New-fangled casseroles or perfectly cooked and subtly seasoned green beans are a great addition to your Thanksgiving table.
Green bean casserole just got better. Check out this recipe for smothered green beans with creamed mushrooms and fried onions. It’s a vegan spin on the Campbell’s Soup original of the 1950s (so last century!). The sauce here is made with fresh mushrooms and oat milk rather than cream of mushroom soup. It’s tossed with the beans after they’ve been blanched, so they remain bright green and have a bit of a crunch when you bite into them. The fried onions, sprinkled on just before serving, add more crunch and also help the dish feel and taste decadent. And, bonus, you don’t have to juggle for oven space.
If you like the green beans but not so much the “casserole†part, try dry-frying the beans Sichuan style — quickly, over very high heat with very little oil until they are a bit charred and blistered. The mushrooms are cooked in the same fashion. The Maillard effect brings out the umami in both, and a cornstarch slurry brings them together. The onions are not breaded before being crisped in the oil, so the dish is also a winner for people who are gluten-free.
Casseroles and casserole knockoffs are not for everyone. French beans with miso vinaigrette are full of flavor, tangy and piquant — though you can leave out the jalapeño if you’re not into heat. Meyer lemon green beans are simple and elegant: blanched and shocked while still the brightest of greens, warmed with butter and then doused with the almost sweet Meyer lemon juice, dusted with lemon zest and topped with crunchy fleur de sel.
Dry-Fried Green Beans and Mushrooms With Sizzled Onions
The Sichuan technique of dry-frying adds life to Thanksgiving vegetables, like these green beans and mushrooms, often weighted in a rich casserole.
Time 35 minutes
Yields Serves 6 to 8
Smothered Green Beans with Creamed Mushrooms and Fried Onions
Like the standard American green bean casserole, green beans are smothered in creamed mushrooms and topped with crunchy fried onions, but this vegan sauce is made with oat milk.
Time 30 minutes
Yields Serves 12
French Beans With Miso Vinaigrette
Slimmer than regular American green beans, French beans become a touch more tender when cooked. Thin jalapeño slices bring heat to this side dish.
Time 20 minutes
Yields Serves 12
Meyer lemon green beans
For this simple dish use super-fresh string beans, perfectly cooked, a great-quality butter, a touch of Meyer lemon and good salt and pepper.
Time 20 minutes
Yields Serves 6 to 8
