This classic casserole uses fresh green beans, a homemade dairy-free bechamel from coconut milk, and a simple gluten-free breadcrumb topping. With caramelized shallots and mushrooms, you’ll get all the flavor of a canned soup from scratch in under 30 minutes!
If you look through my gluten-free recipe archive, it might seem like my mission over the last decade has been to recreate every casserole that contains cream of mushroom soup with a homemade version.
The obsession began with dairy-free tuna noodle casserole, which is one of my dad’s all-time favorite dishes (and a cult fan favorite over here). When I developed this recipe, I discovered a few things.
First, coconut milk is an amazing chameleon when you add the right seasonings. It is the creamiest of all dairy-free milk options, but many are afraid to use it in classic all-American dishes because they think the flavor will be overpowering.
Dear reader, this is not so!
In this fresh green bean casserole from scratch, I use a similar formula to transform the coconut milk bechamel into a canned cream of mushroom soup dupe.
Fresh green bean casserole step by step:
Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole Testing Notes:
- The mushrooms get sauteed with shallots, then deglazed with white wine and tamari. This adds plenty of acid and adds to the umami of the mushrooms.
- The coconut milk is thickened with a roux of gluten-free white rice flour (you can use AP or whatever you have on hand!) and plant-based butter.
- A few red pepper flakes add heat, while finishing the dairy-free bechamel with fresh lemon juice completely erases the coconut flavor.
Just as it did in this chicken mushroom rice casserole, the mushroom base gives the dairy-free green bean casserole a rich and creamy body and so much flavor in under 30 minutes.
To cut down on time, I use French haricot vert, which are thinner and more delicate, and blanch the fresh green beans until al dente. The simple sauce is thick enough that you don’t need to bake the green beans for any longer with it—just add the gluten-free breadcrumb topping and brown it under the broiler!
The beauty of using fresh green beans is that they should maintain some bite. I hate an overcooked green bean—you might as well just use canned!
And because the sauce doesn’t need to be reduced further, there’s no reason to bake the casserole to death.
If you’re making this as a Thanksgiving side along with these dairy-free scalloped potatoes, I’d recommend making it in advance and then baking off in the casserole to reheat. Read on for instructions on this and the full dairy-free green bean casserole recipe!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole (No Canned Soup!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh French green beans haricot vert, trimmed
- 4 tablespoons plant-based butter
- 2 medium shallots thinly sliced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms stems removed and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons white rice flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
- One 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs or panko
Instructions
-
Preheat the broiler.
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
-
Blanche the green beans until vibrant and al dente, 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
-
In a large cast iron pan or oven-proof casserole dish, melt 1 tablespoon of plant-based butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the tamari and wine and cook until all the liquid has nearly been absorbed by the vegetables, about 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt. Turn the heat off and scrape the mushroom mixture into a bowl. Set aside.
-
Add the remaining plant-based butter to the pan and melt it over low heat. Whisk in the gluten-free flour then pour in the coconut milk. Whisk or stir with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps. Turn the heat back up to medium and simmer the sauce until is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring continuously, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
-
Off the heat, add the mushroom mixture, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) to the dairy-free béchamel. Stir until combined. Gently fold in the fresh green beans until fully distributed. Top with breadcrumbs and broil until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately or reheat in a 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat.