Green Bean Casserole-No Canned Soup
This homemade Green Bean Casserole will be the perfect side dish at your Thanksgiving table because it has no canned condensed soup or MSG! It’s ready in about 35-minutes! Serve this with your turkey dinner, candied sweet potatoes, homemade Cornbread dressing and cranberry sauce!
The traditional French’s Green Bean Casserole™ recipe calls for Campbell’s™ Cream of Mushroom soup (or Cream of Chicken soup) which contain MSG (monosodium glutamate), as well as other GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients.
This easy recipe offers a healthier way to get that traditional southern style Green Bean Casserole flavor and texture without additives, preservatives or fillers and without sacrificing flavor or the comfort of this traditional Thanksgiving side dish!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Use fresh, packaged, frozen or canned green beans
- Green Bean Casserole-No Canned Soup makes a great side dish for your holiday meal and it tastes just like the classic green bean casserole recipe !
- The flavors really shine when you’re dealing with all-natural ingredients
- Healthy – no canned soups, no condensed soups, no MSG, no additives, preservatives or colorants
- Easy to make – make ahead and reheat; ready in 35-minutes
The original “classic recipe” uses soy sauce, which contains MSG. This recipe uses organic Tamari sauce as a substitute for soy sauce. Organic Tamari sauce does not contain MSG and tastes just like soy sauce.
Here’s what you’ll need
Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be the same without those delicious side dishes, would it? This “no canned soup green bean casserole recipe” is just as good, if not better, than the original recipe. Give it a try!
- Green beans – You can use the pre-washed, packaged ones you find in the produce section. Or, if you prefer, you can use fresh, frozen cut or canned. Some folks use plain cut beans, while others use “french style” or “french cut” beans – it’s really up to you.
- French fried onions
- Chicken broth – or chicken stock; I recommend unsalted
- All-purpose flour – you’ll need this to make the roux for the homemade condensed soup
- Butter – I use unsalted butter, but you can use salted
- Heavy cream – also known as heavy whipping cream in the dairy section of the grocery store
- Milk – just a quarter cup of 2% or whole milk
- Mushrooms – mushrooms are optional
- Onion – I use sweet yellow onion, but you can use yellow onion or white onion
- Garlic powder – granulated garlic powder
- Tamari sauce – this gives the green bean casserole a savory or “umami” flavor; you can use soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce as a substitute
- Salt and ground black pepper
If using canned beans, drain and rinse first. If using fresh or packaged, you’ll want to cook them in hot salted water for 4-5 minutes (See Recipe Notes in recipe card below)
The “homemade condensed soup” gives this classic holiday side dish a great flavor without additives and high sodium.
The most popular brand of crispy fried onions is French’s™ Fried Onions, but you can use any brand you prefer in your green bean casserole.
How to make green bean casserole with no canned soup
Rinse, trim and cut fresh or frozen (thawed) beans in 1″ inch pieces. Bring a large pot of water (salted) to a rolling boil on medium-high heat; add beans and cook for 4-5 minutes or until fork tender; drain and set aside.
If you use canned, drain them first and set aside – no need to cook them first.
Make the homemade condensed soup
The homemade condensed soup takes a few extra steps and about 5 minutes, but it’s totally worth it – a great way to reduce sodium, as well as preservatives. At our house, we’re all about “no canned soup”!
This no canned soup recipe yields 4 cups of condensed soup, which is plenty for 8 cups of green beans. (Note: if you add mushrooms to the condensed soup, you’ll have cream of mushroom soup.) This is an overview; please see the recipe card below for exact ingredients, measurements and process steps.
- In a large saucepan or skillet, melt butter on medium low heat; add chopped onion and sliced fresh mushrooms (optional) and saute 3-5 minutes
- Whisk in the flour and cook another 2 minutes, whisking constantly
- Add room temperature heavy cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, Tamari sauce and ground black pepper; combine well and cook on low heat, whisking constantly a few minutes – until the condensed soup mixture begins to thicken; remove from heat and taste for salt
Place green beans in a large mixing bowl; pour the homemade condensed soup mixture over the beans; use a spatula to coat; pour the green bean mixture into an ungreased 11 x 7 baking dish; bake on the middle rack @350°F until mixture is bubbly.
