Healthy Green Bean Casserole Recipe
This healthy green bean casserole is the perfect healthy alternative to the traditional version of this recipe.
Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving tradition in many American homes. I don’t think I’ve been to a Thanksgiving dinner yet where this casserole was not part of the meal. The problem is, it’s always made with condensed, canned “cream of chemical” soup. And we won’t even talk about the french fried onions that are usually dumped by the boatload on top of what could be a very nutritious and still delicious side dish. Not wanting to leave this recipe unturned, I set to work and created this delicious healthy green bean casserole recipe!
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It’s a wonderful substitute that won’t leave you running for the gym right after dinner and nobody at my holiday table knew the difference. All they mentioned was how good it was. Now that’s my kind of Thanksgiving side dish!
It’s free of store-bought crispy onions, and nobody at my holiday table knew the difference. All they mentioned was how good it was. Now that’s my kind of Thanksgiving side dish!
How To Use Up Leftover Green Bean Casserole
There are a few tasty ways you can use up these leftovers.
- Make pasta – Cook noodles separately according to package directions. Put the green beans in a skillet with a little olive oil or grapeseed oil. Toss in some chopped onions, a few extra mushrooms if needed, and parmesan cheese. You can even mix in a little sour cream if you want something a bit creamier.
- Make a green bean grilled cheese sandwich – Simply make a grilled cheese as you normally would, but add some of this casserole to the middle. Best done with cheddar.
- Make “Auflauf” – A German idea that is basically “leftover casserole.” Yep, make a casserole from your casserole! Simply mix this with some rice and any other cooked, leftover ingredients you’d like to mix in. Transfer to an oiled casserole dish. Beat a couple of eggs in a bowl and pour the egg over the top of the casserole. Top with parmesan cheese and bake at 375 F. for about 40 minutes or until the egg is fully cooked through.
- Make soup – Give this soup from Jeanette’s Healthy Living a try. Simply use the green bean casserole where her recipe calls for green beans. Easy!
Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole
If you need this to be gluten-free, it’s a cinch! In place of flour, you can use arrowroot powder, so the only other change you’ll need to make is using gluten-free bread. My only suggestion is to make sure that it’s well-toasted so you get some crunch. Just keep in mind that store-bought, gluten-free bread uses processed carbohydrates. But if you have serious allergies or sensitivities, then it’s an easy alternative!
Mushroom Sauce
Campbell’s Soup now estimates that 40 percent of the Cream of Mushroom soup sold in the United States goes into making green bean casserole.
source
That’s a lot of canned soup!!
I’m not one to use canned soups though. I find them lacking in many ways. They have a chemical flavor to them and they are super high in sodium and preservatives. Ick.
So for this recipe, I made my homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe ahead of time and kept it in the freezer until I was ready to make this. Give it a try! It’s easy to make with simple ingredients.
Vegan Green Bean Casserole
If you want this to be plant-based, you’ll want vegan bread and you’ll need to use vegetable broth for making the mushroom soup.
Ingredient Checklist
Crumb Topping Ingredients
Wholegrain bread – No sugar added.
Roasted almonds – These can be salted, but make sure they are not sweet.
Onion powder – You can also use onion granules.
Casserole Ingredients
Frozen green beans – You can use fresh green beans, but frozen is far more convenient. If using fresh, steam the green beans over medium heat. Drain off any excess water and then place them in an even layer on the bottom of your baking pan.
Homemade cream of mushroom soup – warmed and thickened with 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour or 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder.
Cornstarch – If using whole wheat flour.
Salt and pepper – to taste at serving.
Optional Toppings
You can also sauté a few cloves of garlic and a couple of chopped shallots in a large skillet. Cool them and then blend them in with the bread topping for extra flavor.
For garnish, you can sprinkle a few sliced almonds over the top.
How To Make Healthy Green Bean Casserole
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Place all topping ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a nice “crumby” texture. Set aside.
Prep the soup by simply warming it over medium-high heat and whisking in the flour and/or starch. Stir constantly. The mixture will thicken pretty quickly.
Place the frozen green beans in a baking dish and pour the soup on top.
Top with as much topping as you like (you don’t have to use it all, but you can).
Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the topping has a nice crunch to it.
Cool and serve.
How To Store Leftover Green Bean Casserole
The best way to store this is in airtight containers. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Do not freeze.
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Recipes Used
Healthy Green Bean Casserole Recipe Card
Healthy Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
Crumb Topping Ingredients
- 2 slices whole grain bread
- ¼ cup roasted almonds (no sugar added)
- 1 tbsp. onion powder
Casserole Ingredients
- 1 lb. frozen green beans
- 1 ½ cups clean eating cream of mushroom soup – warmed and thickened with 2 tbsp. whole wheat flour (see link above)
- 1 tsp. cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place all topping ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a fine, "crumby" texture. Set aside.
- Prep the soup by simply warming it over high heat and whisking in the flour and starch.
- Place the frozen green beans in a casserole and pour the soup on top.
- Top with as much topping as you like (you don’t have to use it all, but you can).
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the topping has a nice crunch to it.
- Cool and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted 11/16/2010.
The first time I made shitake soup was for green bean casserole when my son was vegan. I used less plain Silk than I would have for soup so it was more like a sauce. I didn’t want to use those awful chemical onions so I carmellized some with a little bit of olive oil and used them on top. My son said “I don’t like mushroom soup; but I like *this!*
Jodi – Fantastic! I love mushroom soup. Nothing else like it!
Cindy – That’s wonderful! I use that brand as well but have never seen the mushroom soup. I’ll have to check it out. Enjoy the casserole!
If you can get it to work, go for it! I tried it and had a hard time with it. They weren’t crunchy at all. It was just a mushy mess. But if you can get them crunchy, sure! That would be great!
Great! Hope you enjoy it!
3-6 depending on the size of the serving.
Just made this recipe without knowing it called for the Mushroom Soup! So, I improvised! I made pseudo soup mixture with 2/3 C beef broth, 2/3 C soy milk, a dash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil AND — IT WORKED! The recipe doesn’t mention what to do with the toasted bread but I chopped it into little cubes and mixed with 50% salted Trader Joe’s dry roasted almonds and then sprinkled it on — that’s the crunch!. I also caramelized some onions separate in addition to some diced mushrooms. I mixed the whole mixture, stirred in the “soup”, topped it, and baked! Thanks for the alternative recipe! — Lunch for the week!
I need to know if this will work with fresh beans?
Kathy – You could probably get away with it. Just watch it closely so your beans don’t overcook.
Do I just lay the 2 slices of bread and whole roasted almonds on top? Would love a full recipe. Does not mention what to do with the crumb topping ingredients.
Simone – I updated the recipe to be more clear. Hope that helps.