Despite never having tried it before I came to the US, I instantly fell in love with creamed green bean casserole. It was so homey and moreish, just divine for the winter season when the cold sets in. We cooked it the old-fashioned way at Thanksgiving, with canned mushroom soup, frozen green beans, and crispy French’s onions. It was so unbelievably comforting and it said everything about the season in one dish.
Why this recipe
Fast forward a few years, and being surrounded by loved ones who skip dairy in favor of a plant-based diet, it was time to make to make a traditional festive centerpiece that maintained a sumptuously decadent creaminess, but with even more warming flavor. Time to bring Grandma’s favorite festive casserole into the 21st century.
(1) Maintain the essence of traditional green bean casserole
Finger-licking creamy sauce boosted with curry and fresh aromatics, tender green beans, smooth white mushrooms, and crispy fried shallots. The dish stays true to and breaks with tradition at the same time.
(2) Extra rich sauce
Curry powder is fried with onion and garlic until fragrant, then simmered with coconut cream and white mushrooms with a splash of vegetable stock and soy sauce. It’s so good!
(3) Healthier
The dish is made with wholesome ingredients, is vegan, and can easily be adapted to gluten-free.
(4) Easy to make
I admit it requires a few more steps than the traditional way of assembling frozen beans and canned mushroom soup. But you’ll realize how easy it is to put it together following my recipe below.
Cooking notes
1. Easy cooking process
All you need to do is:
Blanch the green beans very briefly on the stove top Cook the onion, garlic, and mushrooms Cook the curry powder to bring out the flavor Add the coconut cream, stock, salt, and soy sauce to make the sauce Mix in the green beans and bake until cooked through
That’s it!
2. What type of curry powder to use
I always keep two types of curry powder on hand for making generic curry dishes without calling for a special type of spice blend. I love the mild Madras curry powder that has a bright yellow color, a hint of sweetness, and not too much spiciness. I use it to make our staples at home: easy lentil stew and Instant Pot beef stew. I also have the S&B Japanese curry powder that’s designed to make Japnaese curry. It’s a well balanced curry powder that’s delicious to use in all types of recipes. I used the Japanese curry powder in this dish. The Madras curry powder would work well too.
3. Fried shallots vs. fried onions
These two ingredients are interchangable, but I slightly prefer fried shallots because they’re crispier if eaten by themselves. They’re very cheap if you can get them at an Asian market. We keep a big jug at home and put them on everything, from breakfast oats to all sorts of noodles. Replace them with fried onions if you can’t access fried shallots easily.
Afterthoughts
The day we made the casserole, my husband and I finished the whole thing in one sitting, even though the recipe serves eight! Now we cook it regularly for dinner, because it’s just so delicious. I promise you, your friends and family will be raving about that vegan curried green bean casserole for months after Thanksgiving Day.
More delicious vegan recipes
Easy Chinese Cucumber Salad Chinese Cauliflower Stir Fry Vegan Thai Green Curry Vegan Pad Thai 5-Ingredient Coconut Noodle Soup
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