Remove casserole from oven, sprinkle french fried onion pieces on the top; pop the casserole back into the oven and bake another 5-10 minutes, until the crispy fried onions are golden brown
Recipe Tips
Cook fresh or frozen green beans first; this takes about 4-minutes or till tender; drain and set aside (See recipe card below)
Use unsalted chicken broth/stock and unsalted butter. After you’ve combined the ingredients, you can taste and adjust seasonings accordingly
The original green bean casserole recipe calls for Soy Sauce, but it inherently has MSG in it. So…the next best thing is to buy Organic, Non-GMO Tamari Sauce. It tastes the same as Soy Sauce but doesn’t have MSG. You’ll find it on the Asian or International aisle in your grocer.
This recipe fills a 11 x 7 x 2 baking dish and makes about 8-10 servings; you may have a little soup leftover.
If you use a 9 x 13 baking dish, double the amount of green beans and use all of the soup.
What size baking dish?
This recipe fills an 11 x 7 casserole dish perfectly; however, if you don’t have this size baking dish, use any 3-4 quart casserole dish or aluminum pan. You can compare baking dish volumes to determine which works best for you.
Make ahead, storage and reheating
If you’re pressed for precious oven space on Thanksgiving, make this no canned soup casserole in advance. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-days either cooked or uncooked in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
For an unbaked casserole, let the casserole come to room temperature then bake at 350°F, uncovered for 25 minutes; remove from oven, add remaining french fried onions on top, and place back in oven until the crunchy fried onions have browned (about 10 minutes).
We all know the leftovers are the best the next day, right? To reheat a cooked casserole, let it come to room temperature, cover with foil and reheat in 350°F oven until warmed throughout, or put some in a small bowl and reheat in the microwave.
Freezing is not recommended because the texture of the casserole changes.
Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners aren’t the same without the proverbial Green Bean Casserole and this healthier version won’t disappoint!
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If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment. I love to hear from you!
Green Bean Casserole – No Canned Soup
Equipment
- 11 x 7 baking dish
Ingredients
Ingredients for Cooking Green Beans
- 8 cups cut green beans (if using fresh get 1½ – 2 lbs.) See Recipe Notes below
- 4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons salt , table salt
Condensed Soup Recipe (makes 4 cups)
- 1 stick butter , unsalted
- 1 cup onion , chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms , chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ cup flour , all-purpose
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1½ cups chicken broth , low sodium
- 2 teaspoons Tamari sauce
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup milk , 2% or whole
- 2 cups French Fried Onions ( one big 6 ounce can)
Instructions
Prep
- For fresh, packaged or frozen green beans: Bring large pot of salted water to boil;4 cups water, 2 tablespoons salt
- Add rinsed and trimmed green beans; cook for 4 -5 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside8 cups cut green beans
- If you're using canned green beans, just drain them and set aside; no need to boil them first
Make the Condensed Soup
- In a large saucepan, melt butter on medium heat1 stick butter
- Add chopped onion and mushrooms (optional); cook for 3-5 minutes1 cup onion, 1 cup mushrooms
- Whisk in flour and cook 1-2 minutes stirring constantly½ cup flour
- Add heavy cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, Tamari sauce, and pepper; cook on medium low heat, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken (about 3-5 minutes); remove from heat, taste for salt and set aside1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 cup heavy cream, 1½ cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons Tamari sauce, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon black pepper
Assemble Casserole
- In a large bowl, combine green beans and condensed soup mixture; use a spatula to fold the green beans into the condensed soup
- Pour this mixture into an ungreased 11 x 7 baking dish; drizzle milk over casserole¼ cup milk
- Bake uncovered at 350º F for 25 minutes or until bubbly
- Once the casserole is heated and bubbly, remove from oven, sprinkle fried onions on top and place back into the oven on the middle rack, uncovered, for about 10 more minutes, or until the onion topping is crispy golden brown; allow to rest a few minutes before serving2 cups French Fried Onions
Better than same ole same!!!
This version tastes pretty much the same, just with no MSG, a little less sodium and no preservatives.
This tastes amazing!!!!!
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!