Vegan green bean casserole for a holiday side dish on Meatless Monday

No one’s saying you have to go meatless just because it’s Monday — but as incentive to join the growing movement, every week we’re offering an animal-free recipe.

Green bean casserole is a holiday favorite, but cream-of-mushroom soup is not a vegan-friendly ingredient. This recipe includes a flavorful sauce that’s indistinguishable from the dairy-saturated version; no one will ever know you omitted the cow products. And it’s incredibly easy!

You will need:

3 cans of French-cut green beans 1/4 cup vegan butter 1/4 cup flour 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (make your own; it’s well worth the results in flavor) 2 tablespoons soy sauce a pinch of garlic powder a pinch of onion powder 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1 6-ounce can French-fried onions

Don’t be afraid of the nutritional yeast if you’ve never used it. High in protein and B-complex vitamins, it will add a creamy consistency and a little extra tang to the gravy.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F; drain the three cans of green beans in the sink while you prepare the sauce. 2. Melt the vegan butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter, then add the vegetable broth; whisk any lumps out of the sauce. 3. Add the soy sauce, onion and garlic powder and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce achieves a thick consistency. Whisk in the nutritional yeast flakes and oil; when both are absorbed, remove from heat. 4. In a nine-by-thirteen-inch casserole dish, mix the green beans and the sauce until thoroughly combined and evenly distributed throughout the pan. Bake in the oven for ten minutes. 5. Remove from oven and sprinkle onions evenly over the top. Bake for another ten minutes. Perfect.

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