Try our cheesy green bean casserole without canned mushroom soup if you’re hunting for a healthier version of the traditional recipe.
Green bean casserole is an absolute crowd favorite at the Thanksgiving table, and this one will be no exception. Enjoy this wholesome version of the iconic American dish, just a little lighter and more nutritious with our original recipe.
While making this dish with canned mushroom soup is quick and convenient, what could be more nutritious for your friends and family than preparing a simple, fresh homemade cream of mushroom soup instead?
In this easy recipe, we’ve also switched out the crispy onion topping with walnuts and savory Parmesan cheese. This combo will give you all the wonderful crunch of a green bean casserole just in a healthier way.
This deliciously simple yet healthy green bean casserole can be prepared ahead of time as a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner item or for any occasion.
Check out our Roasted Frozen Green Beans for more green bean deliciousness. If you're into casseroles, this Butternut Squash Casserole might be for you.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- No artificial ingredients and no mushroom soup (canned). You will prepare all the elements from scratch and know exactly what’s inside the dish.
- It’s just as delicious as a traditional green bean casserole with a well-rounded flavor.
- The fresh ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store.
- It’s easy to make and doesn’t require any complicated equipment.
- Can be prepared in advance for your Thanksgiving table.
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
- Green Beans: This recipe works with fresh green beans as well as frozen green beans. If using fresh ones, make sure to cut off the ends. If using frozen green beans, let them thaw first and remove any excess liquid.
- Olive Oil: Canola or sunflower oil are good alternatives to olive oil.
- Onion: If you don’t have onion, try leeks or shallots in their place.
- Garlic: Could be replaced with garlic powder.
- Dried Mushrooms: Vital for the taste of this recipe. Cannot be left out or replaced.
- Cremini Mushrooms (Brown Mushrooms): Try Portobello mushrooms as an alternative. They have a meaty texture that is perfect for this dish.
- Vegetable Broth: You could make your own batch of homemade stock but store-bought veggie broth works just fine.
- Flour: A general gluten-free flour mix will work if you want to keep this recipe gluten-free.
- Milk of Choice: Any milk of choice such as unsweetened plant-based milk (almond milk, soy milk) or regular milk will suit this dish.
- Parmesan Cheese: A little sprinkling of white cheddar cheese or a spoonful of nutritional yeast.
- Italian Herbs: You could use a single herb mix -like parsley, thyme or basil.
- Walnuts: Almonds would be a lovely crunchy topping and just as healthy.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make green bean casserole without mushroom soup
Enjoy the process of making this simple dish; it may be your best green bean casserole yet!
STEP 1: Prep green beans. Trim both ends of the fresh green beans.
STEP 2: Dried mushrooms. Soak the dried mushrooms in the veggie stock. Set aside.
STEP 3: Cook green beans. Cook the beans in boiling water until fork-tender (6-10 minutes).
Drain the beans in a colander and rinse them with cold water. This will stop them from cooking any further.
STEP 4: Onion & garlic. Saute the onions until browned on medium heat in a large skillet. Add in the garlic and cook for a minute or so, be careful not to overcook the garlic as it will turn bitter.
STEP 5: Fresh mushrooms. Add the sliced cremini mushrooms to the pan.
Allow the mushrooms to cook, so their liquid evaporates.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set them aside.
STEP 6: Homemade mushroom soup. Add the flour to the pan, let it brown and get a bit toasty.
Add the milk in batches and stir with a whisk to avoid it forming lumps. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the sauce, soaked mushrooms and their liquid, parmesan, pinch of salt and pepper, and Italian herbs to a blender jug.
Blend the mixture until completely smooth.
STEP 7: Bake. Transfer the beans and mushrooms into a baking dish and mix them. Pour over the sauce.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and walnuts (optional) on top of the casserole and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Top tips
- Type of mushrooms: regular mushrooms, such as white mushrooms, hold water. They won’t give the same meaty texture as cremini mushrooms and therefore aren’t a great substitute.
- Beans: time the blanching of your beans so that you don’t overcook them.
Variations
- Gluten-free: there are so many fantastic gluten-free flours on the market today. Rice flour is an excellent option for a gluten-free white sauce.
- Dairy-free/ vegan: If you’d like to make a dairy-free version of this, you can swap out the cheese for a little nutritional yeast, as it gives a similar savory flavor. Use almond or oat milk instead of cow’s milk if you prefer.
- Green bean casserole without mushrooms: If you aren’t wild about the texture of mushrooms, then blending them, once cooked, is a good idea. You can choose to omit the mushrooms altogether and only use the dried mushrooms for the sauce.
Optional Add-Ins
- Cheeses: You can be as adventurous as you like here. Try any of your favorite cheeses – goat’s cheese will give a delicious tang to the dish. Try cheddar cheese, gouda, or even rich blue cheese.
- Sour cream: This can be added to the sauce to give it a tang and some balance. Mix this in just before blending the sauce.
- Onion topping: If you’d like to try a version closer to the classic green bean casserole, slice up some onions and fry them until crispy. Top your dish with these crispy fried onions as a crowd favorite for Thanksgiving dinner.
- Meaty flavor: you can add a bit of sliced vegetarian sausage if you want to bring a meaty flavor to your dish
- Other vegetables: This dish could be made with other vegetables like broccoli, or asparagus. While swapping out the green beans will change the word completely, it’s nice to know that you can use this recipe as a base to create other recipes.
What to serve with green bean casserole
Traditionally, this dish is a side to be enjoyed at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Here are a few of the traditional vegetarian sides you can serve with it:
- Veg Stuffing
- Roasted Frozen Cauliflower
- Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts
- Oven Baked Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
If you would like to try this dish at home as a weekday supper, here are a few suggestions on what to pair it with:
- Green Salad with Roasted Asparagus
- Roasted Vegetarian Acorn Squash
- Pumpkin Carrot Soup (as a starter)
- Crunchy sourdough loaf
As far as drinks go, serve this casserole dish alongside one of the following fancy holiday drinks:
Meal prep options
You can easily prepare this dish ahead of time on the same day. Prepare everything as described but only until step 7 (see step-by-step photos). If you're ready to serve the casserole, mix together the sauce and cooked beans and continue with the baking step.
Storage & meal prep
- To store: We would recommend allowing the dish to cool completely before packing it away. Once it is at room temperature, spoon any leftover green bean casserole into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- To reheat: Reheat in the microwave in a microwave-friendly jar or in the oven at low temperature.
FAQ
You can use frozen beans. If you choose to, ensure they are completely defrosted before using them, and drain all the water away. I do not recommend using canned beans as they are not nearly as delicious as fresh or frozen ones.
Yes, simply opt for a plant-based milk alternative such as almond milk and use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.
More festive recipes
📖 Recipe
Green Bean Casserole (No Canned Mushroom Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (30 g) dried mushrooms
- 1 cup (230 ml) veggie broth
- 2 ½ pounds (1,1 kg) fresh green beans *or frozen, see substitutions
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion ,chopped
- 3 garlic cloves ,minced
- 9 oz (250 g) cremini mushrooms ,sliced
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (460 g) milk of choice *almond milk, soy milk, cow milk...
- ¼ cup (40 g) grated parmesan + more for topping
- 1 teaspoon Italien herbs
- salt & pepper
- handful walnuts as topping *optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 430°F (220°C).
- Soak dried mushrooms in veggie broth.
- Trim the green beans, cook in boiling salt water until fork-tender (6-10 minutes). Once they are done, drain, rinse with cold water (to stop the cooking process) and set aside.
- In a large pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and fry until translucent and golden brown. Then add garlic and the mushrooms and fry until mushrooms have released almost all their water.
- Remove the mushrooms from the pan.
- Add the flour and toast until flour is slightly brown.
- Pour in milk in 2 batches while constantly whisking to avoid clumps.
- Let simmer for 2-3 minutes on low heat until the sauce has thickend.
- Transfer to a blender, add soaked mushrooms, parmesan (or nutritional yeast), salt and pepper and Italian herbs. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer the mix to a baking dish, together with the cooked green beans and mushrooms. Give it a good stir (see step-by-step photos).
- Sprinkle with more parmesan and walnuts (optional) and bake for 15 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Serving Size: serves 6 people as a side dish or 3 as a main.
- Type of mushrooms: regular mushrooms, such as white mushrooms, hold water. They won’t give the same meaty texture as cremini mushrooms and therefore aren’t a great substitute.
- Beans: time the blanching of your beans so that you don’t overcook them. Check their consistency from time to time when cooking longer than 6 minutes.
- Gluten-free: there are so many fantastic gluten-free flours on the market today. Rice flour is an excellent option for a gluten-free white sauce.
- Dairy-free/ vegan: If you’d like to make a dairy-free version of this, you can swap out the cheese for a little nutritional yeast, as it gives a similar savory flavor. Use almond or oat milk instead of cow’s milk if you prefer.
- Flavor Variations: see optional-add ins
Sarah Abla says
Love the recipe, tastes phenomenal!! Definitely making it more often!
Katie says
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for your lovely feedback! Very happy to hear that you liked it- it's also a staple in our house, especially during the holiday season 😊