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Get ready to dig into this vegan green bean casserole (made totally dairy-free!). We’re ditching heavy cream for a homemade cashew sauce that’s so good, you’ll forget it’s good for you. It’s got all the coziness of the holiday classic but with an upgrade that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
save this recipe!This vegan green bean casserole takes the classic and gives it a healthy, wholesome twist! Made with a silky cashew-based sauce, this homemade version skips the canned soups but keeps all the flavor. Your family will be raving about it all Thanksgiving long!
Boring casserole no more
- Classic Comfort: It’s got all the same cozy flavors you love, just a little lighter and healthier!
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This vegan green bean casserole is ideal for prepping ahead (so you can enjoy a stress-free holiday!).
- Crowd-Pleaser: With its rich, creamy flavor and crispy topping, it’s guaranteed to be a hit at the table.
Reader rating
“YUM!! This recipe has everything I love in it! So thrilled to add to my holiday favorites 🙂” —Wendy
Grab These Ingredients
You don’t need much to make this vegan green bean casserole! This is just a quick ingredient overview—jump to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Cashews (raw or roasted): These give the sauce a creamy texture (without the need for dairy). If you don’t have cashews, swap them for blanched almonds in a pinch, though the texture will be more grainy.
- Green Beans: Fresh, crisp green beans are essential for that classic crunch! If fresh aren’t available, use frozen ones (just make sure to thaw and drain them).
- Olive Oil: We’ll use this to sauté the veggies, giving them a deeper flavor and golden-brown color.
- Mushrooms: White or brown button mushrooms add an earthy, umami-rich flavor that’s key for creating a savory base.
- Aromatics: Garlic and onion (preferably yellow) are musts for extra bold, savory flavors! I mean, you can never have too much garlic, right?
- Vegetable Broth: We’ll use veggie broth as the sauce base for flavor and richness. Opt for low-sodium broth or, if possible, make your own vegetable broth to better control the salt level.
- Fried Onions: The finishing touch! These add a crispy, crunchy layer.
Soak Your Cashews!
Soak your cashews for at least 30 minutes in hot water (or overnight in cold water). This softens them right up, making for a super smooth, creamy sauce when blended. You’ll know they’re soft enough when you can easily split them.
Making This casserole Is Easy
This vegan green bean casserole only requires a 10-minute prep and 35 minutes in the oven! For the full printable instructions, jump to the recipe card.
- Boil the beans in salted water until bright green but still crispy.
- Sauté the aromatics (mushrooms, onion, and garlic) until fragrant.
- Blend the sauce until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble everything in a casserole dish and bake until golden brown.
Pair This With…
Whether you need more ideas for your Thanksgiving spread or you’d simply like to cozy up with a fall-friendly vegetarian casserole, there are plenty of options to pair this vegan green bean casserole with!
- Vegan Bread Stuffing: It wouldn’t be the holidays without stuffing (and now you can enjoy a vegetarian version!).
- Mashed Butternut Squash: Serve this alongside or in place of mashed potatoes for a vibrant, lower-carb side dish.
- Stuffed Acorn Squash: Serve this veggie and rice-stuffed masterpiece as a show-stopping vegan Thanksgiving main.
Vegan Green Bean Casserole (In Mushroom Cashew Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews, 140 g
- 2 lb green beans, trimmed, 900 g
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, 30 mL
- 16 oz sliced button mushrooms, brown or white, 453 g
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups vegetable broth, may need more, 709 mL
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 6-oz package fried onions, 170 g
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (186°C). Add 1 cup raw cashews to a bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside.
- Beans: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Add 2 lb green beans to the boiling water and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until bright green but still crispy, then drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Sauce Base: Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add 16 oz sliced button mushrooms, 1 medium yellow onion (diced), and 6 cloves garlic (minced). Cook until mushrooms have sweat out their moisture, about 8 minutes.
- Blend Sauce: Transfer about ¾ of the mushroom mixture to a standing blender, along with 3 cups vegetable broth and the soaked (and drained) cashews.Blend on high until sauce is smooth and creamy, adding more broth as needed to reach a thick sauce consistency (sauce will thicken as it sits).
- Assemble: Either in a large bowl or right in the casserole dish (9×13-inch), stir together strained green beans, sauce, remaining mushroom mixture, ½ tsp salt, and half of the fried onions. Press into the casserole dish to form an even layer.
- Bake: Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining fried onions, then continue baking for 10 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling at the edges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Bit late for Thanksgiving, but I’m going to try and make this. Could I make it a bit easier for me by simply buying roasted onions?
And btw, did you know that there is a connection between Thanksgiving and the Netherlands?
Look for “Leiden’s Ontzet” or the “3 Oktober feest”
You might recognize the melody of “Wilt heden nu treden”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z5Kguw8zz0
(odd for a non-believer to post a link to that, but who cares, a party is a party 🙂 )
Hi Wilko! If they’re crispy onions (we would call them fried onions) then you can definitely buy them to make this faster! In fact, most Americans just buy them for this recipe on Thanksgiving 😀
And I had no idea about that connection! I’ve learned about so many of these little-known connections since moving here. So fascinating!
Eet smakelijk!
This sounds amazing.
YUM!! This recipe has everything I love in it! So thrilled to add to my holiday favorites 🙂
YAY! Enjoy! 😀
This is a r good green bean casserole. I think we will use it again at Christmas, but not let Uncle Frank know it is vegan.