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Creamy Vegan Green Bean Casserole with fresh green beans, easy homemade mushroom soup, caramelized onions, and crispy topping. Even non-vegans love this holiday side. Includes make-ahead instructions too!
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My kitchen assistant (my mom) and I tested and developed this recipe back in 2016. We're not vegan, but we were so crazy about the texture and flavor of my vegan cream of mushroom soup, we built this entire casserole recipe around it.
We're not kidding when we say you really won't believe a dairy free green bean casserole can resemble the classic holiday side. In our house, it's always welcome with our holiday turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce, and it never EVER disappoints.
Why we love this recipe
- We're using simple, wholesome ingredients and NO canned mushroom soup.
- It's so rich and creamy, no one ever knows they're eating dairy free green bean casserole. Trust me, we've tested this many times.
- The textures of creamy sauce, tender green beans, and crisp topping make it everything you want in a green bean casserole.
- Includes make-ahead instructions and you can bake it when you need it.
Vegan green bean casserole ingredients
- olive oil - This is used to saute the onions. You can use your preferred oil for this.
- onions - I prefer a giant yellow onion. Feel free to skip the onions and substitute the classic French fried onions. They're delicious on this too!
- garlic - Chopped fresh garlic is recommended, but a few pinches of garlic powder would certainly work too.
- green beans - I recommend fresh beans for this recipe because you can cook them exactly to your liking and they'll never water your casserole down.
- vegan cream of mushroom soup - This is a rich, creamy, and super easy almond milk based cream soup with lots of mushrooms. It's truly the magic of this recipe. I'm not kidding when I say people love this soup!
- panko bread crumbs - I originally wrote this recipe with the panko almond topping you're seeing in the photos. If you want French fried onions, because yummm, simply replace the panko topping with the fried onions.
- sliced almonds - These are optional but they complement the almond milk mushroom soup so nicely and add crunchy texture to the casserole topping.
How to make vegan green bean casserole
Get the full instructions in the recipe card below.
Step 1. Saute the onions as much or as little as you want. I like to caramelize mine to a deep brown color.
Step 2. You can make the best ever vegan cream of mushroom soup recipe while the onions are caramelizing. Trust me, you want this soup in this casserole.
Note: The cream of mushroom soup can be made up to 2 days ahead and can be added to the casserole warm or cold.
Step 3: Steam the green beans until slightly tender. Use a stove to steam or boil the green beans or use my pressure cooker method with a colander. Transfer the beans to ice water to cool them down and retain that beautiful green color. Drain and set aside.
Step 4. Assemble the casserole by layering the onions, green beans, and mushroom soup. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days until ready to bake. Add the topping just before baking.
Step 5: Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine panko (or bread crumbs) with olive oil and almonds in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle over the casserole then cover with foil.
Step 6: Bake 30 minutes at 375°F until sauce is bubbly. Uncover and place the casserole under a LOW broiler flame a few minutes to crisp up the topping. Keep a close watch to avoid burning.
Recipe tips
- As the recipe indicates, you can saute the onions as much or as little as you like. I like to caramelize them for about 20 minutes because it adds even more flavor to the casserole. This is a great time to make the mushroom soup too!
- My vegan cream of mushroom soup is a little thick when it's cold or room temperature. When you assemble the casserole, there's no need to heat the soup because it will naturally surround the green beans like a sauce as it bakes.
- You can assemble this casserole a day or two in advance, just be sure to hold off on the panko and almond topping until ready to bake.
More vegan holiday recipes
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Garlicky Baked Mushrooms
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Fresh Cranberry Relish with Pomegranate
📖 Recipe
Easy Vegan Green Bean Casserole
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Video
Ingredients
This recipe yields 6 (1-cup) servings.
- 1 pound Fresh Green Beans, about 4 cups, trimmed and halved
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil, or preferred oil
- ½ medium Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 cups Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup, or packaged vegan soup of choice
- ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs, or French Fried Onions
- 1 tablespoon Sliced Almonds
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Instructions
Please observe the recipe footnotes for essential tips!
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and coat the casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Cook the GREEN BEANS until tender-crisp using your preferred method (steam, boil, or pressure cook). Rinse beans in ice-cold water. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- Heat OLIVE OIL in a large skillet on medium heat. Sauté ONIONS and GARLIC until slightly tender. *see footnote
- To assemble the casserole, lay onions in the bottom of the dish, followed by the green beans. Distribute the CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP evenly over the beans without stirring.
- Combine PANKO, ALMONDS, and OLIVE OIL in a small mixing bowl. Distribute this mixture over the casserole.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden brown.
- Rest the casserole for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
- To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a loosely covered baking dish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes until warmed.
Equipment
- 12 inch skillet
- cooking spray
- casserole dish 10 x 7 or 8 x 8
Recipe Notes
- You can also caramelize the onions by reducing the heat to med-low and sauteing for 20 minutes, stirring as needed. It's well worth the effort!
