This vegan green bean casserole will steal the show at your holiday table! It's bursting with savory mushrooms and green beans in creamy white wine sauce, but it's the homemade crispy fried onions that really take this savory side dish over the top.
- 10 ounces yellow onions (about 2 small or 1 large), thinly sliced into rings
- 1 ½ cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup canola oil (or as needed), or high heat oil of choice
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 6 ounces white button mushrooms (about 2 cups), cleaned and sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 5 cups fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Begin by soaking the onions in preparation for frying them. Stir the milk and vinegar together in a large bowl.
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Add the onions to the milk mixture. Allow them to soak for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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White the onions soak, make the casserole. Coat the bottom of a medium skillet (preferably an oven-safe one) with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms in an even layer, cooking them in batches if needed to avoid crowding.
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Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes on each side, until tender and browned, and then transfer them to a plate.
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Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, and then add the onion.
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Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
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Add the garlic and cook it for about 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the wine, raise the heat slightly and bring it to a simmer.
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Allow the wine to simmer for about 5 minutes, until reduced by about half.
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Sprinkle in the flour, a bit at a time, stirring between each addition to form a paste that coats the onions.
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Begin pouring in the milk, a bit at a time, whisking the milk and flour mixture together between each addition.
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Return the mushrooms to the skillet, and stir in the soy sauce, thyme, and green beans.
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Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer. Allow it to cook, stirring occasionally, until the green beans are tender but still a tad on the firm side, 10 to 15 minutes.
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While the mixture simmers, preheat the oven to 350°F.
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When the green bean mixture is done simmering, remove the skillet from the heat and season it with salt and pepper to taste.
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If your skillet is oven-safe, place it directly into the oven. Otherwise, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 9 inch baking dish and then to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbly.
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While the casserole bakes, fry the onions. Stir the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together in a large bowl.
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Working in batches, remove the onions from the milk mixture, shaking off any excess liquid, and transfer them to the flour mixture, stirring to coat the onions evenly.
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Very generously coat the bottom of a large skillet with the oil (you want at least ⅛ inch) and place it over medium-high heat.
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When the oil begins to shimmer, add a layer of onions — enough to cover most of the bottom of the skillet without crowding.
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Fry the onions for about 2 minutes, until the bottom of the onion layer begins to brown and crisp, then flip the onions.
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Fry the onions for about 2 minutes more, then flip them again.
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Fry for about 2 minutes more. By now all of the onions should be pretty crispy. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.
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Repeat until all of the onions are cooked, adding oil to the skillet as needed between batches.
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When the casserole has finished baking, remove it from the oven and top it with the onions.
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Serve.