Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole (Vegan Option)
This is the EASIEST homemade green bean casserole and it’s dairy free! This is the easiest, dairy free green bean casserole and you’ll only dirty one pan making it. Make it vegan with vegetable broth, and add chopped mushrooms if that’s your thing. Either way, everyone at your table will love it.
What I love about vegan green bean casserole
I know it feels like Thanksgiving is a million months away still, but before you know it, it the trees will have lost their leaves and we’ll all be scrambling to figure out what we’re contributing to our Thanksgiving dinners.
It can be even harder if you’re living dairy free, but this green bean skillet casserole is the dish you should make. It’s the best way to make sure you aren’t going to leave hungry – or sick – and, you won’t have to miss out on a classic Thanksgiving dish. Plus, it has vegetables, so that makes it healthy, right?
Personally, I have never been a big fan of mushrooms, so I choose to leave them out, but if you wanted to add mushrooms to this dish, you could sauté some chopped mushrooms with the onion.
This would not only give you more volume for your dish, it would add even more flavor (flavor that I don’t really care for, but flavor all the same). So mushrooms or no mushrooms. It’s your decision.
More classic holiday side dishes: healthy sweet potato casserole / homemade stuffing / pineapple stuffing / vegan scalloped potatoes
Here’s what you’ll need to make this green bean casserole:
Using a skillet for this dairy free green bean casserole is also a totally optional thing. If you want to transfer the green beans and sauce to a casserole dish before baking, go for it. I think this would be especially helpful if you’re bring the casserole somewhere, because cast iron skillets can get quite heavy. If you’re making it at home though, this is the cast iron is way to go. You only dirty one pan, and that can be a game changer if you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Nobody likes dishes, right?
How do you make green bean casserole with fresh green beans?
Mise en place. Get everything ready first so you aren’t scrambling later. Chop one onion and minced some garlic. Trim the ends from your green beans and cut them into 2- or 3-inch pieces. Measure your liquids, your flour and your crispy onions.
Stovetop prep. Heat a large oven-proof skillet to medium high. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic with a pinch of coarse salt. If you want to put chopped mushrooms in your green bean casserole, add them now (about 1 cup). Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and translucent.
Make the sauce. Add the flour and stir until it absorbs all the excess oil. Then, slowly whisk in the liquids, one at a time, until everything is nice and smooth.
Add the green beans and stir to coat them evenly in the creamy sauce. Top it all with crispy, french-fried onions, and transfer to the oven. Bake, uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes. Give your casserole time to cool before serving, about 10 minutes.
Make ahead tips for dairy free green bean casserole
If you want to make your green bean casserole ahead of time, prepare everything except the crispy onions. Cover the casserole and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Let it come to it’s almost room temperature, top with onions and bake for 15 – 20 minutes.
Ingredient Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten free: Use 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch instead of the all-purpose flour, gluten free broth and gluten free french fried onions.
- Vegan: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Nut free: Use coconut or hemp milk instead of the almond milk.
More dairy free Thanksgiving basics: vegan scalloped potatoes / dairy free pumpkin pie / homemade stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound green beans (trimmed and halved)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened dairy free milk (we usually use almond or oat)
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups French fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch green beans for about 4 minutes, or until bright green and slightly tender. Drain.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic sauté until onions become translucent, about 5 – 6 minutes.
- Whisk in flour until a roux has formed. Slowly add broth, whisking into the roux until smooth. Add dairy free milk and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring sauce to a simmer and allow it to thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in green beans and 1/2 cup fried onions until evenly coated in sauce.
- Top casserole with remaining fried onions and bake for 15 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and onions have browned. Remove from oven and allow the casserole to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
