Thanksgiving Recipe: Healthy Green Bean Casserole Remix (2024)

My healthy green bean casserole is a hit every year at Thanksgiving; my dad never believes there isn’t any butter in it. It’s easy to make, vegan, and puts a healthy spin on a traditional favorite. I hope you and your family love it, too!

Healthy Green Bean Casserole Remix:
Crisp Green Beans with Mushrooms & Almonds

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 30 min
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup slivered almonds
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 15 to 20 small mushrooms (such as white button or cremini), wiped, stems removed and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• 2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed, cut in half if needed
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 5-6 spins of freshly ground black pepper

Recipe:

1. Dry toast the almonds: In a large skillet over medium heat, add the slivered almonds to the pan and dry-toast them for 3-4 minutes until they become fragrant and slightly golden around the edges—watch them carefully as they can burn quickly. Once toasted, remove them to a plate and return the pan to the heat.
2. Cook the mushrooms: Add the extra virgin olive oil to the pan and turn up to medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute 6-7 minutes until the mushrooms soften and start to slightly brown. The mushrooms will at first soak up all of the oil so you may need to turn the pan down for a minute. Once they start cooking they will release the oil back into the pan.
3. Add in the garlic: Once soft, add a few pinches of salt over all of the mushrooms and add the minced garlic, if using. Turn the heat to medium and cook the garlic in the mushrooms 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and soft. Careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Steam-Sauté the green beans: Add the green beans to the pan and stir to coat with oil. With the heat on medium, add 1/2 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of sea salt plus a few spins of freshly ground black pepper to the pan. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are crisp-tender. Remove the lid and turn the heat to medium-high to let all of the water evaporate as the beans finish cooking. They should remain crisp but not crunchy. Add more splashes of water as needed. Give it all a stir. The beans and mushrooms should be lightly coated with the sauce made from the oil and water, but there shouldn’t be any standing water in the pan. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
5. Serve: Turn off the heat and cover with a lid to keep warm until serving. To serve on a platter or bowl and cover with the toasted almonds.

Like this recipe? Check out my Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup for more holiday meal ideas.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Note: This recipe was re-written and updated in 2022. Here is the method with the older version if you’d like to use it:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.Blanch the green beans by adding them to the boiling water for two minutes, then immediately transfer them to a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Let the beans cool completely, then strain from the ice water and reserve.

While the beans are in the boiling water, heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Sauté the mushrooms for 2 minutes, then add the almonds and sauté until the mushrooms are soft and the almonds are fragrant. Add the green beans, salt and pepper and sauté another 10 to 15 minutes until the beans are warmed and slightly cooked, but still crisp.

Finish the dish with a fresh drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and adjust the salt and pepper if needed. The olive oil and juices from the veggies will combine to make a light sauce for the dish.

Optional: For a vegan twist on a more traditional green bean casserole,add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cashew cream to the pan and reduce to low when the beans have about 5 minutes left to cook, allowing the cashew cream to warm through.

To prepare the cashew cream, soak one cup of raw, unsalted cashews in purified water for 2 hours (or up to 12). Drain and rinse the cashews. Blend the soaked cashews with 1/2 cup water in a high-speed blender until smooth. You may need to add more water, one tablespoon at a time until the desired texture is achieved. This will yield about 2 cups of cashew cream; store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.