This Healthy Green Bean Casserole is made 100% from scratch with nourishing ingredients! It’s lightened up and a vegan and gluten-free side dish that will be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu.
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Classic Green Bean Casserole was first invented in 1955 by the Campbell’s Soup Company. They wanted to inspire “housewives” to use more cream of mushroom soup. It was a great marketing ploy as Green Bean Casserole became an iconic part of Thanksgiving dinner across the United States.
Sorry Campbell’s, but times have changed. I don’t know one woman, whether she works outside of the home or not, who calls herself a housewife, and we don’t want to eat that crap anymore. We don’t want a casserole that’s full of processed foods and inflammatory ingredients. I want real food and I know that’s what you’re looking for, too.
The truth is, I’ve never liked the traditional green bean casserole. It’s just not my thing. Even before I stopped eating as many processed foods, it just wasn’t my favorite.
So why did I give a recipe makeover to a dish I didn’t like in the first place? Well, a while back I asked my readers, via Facebook, to which dishes they’d like to see me give a healthy makeover for their Thanksgiving dinner.
A reader named Lisa responded with Green Bean Casserole. This particular Lisa has a special place in my blogging heart. That may sound weird, because I don’t even know Lisa.
But Lisa was one of my earliest readers who would comment on posts. She tried a lot of my early recipes and always came back and commented to let me know she loved them. She, along with a handful of other readers, motivated and inspired me to keep sharing my recipes here.
I had to recreate Green Bean Casserole for Lisa. I studied the original recipe and set to create the same flavors and textures, but without the overly processed cream of mushroom soup and French’s fried onions you find in the original version.
The result was a healthy Green Bean Casserole that gives the original a run for its money! It ended up gluten free and dairy free. It’s a totally vegan Green Bean Casserole, actually, and it’s made with all fresh ingredients.
Ingredients Needed
I think you’re going to be impressed with the list of fresh, healthy ingredients that make up this Healthy Green Bean Casserole.
- Onions-I skip the french fried onions for the crispy onion topping and use fresh onions that we roast to a golden brown. The flavor is incredible! I considered coating onions in flour and frying them a little to achieve a crunchy texture. In the end, I decided to focus on a flavorful roasted onion and then an almond topping to add some crunch. No, it’s not exactly the same as the French’s crunchy onions. But it’s wonderful nonetheless! The roasted onions do get crispy edges and are full of fabulous caramelized onion flavor.
- Avocado Oil-I totally eliminate inflammatory vegetable oil that are on the ingredient list of the processed foods inside classic green bean casserole. Avocado oil is great for those trying to follow an anti-inflammatory diet.
- Fresh Green Beans-Green beans are the star of the casserole and they are parboiled and then baked. Nobody likes mushy green beans!
- Sliced White Mushrooms–we start with sliced white mushrooms to make our own creamy mushroom soup base.
- Salt + Pepper
- Garlic Cloves-Garlic gives us incredible flavor and it also has immune-boosting properties.
- Great Northern Beans-Don’t be scared off by the beans! These help keep our creamy sauce dairy-free and they are well-blended so you can’t even tell they’re there. No, you can’t taste the beans at all. They have such a neutral flavor, that when pureed they lend their creamy texture without changing the flavor of the base.
- Vegetable Broth
- Low-Sodium Tamari-Tamari is lower in sodium than soy sauce and is naturally gluten free.
- Miso-This is going to give you that incredible umami flavor. I don’t recommend skipping it, but it is optional if you don’t have it on hand.
- Almonds-Along with health benefits, the almonds provide a nice crunchy topping to our healthy green bean casserole.
How to Make Healthy Green Bean Casserole
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Place your sliced onions on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and sprinkle with avocado oil and a little salt. Toss to coat.
- Roast the onions in the oven until they are golden brown and crisped to your liking, 25-35 minutes. Stir frequently during the cooking time.
- Meanwhile, boil water in a large saucepan. Add your green beans to the pot and boil 5 minutes. Remove from water and set aside the cooked green beans.
- Heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium high heat until they are cooked down and the water is mostly evaporated, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Remove from heat.
- Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mushroom mixture to a blender. Add the beans, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and miso. Blend until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
Well, hello there totally dairy-free creamy condensed soup alternative! I’m so excited about this little discovery and am already thinking of all the ways I can use this base. Beans are a great way to eliminate heavy cream but keep that thick and creamy texture! - Add the remaining mushrooms to the mixture.
- Mix together the green beans and mushrooms and transfer the green bean mixture to a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Top with the onions NOTE: *Each of the three components can be done ahead of time. Assemble just before baking.*
- Reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes (longer if you have prepared ahead of time and the ingredients are cold). Add the chopped almonds and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Well, hello there totally dairy-free creamy condensed soup alternative! I’m so excited about this little discovery and am already thinking of all the ways I can use this base. 
This recipe converted me into a healthy Green Bean Casserole lover! It’s full of savory flavor and everything you want comfort food to be. I like it way better than the traditional version and it’s perfect for Thanksgiving Day
We ended up with a dairy-free (vegan!) and gluten-free, relatively low carb Green Bean Casserole that does not fall short on flavor. If you are a lover of the original recipe, but want a healthier version, try this Healthy Green Bean Casserole for a Thanksgiving side dish the entire family will love!
Need more Thanksgiving recipes? Please be sure to check out my Stress-Free Thanksgiving Menu for more ideas for your Thanksgiving dinner! (We all need less stress to enjoy the holiday season!) Hosting a small family gathering? You’ll love my Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas for a Small Crowd. Both of those posts have main course and side dish recipes for your holiday meal.
If you make this Healthy Green Bean Casserole recipe or any of my other healthy recipes, please share it on Instagram and I’ll feature you! Also, if you try it, please leave a comment with a star rating below! Those star ratings are so helpful in helping my recipes get discovered. I appreciate you!
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Healthy Green Bean Casserole
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
Traditional Green Bean Casserole just got a makeover! This Healthy Green Bean Casserole is vegan and gluten free and filled with nourishing ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil, divided (or oil of choice for high heat)
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into pieces
- 1 pound sliced white mushrooms
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 5–6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
- 2 teaspoons miso (optional)
- 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Place your sliced onions on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 tablespoons avocado oil and salt and black pepper. Toss to coat.
- Roast the onions in the oven until they are browned and crisped to your liking, 25-35 minutes. Stir frequently during the cooking time.
- Meanwhile, boil a pot of water. Add your green beans to the pot and boil 5 minutes. Remove from water and set aside in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon avocado over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are cooked down and the water is mostly evaporated, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Remove from heat.
- Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mushroom mixture to a blender. Add the beans, vegetable broth, soy sauce, and miso. Blend until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
- Add the remaining mushrooms to the mixture.
- Mix together the green beans and mushroom mixture and put it in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Top with the onions.
- *Each of the three components can be done ahead of time. Assemble just before baking.*
- Reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole for 20 minutes (longer if you have prepared ahead of time and the ingredients are cold). Add the chopped almonds and bake an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
Ingredient Note: If you don’t need this to be vegetarian, chicken broth will work also.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 124
- Sugar: 3.8g
- Sodium: 210.3mg
- Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 14.1g
- Protein: 5.6g
This recipe was first published in November 2014. Photos were updated and a video added in November 2019 and post updates were made again in November 2021.
I really appreciate your hard work because the information you shared in your post is very amazing and helpful for me.
Oh my god. This looks off the charts A M A Z I I N G. I love, love, love green bean casserole but haven’t had it for years. It was always my favorite part of Thanksgiving. Your version is almost literally making my mouth water and I cannot wait to make it. I will post a photo on Instagram when I do. Thank you for this recipe!
