This week Thursday I will be celebrating my 4th year of Thanksgiving here in Italy. It’s always a tough time to be away from home, but over the years I have established some new traditions while keeping the old ones alive.
One of the main obstacles that I have run into in regards to cooking a Thanksgiving dinner is finding the ingredients for the traditional dishes I love. Take Green Bean Casserole for example. In the USA this is one of the quickest dishes to prepare. Canned green beans, a can of condensed mushroom soup and some packaged french fried onions & you’ve pretty much finished.
Here, I use fresh green beans and everything from the condensed mushroom soup to the french fried onions has to be made from scratch. This unavailability has actually been a blessing because it has forced me to use only whole food ingredients which has allowed me to discover fresher and more genuine versions of the recipes I grew up adoring.
Even though it is a little bit of a process, over the years I have tweaked this beloved holiday casserole into a fresher and healthier old-school version. I have ditched all canned goods and have packed fresh veggies in their place. The fresh green beans, onions and mushrooms really change the game, giving you a dish that is 100% delicious.
**Other Tips: Based on personal preference, some additional modifications can be made. The fried onions can also be baked in the oven for a lighter version if frying isn’t your thing. And finally for the condensed mushroom soup, the traditional recipe calls for milk.. however I’ve also made this recipe vegan, and non-dairy milks work just fine! **
Healthy Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
Condensed Mushroom Soup
- 3/4 cup Chopped Mushrooms
- 1 cup Milk (non-dairy options work well too)
- 1/3 cup Flour
- 1 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
- Salt & Pepper
- Thyme
French Fried Onions
- 1 large Yellow Onion
- 1/2 cup Milk
- Oil for frying (Sunflower works well)
- Flour enough for breading lightly breading the onions
The Veg
- 6 cups Fresh Green Beans
Instructions
Condensed Mushroom Soup ( makes 2 cups)
- Bring Veggie broth to a boil in a large sauce pan.
- Whisk milk and flour together in a mixing bowl.
- When the broth comes to a boil, whisk in milk/flour mixture very slowly. Add finely chopped mushrooms. Reduce heat and bring to a simmer and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat.
- Add in thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Transfer soup into a sealable glass jar if you are preparing the soup in advance, or set aside. *The soup can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge*
French Fried Onions
- Chop onions into thin slices. Soak in milk for about 10 minutes.
- Strain onions to get rid of excess milk.
- Mix flour and salt in a dish. Place onions in the flour mixture to coat.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions in small batches and cook until golden-brown. Remove with a kitchen skimmer and set on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Set aside. *this can be made the day before if you're crunched on time*
Green Bean Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Cut off ends of green beans. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add salt. Cook green beans for about 5 minutes. If you prefer the beans to be softer, cook a few minutes more.
- Strain green beans. Let cool. Beans can be left whole, separated in half by hand or chopped.
- If you made your condensed mushroom soup in advance and it is very thick, dilute with a splash of milk.
- Mix condensed mushroom soup, green beans, and 1/2 of the fried onions in a casserole dish. (Additional black pepper and salt can be added at this point for more flavor)
- Sprinkle remaining 1/2 of fried onions on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until casserole is bubbly and crisp on top.
- Enjoy!
Author: Ali @ Sustainable Psyche
My name is Ali. I am an American living in Italy. I am passionate about delicious food that is also ethical, healthy and sustainable. I love pasta and pizza, traveling, horseback riding and exploring the vibrant city of Milan that I call home.