- Notes about vegan cream of mushroom soup:
- The soup has a 25 minute cooking time. Make it a few days ahead for ultra convenience.
- This soup (chilled) resembles a mushroom soup concentrate and has a thicker texture. It does not need to be reheated for casserole assembly.
- To make casserole ahead:
- 2 or 3 days ahead – Cook the green beans and make the vegan mushroom soup. Cool completely and refrigerate in airtight containers. When ready to bake, resume casserole assembly
- One day ahead or same day – Assemble, cover, and refrigerate fresh green bean casserole (without topping). Add topping before baking. Always rest ceramic bakeware at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking to prevent thermal shock.
Mamie says
Can you double the recipe and make it in a 9 x 13 pan?
Would you also need to use double the amount of soup?
Traci says
Yes!! Thanks for asking. Doubling the recipe will require a 9 x 13 pan. Yes, you will need to double the vegan mushroom soup. Let me know if you have any more questions and enjoy the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
R Thomas says
I forget how good this recipe is until I make it again and am blown away. So creamy and comforting. Bravo KG!
JB says
Wowwww! I'm not at all vegan but your vegan green bean casserole is shockingly delicious! I'm amazed that a dairy free version is as good as any GBC I've ever had. Your vegan cream of mushroom soup is a MUST for this recipe. Love the crispy topping too. I'm all in KG!
The Kitchen Girl says
How did I miss this thoughtful review?! Thank you and I'm glad you love this one as much as I do 🙂
Em says
This green bean casserole is DELICIOUS. I am not vegan, but I often eat vegan foods. This is so much better than any other gb casserole I’ve tried or made before. This is the 2nd year I’ll make it for Thanksgiving, my family is demanding it, and the 1 vegan is appreciative. Anyone who makes this REALLY must make the vegan cream of mushroom from scratch from the suggested recipe; it’s also delicious on its own. This recipe doubles well.
The Kitchen Girl says
Wow! This is such a lovely review and I truly appreciate you taking the time to be so detailed. This is one of my oldest recipes on the blog and, like you, I'm not vegan but I LOVE this recipe lol AND the mushroom soup. Thank you and here's to the best holiday of the year!
M.V. says
Delicious. Second year making this recipe. I omit the sherry (only because I don't have it), and add apple cider vinegar, dry dill, and a bit of agave to give the soup a more sour cream taste.
The Kitchen Girl says
So glad to hear it, M.V. 🙂 Yeah, sherry's not required and I love the ACV substitute! Great idea 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback...much appreciated
Stef says
So freaking goooood! I make the vegan cream of mushroom soup and caramelized onions a day or two ahead. On Tgiving, I steam the green beans, assemble and bake. Couldn't be easier! I do add a splash of liquid to the cold mushroom soup to help coat the beans easier. Best vegan green bean casserole recipe around!
TD says
WOW WOW!!! Who knew a vegan green bean casserole could be so undetectably vegan. It's SO rich and creamy, it literally fools people when they eat it. This one's a keeper for Thanksgiving dinner!
The Kitchen Girl says
So glad to hear it! Yep, this dish makes you CEO of secretly vegan deliciousness LOL.
Ryan says
All I can say is I don’t know much about making vegan food but I made this for Friendsgiving and friends were asking me for the recipe....haha! Well I had to give up my secret and point them to you. I know you're not vegan, but you sure know how to create vegan recipes that anyone can enjoy. Thanks for making me a potluck hero with this green bean casserole!
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome, Ryan Potluck hero...I love it! This vegan green bean casserole really is a good one to sneak past a group dinner because by time you get around to telling them it's dairy-free, they're already hooked LOL. Thanks for the kind words 🙂
@roicotestkitchens says
Girl! This is so tasty! It’s rich, it’s easy, and best of all my toddler loved it! Thanks for the vegan recipe - we are always in search of something new!
The Kitchen Girl says
What a compliment and you are SO welcome! I'm glad you (AND your little!) loved this and I'm so happy to inspire
Jeff says
Wow! You really can't tell this is vegan. The mushroom soup makes it so creamy and delicious and those onions are a must. Just superb!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay!! So glad to hear it, Jeff! I'm with you about the mushroom soup AND the caramelized onions. They make it divine!
Jess says
Amazing!!! Was the favorite side at my vegan Thanksgiving, so much better than the standard canned soup version
Traci Antonovich says
Jess, awesome!!! I'm honored that you put my dish on your holiday table ☺️ Thanks so much for letting me know...glad you enjoyed!
Bnewberry says
Quick question. Can this be made ahead and frozen? If so, advice on best way would be appreciated. Wanted to get some Thanksgiving pre-cooking done.
Traci Antonovich says
Hiya! I would not freeze this dish because I think the texture would be disappointing. I suggest making each component up to a few days ahead and store them separately. Then assemble the dish the day before you're going to bake-and-serve. Did you watch the video for this? Check it out...and let me know if you have more questions 🙂