Can’t wait to see it, Jodi! 🙂
Thank you!! I can’t wait to go get some beans and put this lil gem together! I developed a milk allergy while pregnant with my 3rd child so have totally been missing out on the once beloved green bean casserole I used to make. I found a recipe on http://www.hummusapien.com/healthy-green-bean-casserole-vegan/ from Alexis and your comment on her blog is what led me here. The power of a kind comment 😉 Her recipe looked great but my daughter has a cashew allergy so your recipe is trumping hers. It fits both me and my daughter and the lower calories will be great for the rest of the family 🙂
I’m glad you found this, Nancy! 🙂 I hope you love this!
How much do you think 1 lb. of mushrooms is in oz.? Trying to decide how many pkgs. of mushrooms to buy at the store today. Thanks so much!
one pound is 16oz. 🙂
So sorry I missed your comment! Busy week over here. 🙂 I hope you were able to get the right amount.
Hi There,
I love your blog! I came across this recipe on the Blog Engagement and Promotion Group’s Pinterest Page and I knew it would be perfect for my upcoming post on healthier Thanksgiving recipes. Would it be OK if I use your recipe and an image in my recipe round up? You will get all the credit and I will include a link back to your blog! Let me know 🙂
All the Best,
Allison Jones
Hi Allison,
You may use my image and a link back to the recipe. Thanks! Maryea
Hi Maryea, I just wanted to let you know that I am planning to make this to take to my parents for Thanksgiving. My dad had heart surgery a few years ago, and I have been looking for a healthy side dish to bring (and I have always loved Green bean casserole… which has tons of sodium!). Thanks for creating this ~ I can’t wait to eat it! Laura
I’m so happy to hear this! I hope everyone loves it and you have a happy Thanksgiving! 🙂
Yum! I won’t have my Vitamix with me at Thanksgiving or else I’d be all over this! I’ll probably try it out another time anyway though 🙂 I’ve made a couple vegan green bean casseroles and I think this one sounds awesome
I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try! 🙂
This looks delicious! I love green bean casserole!
Thanks, Amy! 🙂
This looks fantastic! I love green bean casserole, and have been looking for a recipe like this one to try out that’s gluten and dairy free, and still yummy, to make for my family members with food allergies, and this one looks the the perfect recipe to try this year! 🙂 Thanks so much!!
I hope you love it, Anna! Thanks for reading. 🙂
NIce!! Always on the look out for vegan dishes! Thanks!!
You’re welcome!
Oh, what beautiful presentation! The nuts on the top is such a great idea! 🙂
Thank you!
haha… this housewife likes this recipe better than campbells!
🙂 Absolutely!
I love that you did this! Not because I love green bean casserole (I don’t!) but because I fondly remember Lisa from commenting on my blog too. She was one of a few that was always so encouraging and actually made my recipes. Your recipe might actually change my mind about green bean casserole–good work! Speaking of your recipes, I have your layered vegetable crockpot casserole on the menu for dinner tomorrow. 🙂
Aww Lisa is a commenting rock star! I don’t think readers realize how much it helps and encourages us bloggers to get that feedback.
I hope you love the casserole!
Totally with you girl!! I am not much of a casserole fan but I totally love how this looks!!!
Thanks Ami!
This looks great! I’m vegan, and a long time reader and fan, but realized I probably have never commented. I’ll try to start being more like Lisa :)!
Thanks so much for commenting, Lucy! It’s such an encouragement to hear from readers. 🙂
I’m with ya, I’ve never been a green bean casserole fan AT ALL but this looks pretty dang tasty! That’s so nice you created this recipe for Lisa, I’m sure she’s super stoked.
Agreed. I’ve never had a desire to try Green Bean Casserole, but I think this recipe may have changed my mind!
I’ve tried the original recipe and love this one so much more.
It’s funny–I think people either LOVE green bean casserole or can’t stand it. This recipe totally changed my mind.
Hip, hip, hooray!!!! That Lisa is me! I feel so honored. Thank you so much, I so look forward to trying your recipe.
I hope you love it, Lisa! 🙂 Thanks for reading along and trying my recipes all these years. 🙂