Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Day 317.

Thanksgiving is creeping up on us so my fondness for holiday side dishes will be showing in the coming weeks. That love was created out of necessity when I was the lone vegetarian at various holiday feasts, but it's become a bit of a passion. I've always been a fan of green bean casserole, but the traditional condensed soup version isn't exactly the healthiest vegetarian feast.

Now that I'm making my own Homemade Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup, it'll be easy to convert this to a vegan feast. I also sometimes like to add more protein to my side dish to make it more of a meal by mixing in a cup of cooked chickpeas. Not vegan? No problem. The Homemade Cream of Something Soup recipe has traditional, whole foods, diet and gluten-free options, too.

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, cut into 3-inch pieces and blanched

1.5 cups Homemade Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup*

3/4 cup dairy-free milk

1/4 teaspoon House seasoning or black pepper

1 1/3 cups French fried onions, divided

Optional add-in: 1 cup chickpeas, cooked

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish.

Mix together all ingredients (including chickpeas, if using), except 2/3 cup of French fried onions.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Add remaining French fried onions and bake for 5 more minutes.

The Results

It's even better than the canned version and still pretty simple to make. The fresh green beans made a huge difference. Everyone loved this casserole and it was quite a bit healthier for us, too.

*Homemade Cream of Something Soup

How to make homemade cream of something soup for any lifestyle

No matter what type of food you eat in your household, you can make this recipe work for you with simple substitutes. The recipe is a just a roux (a mixture of fats and starch used as a thickener) enhanced with some simple aromatics and your main ingredient (i.e. mushroom, chicken, celery, etc.) Of course the “cream” component can be real milk or any type of milk substitute. For example, you could make your cream of mushroom vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth or dairy-free by substituting almond milk. Once you get the hang of your substitutions, you could make Cream of Just About Anything Soup by swapping in 1/2 cup of finely diced meats or veggies.

Ingredients for Homemade Cream of Something Soup

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup main ingredient, diced (Mushrooms, Potatoes, etc.)
• 1/4 cup butter or dairy-free substitute 
• 1/4 cup flour or substitute 
• 1 cup milk or dairy-free substitute
• 3/4 cup broth

Method for Homemade Cream of Something Soup

Saute garlic, onion and main ingredient (mushrooms, chicken, celery, etc.) and set aside. Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add “milk” and broth. Add sauteed garlic, onion and main ingredient. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until it reaches desired consistency (about 10-15 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper and use as you would a can of condensed Cream of Something Soup in any recipe. If I make it ahead of time, I pour the soup into a pint canning jar and refrigerate it for up to four days.

Servings

1 “can” = approximately 1.5 cups

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What are you having for Sunday Brunch, Breakfast or Lunch?

This post is shared at Penny Worthy Project, Cookbook Sundays,Creative Bloggers and· Savory Sunday.