As you know, I love side dishes. A lot, like I could just live off side dishes … and since I live alone and cook for this site, I do end up eating these side dishes as meals. So technically, I do live off side dishes. So it’s a good thing that when making side dishes you are making them as healthy as possible. And not making them like you would normally make them. Because when you see green bean casserole you think creamed soup, canned beans, fried onions, and cheese. Not so here, not so. Here is my vegan and gluten-free Green Bean Casserole.

This one I had been thinking about redoing for awhile, from the normal canned mushroom soup, fried onions and tons of cheese holiday casserole, but didn’t know how to get around the fried onions. First of all I don’t fry anything – I will saute until the cows come home, but I don’t fry. Second, I was trying to make this as waist-line friendly as possible so again, no frying and no canned soup. So what to do about that? Make a creamy, gravy like sauce with a couple onions and tons of fresh green beans.

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I started by halving two large onions and slicing thinly, then sauteing them in vegetable broth with the lid on to soften them then with the lid off to give them color and flavor. While those are working chop up the mushrooms and celery and mince the garlic and clean the green beans. The beans will not get cooked before baking, they will cook in the oven and still have a wonderful crunch when all done – not mushy like the normal canned casserole beans. Once the onions are done dump them into a bowl and set aside. Into the saute pan add mushrooms, celery, and garlic with a little broth and let cook down until almost no liquid is left, then dump into the bowl with the onions. While those veggies are cooking mince the parsley and thyme. Next pour the oil and flour into the saute pan and whisk the flour then add the broth, homemade worcestershire sauce, herbs and let thicken up and cook a few minutes. Add the onions and mushroom mix and mix. Pour over green beans and mix to coat beans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes then take out and carefully mix then bake 30 more minutes. Not your typical green bean casserole, but so much more healthful and gravylicious!

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Green Bean Casserole,

2 Large Onions, sliced
1 Cntr Vegetable Broth
2 Stalks Celery, chopped small
16oz Mushrooms, chopped small
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 lbs Fresh Green Beans, cleaned and tops taken off
2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
3 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Oat Flour
2 Tbsp Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, minced
1 Tsp Fresh Thyme, minced
1 Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tsp Dried Basil

1. Set oven to 350 degrees.
2. Halve onions then slice thinly. Soften onions with about 1/4 cup vegetable broth with lid on. Take lid off to let saute, add more broth if needed.
3. Chop mushrooms and celery into small chunks and mince garlic. Wash green beans and take ends off, leaving beans long; put beans into a dish.
4. Dump onions into a bowl then add the mushrooms, celery, and garlic to the saute pan with about 1/4 cup broth. Saute until liquid is gone. Dump into bowl with onions.
5. Add oil and flour to the pan and whisk about a minute. Add the broth, sauce, and herbs then whisk until thickened. Turn low and let cook a few minutes.
6. Add onions and mushroom mix and mix.
7. Pour everything over the beans and mix all together.
8. Bake for 30 minutes then take out and carefully mix everything – I used two forks but tongs would work really well. Bake 30 more minutes.
9. Enjoy!