Green bean casserole has never been my favourite Thanksgiving dish – I generally prefer riffs like my green beans with crispy shallots – but I’ve always thought I would like it if I could improve it just a bit. And that’s what I think I’ve done with this recipe!
The process of this is a bit more involved than simply opening a few cans and mixing together, but the results are so much better. The green beans retain some of their crisp texture, the mushroom base is deeply flavourful and not quite as heavy and the fried onions are crunchy and well-seasoned.
I’ve also omitted the use of heavy cream and the excessive use of butter, so it’s a slightly lighter version of this classic.
How to Make a Lighter Green Bean Casserole
There are several steps to this recipe so it’s important to ensure that you’ve read the entire thing before starting so you know that you’ve A) budgeted enough time and B) you’re aware of what can be done in advance.
This is especially important if you’re making this dish as part of a larger feast (like Thanksgiving) – planning ahead is essential!
With that being said, the first step to this recipe is to make the fried onion topping! You will need to do some frying at home, but it’s not all that overwhelming or difficult – in fact, it’s pretty easy.
To begin, thinly slice a large yellow onion. Add the onion to a mixing bowl and then pour some buttermilk over the onion. Stir to ensure that everything is evenly coated.
Meanwhile, whisk together some flour, salt, baking soda (this ensures that the onions are extra crispy), garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Lift the onions out of the buttermilk – let the excess drip off a little bit – and then add them to the flour mixture.
Use some tongs to make sure that the onions are completely coated in the flour. Now it’s time to get frying!
Add some oil to a Dutch oven or – my favourite vessel – a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Set it over medium heat and bring it up to 175°C/350°F. Add the onions (you may need to work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan) and fry them until they’re golden brown and crispy – about 3-5 minutes.
Use a spider to remove the onions from the oil and let them drip on a wire rack set over some paper towels. Season generously with salt as soon as they’re out of the oil.
You can make these onions in advance – once cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and store at room temperature. Re-crisp them by putting the onions on a baking sheet and moving them to a 200°C/400°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Now, onto the filling. First, we’re going to blanch the green beans – this is the same process I do in my broccoli & green bean salad. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Also, make sure to set a large ice bath (that’s a bowl filled with 50% ice and 50% water) next to the stove, as well.
Add your trimmed, fresh green beans to the boiling water and cook for 90 seconds. Drain and immediately move them to the ice bath to halt the cooking. Set them aside – once the ice is melted, you can go ahead and drain the beans.
You can also blanch the beans up to a day in advance and simply keep them in an airtight container in the fridge – this is another great step to get ahead of the game!
Next, it’s time to make the mushroom base. Add a bit of butter along with some of the onion frying oil to a large saucepan and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add some sliced mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt.
Cook the mushrooms until they’ve released all of their moisture, have reduced in size considerably and are deeply golden brown – this will take about 10 minutes.
I strongly urge you not to cut corners on this step as it’s essential in developing the complex flavours of the finished casserole – and what makes it all that much better compared to using canned soup.
Once the mushrooms are browned, add a finely diced shallot and cook until tender – only about two more minutes. Then, add some minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
Sprinkle over a bit of flour – this will thicken the casserole filling – and cook for a few more minutes. This is just to ensure that you don’t have a raw flour flavour in the finished dish.
Then, deglaze with a bit of dry white wine. This adds a pleasant acidity to the casserole – again, something that you don’t get when simply opening up some cans!
Once the wine has reduced and the strong alcoholic smell has cooked off, stream in some veggie stock, a bit of milk and some soy sauce.
The last ingredient really boosts the umami of the sauce and adds a nice complexity. Stir to combine and bring up to a simmer.
Once the sauce is thick and easily coats the back of the spoon, taste to adjust for seasoning. Add some salt and pepper if you think it needs it. Kill the heat and then stir in your blanched green beans.
You can even make the filling up to this point. Allow it to cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating for up to 3 days.
Then proceed with the following steps – just keep in mind that you may need to increase the cook time by 5-10 minutes.
Pour the casserole filling into an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish (or any similarly sized dish) and then top with your fried onions.
Move the casserole to a 175°C/350°F oven and bake for about 20 minutes – just until the filling is bubbling and the topping is crisp and golden.
Allow the casserole to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Then all you need to do is serve it alongside your Thanksgiving turkey, gravy and maybe even some classic mac n’ cheese!
Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
- 125 g (1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour divided
- 5 g (1 tsp) coarse sea salt (see notes)
- 1 tsp baking/bi-carb soda
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 500 ml (2 cups) neutral oil such as sunflower, canola or peanut
- 500 g (4½ cups) green beans trimmed and cut into 4cm (1½in) pieces
- 30 g (2 tbsp) butter
- 300 g (3 cups) button mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 shallots finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 60 ml (¼ cup) dry white wine
- 250 ml (1 cup) vegetable stock
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Add the onions to a medium mixing bowl and pour over the buttermilk. Stir to ensure the onions are coated entirely.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together 100g (¾ cup) of flour, the salt, baking soda, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Lift the onions from the buttermilk, allowing the excess to drip off, and add them to the flour mixture. Toss to ensure the onions are well coated in the flour.
- Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set a wire rack over it. Add the oil to a Dutch oven or a large cast iron skillet (I prefer the latter) and bring to 175°C/350°F. Add the onions and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3-5 minutes. You may need to work in batches. Remove from the oil and set on the prepared rack. Season generously with salt. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Fill a large bowl with equal parts ice and cool water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 90 seconds. Drain the beans and immediately add them to the ice bath to halt the cooking. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 175°C/350°F. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter along with 2 tbsp of the onion frying oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their moisture, are greatly reduced in size and are golden brown – about 10 minutes.
- Add the shallot along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook until tender – about 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant – only 30 seconds longer.
- Sprinkle over the remaining flour and stir to combine in the mushroom mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 more minutes – until the flour takes on a toasty aroma.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Cook until the wine has reduced and the strong alcoholic smell has cooked off – a minute or two.
- Pour over the vegetable stock, milk and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer and allow the mixture to thicken slightly – about 5 minutes.
- Drain the green beans (the ice should have melted by now) and stir them into the mushroom mixture. Pour the entire mixture into a 20cm (8in) square baking dish.
- Top the green bean mixture with the fried onions. Move to the oven and bake until very golden and bubbling – about 20 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This green bean casserole may be a bit more involved than simply opening a can of mushroom soup, mixing it with a can of green beans and topping with store-bought fried onions, but it is so much better for it.
Are you after a recipe for homemade green bean casserole? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
