Green bean casserole without canned soup. This delicious Thanksgiving side dish is made from scratch and uses fresh green beans and mushrooms.
Have you ever made green bean casserole without soup? A traditional green bean casserole for Thanksgiving is not exactly healthy. It contains canned condensed cream of mushroom soup and fried onions. But not this recipe! No canned mushroom soup and no fried onions.
And if you like green beans, try Romanian Green Beans with Garlic or French-Style Green Beans; they would both make fantastic side dishes for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Why do I love this recipe?
- Healthy: No canned products full of additives and weird stuff. No fried onions, yet it tastes fantastic.
- Made from scratch, still, it won't take much longer to make as opposed to the classic version.
- Quick: It uses a quick version of a white sauce, there is no need to make a roux, yet the casserole is creamy and comforting. Cooking mushrooms only takes a few minutes.
- Delicious: Green beans smothered in a luscious sauce made with fresh mushrooms and onions and topped with crispy Panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan.
Recipe ingredients
Green beans: Fresh green beans are always the best choice; they are crispier, have a more pronounced taste, and are not soggy. Frozen can be used instead.
Mushrooms: Fresh mushrooms, no canned soup, and no canned or frozen mushrooms. You can use either white button or cremini mushrooms.
Breadcrumbs: I always use Panko breadcrumbs to make this green bean casserole. Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs; they are larger and much crispier than regular breadcrumbs. They will replace the fried onions in this dish, saving you lots of calories.
Parmesan: Preferably freshly grated cheese from a wedge. Mix half of it with the white sauce and the rest with the breadcrumbs. To make a vegetarian green bean casserole, replace Parmesan with vegetarian hard cheese. You can replace Parmesan with Cheddar or Swiss cheese; use the kind of cheese you like best.
White sauce: for the white sauce, you will need milk and flour.
Optional: Soy sauce is unusual for a traditional American recipe, but it works, enhancing the dish's flavor. Fresh herbs like chives or parsley to sprinkle on top at the end.
How to make it?
Cook vegetables:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Prepare beans: In the meantime, trim and cut the green beans. Add salt to the water and then the beans. Blanch for 3-4 minutes until they lose their raw edge but are still firm. Drain and place them immediately in a bowl with ice water (1).
- Chop: Wipe the mushrooms clean with kitchen paper and halve them. If larger, quarter them. Chop the onions.
- Cook: Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan, add onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they turn golden and all the released juices evaporate about 8-10 minutes. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper (2).
White sauce:
- Mix: Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the flour gradually while whisking all the time.
- Cook while whisking continuously until the sauce thickens; it will happen fast.
- Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce if used. Add a splash of extra milk if the sauce seems too thick.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons grated cheese (3).
Casserole:
- Add vegetables to the sauce (or pour the sauce over the veggies) and mix well. Adjust the taste (4).
- Lightly oil a suitable casserole dish and pour in the mixture.
- Top with Panko and cheese mix.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the Panko is golden, about 35-40 minutes.
Expert tips
- Placing the blanched beans into a bowl of ice water ensures that they remain crisp and of a beautiful, intense green color.
- Don't wash the mushrooms; they will soak up the water and become soggy. Instead, clean them thoroughly with kitchen paper to remove all traces of dirt.
- Don't be tempted to use canned green beans; the recipe will not be the same. Canned beans are soft and mushy, and that's not what you want in this dish.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, and this will save you some stress before the actual dinner.
Prepare everything, but don't top the casserole with the Panko and Parmesan mixture.
Cover the casserole dish with cling film/plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Remove the plastic wrap, top the casserole with panko breadcrumbs and cheese. Bake as instructed. The baking time will be slightly longer since the casserole will be chilled before going into the oven.
Yes. If you have leftovers, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until heated through.
The green bean casserole doesn't freeze well.
This green bean casserole without soup is a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other festive meals. It goes well with roasts of all kinds.
However, it's also a wonderful, light meal on its own. We love this dish with mashed or oven-baked potatoes, no need for meat.
More side dish ideas?
Green Bean Casserole without Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs green beans Notes 1, 2
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 9 oz small mushrooms Note 3
- 1 small onion
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce optional and to taste
- 5 tablespoons Parmesan freshly grated, divided, Note 4
- 5 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook vegetables:
- Blanch beans: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, trim and cut the green beans into 2,5 cm/1-inch pieces. Add salt to the water and then the beans. Blanch for 3-4 minutes until they lose their raw edge but are still firm. Drain and place them immediately in a bowl with ice water (Note 2).
- Prepare vegetables: Wipe the mushrooms clean with kitchen paper (Note 5) and halve them. If larger, quarter them. Chop the onions.
- Cook: Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan, add onion and cook for about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they turn golden, and all the released juices evaporate about 8-10 minutes. Set aside. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
White sauce:
- Mix: Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the flour gradually while whisking all the time.
