oven so they stay crisp. Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
To reheat, warm portions in the oven or a covered skillet so the sauce loosens back up, and refresh the topping with a handful of fresh fried onions if the original batch has softened. If you’re building a full plant-based feast, this pairs beautifully with more of my vegan Thanksgiving recipes.
If you make this vegan green bean casserole, I’d love to know how the from-scratch mushroom sauce turned out for you. Please rate the recipe below and leave a comment with any tweaks you tried, whether that’s cremini instead of white mushrooms or your own take on the crispy onion topping.
Summarise & Save This Recipe
★ Add us as a trusted Google source
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 500 g green beans rinsed and trimmed
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion julienned
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 250 g mushrooms sliced
- 2 Tbsp flour use gluten-free flour if needed
- 200 ml vegetable broth or water
- 125 ml almond milk unsweetened, or regular dairy milk for a vegetarian version
- 1 cup French fried onions homemade
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the flour and whisk to coat the veggies. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the vegetable broth, whisking to incorporate.
- Add the almond milk and continue whisking.
- Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Add the green beans and sliced mushrooms and give everything a stir. Remove from heat.
- Transfer everything to a casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes, until the beans are tender.
- Serve with the French fried onions sprinkled on top.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The default recipe is fully plant-based, using olive oil, unsweetened almond milk, and a homemade mushroom sauce instead of butter, dairy milk, or canned cream soup. If you prefer a vegetarian version, you can swap the almond milk for regular dairy milk.
Yes. The only ingredient to watch is the 2 tablespoons of flour that thicken the sauce, so use a gluten-free flour blend in its place. Also check that your French fried onions are gluten-free, since store-bought versions often contain wheat.
Absolutely. Assemble the green beans and sauce in the casserole dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking. Add the crispy fried onions right before it goes into the oven so they stay crunchy rather than soggy.
No. This recipe skips canned cream of mushroom soup entirely and builds a creamy sauce from scratch with fresh mushrooms, onion, garlic, flour, vegetable broth, and almond milk. It gives you the same comforting texture while letting you control the salt and skip additives.
Fresh green beans are ideal for this recipe and give the best bite and color. Rinse and trim them, then bake the assembled casserole at 200C for about 20 minutes until the beans are tender but still hold their shape.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days. Reheat portions in the oven or a covered skillet so the sauce loosens up again, and refresh the topping with a handful of fresh fried onions if the original batch has softened.
Hi Ruxandra! I just made this for my family this weekend and I wanted to thank you so much for the recipe, everyone loved it! 🙂 I love your blog so much!
Thank you for your kind words!