- Cook while whisking continuously until the sauce thickens; it will happen fast. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce if used. Stir in 3 tablespoons of grated cheese. Add a splash of extra milk if the sauce seems too thick.
Casserole:
- Mix: Add vegetables to the sauce (or pour the sauce over the veggies) and mix well. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Lightly oil a suitable casserole dish and pour in the mixture.
- Top: Combine Panko and remaining grated cheese in a small bowl. Top the casserole with this mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the Panko is golden, about 35-40 minutes.
Notes
- Fresh green beans are the best choice. Frozen are fine as well. Don't use canned green beans.
- Placing the blanched beans into a bowl of ice water ensures that they remain crisp and of a beautiful, intense green color.
- White button or cremini mushrooms.
- For a vegetarian dish, replace Parmesan with vegetarian hard cheese. You can use Cheddar or Swiss cheese instead.
- Don't wash the mushrooms; they will soak up the water and become soggy. Instead, clean them thoroughly with kitchen paper to remove all traces of dirt.
Amy (Savory Moments) says
This lighter version of green bean casserole looks delicious!
Adina says
Thanks, Amy.
Amanda E says
Hi Adina! I was lucky enough to adopt your blog this month and made your fantastic skinny green onion sauce 🙂
Kate @ Framed Cooks says
Secret Recipe Club?? That sounds like so much fun! And, yay YOU for making this classic casserole actually good AND good for you! 🙂
Adina says
The Secret Recipe Club is really fun, you should join. 🙂
Debbi says
Love this without the soup!! I could use non dairy milk and make it dairy free too! Yea! 🙂
Adina says
That would work well for sure.
Anne says
Adina I am so happy that you liked my Green Bean Casserole, and the pictures look great!
Adina says
Thank you for the recipe, Anne, we loved it.
Our Eating Habits says
You're photos are absolutely lovely!
Adina says
Thank you, that is so nice to hear. 🙂
Adina says
I am glad you liked it, Amanda. 🙂
Kirstin Troyer says
Yum! This sounds so good! Great choice. Fellow Group C'er
Adina says
Thank you, Kirstin. 🙂
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Loving all your choices for the SRC, Adina! This is another great one! Green bean casserole is a classic, but a healthy spin is always winning!! Cheers, friend!
Adina says
Thank you, Cheyanne. I don't know how the casserole tastes when made with canned mushroom soup, but I think the healthy version tastes great, I cannot imagine the other version being better.
Evi @ greenevi says
Green beans, mushrooms and white wine sound like the perfect combination 😉
Adina says
Thank you, Evi. And you could easily make it vegan by using nut milk. 🙂
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table says
We love green bean casserole but I've had to tinker with the one my mom always made (it was full of processed stuff) so this version looks perfect! All the great flavors but with fresh, healthy ingredients!
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
I think I can eat any kind of green bean casserole that's put in front of me, but there is something to be said for ones with fresh, wholesome ingredients like this one. It looks delicious and would go well with so many things.
Adina says
Thank you, Thao, I think the same about it.
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Green beans, mushrooms and white wine combination sound heavenly, Adina. Such a fantastic treat and thanks for introducing me to this new recipe.
Adina says
You are welcome, Anu. It was a new combination for me as well, I loved it.
Heather @ Join Us, Pull up a Chair says
Looks delicious and so much healthier! Great SRC choice!
Adina says
Thanks, Heather. 🙂
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
Green bean casserole is one of my FAVORITES! Love that this version is so much healthier 🙂
Adina says
Thank you, Jennifer.
Brie says
Not every American is fond of a traditional green bean casserole 🙂 I usually avoid that canned soup filled questionably colored dish at holiday dinners. But yours looks so fresh and delicious! I can just imagine mashed potatoes topped with a big scoop, yum!
Adina says
I really don't need the meat to enjoy this, it makes a perfect meal on its own.
mjskit says
Who doesn't like Green Bean casserole? You've done a great job making it healthy! Thanks!
Adina says
Thank you, MJ.
sarah k @ the pajama chef says
i have to admit that green bean casserole has never been my favorite... but my husband loves it and homemade versions are always better than the processed kind. i'll have to try this!
Adina says
I hope you do, Sarah, I think you will like it as well.
Lorelle says
I love green beans, and like you, when I see cans of soup in a recipe I delete and move on. Your recipe looks delicious and I will be trying it out over easter - thanks so much.
Adina says
You're welcome, Lorelle, I hope you like it as much as we did. 🙂
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook says
Green bean casserole is one of my favorite side dishes at the holidays. I've done a version in the slow cooker that didn't use canned soup, but it just wasn't the same! 😉
I'll have to try your healthier version, now!