Cooking green beans in the south is a VERY personalized country tradition, so mom.....please don't shoot me for making these VEGAN Green Beans. I still did it the old-fashioned way, I promise.
You see, in the country, EVERYBODY snapped green beans.
No, you didn't just cut off the ends....where the heck are YOU from? You had to SNAP them off. It was just how things were done! Probably to make sure you got that tough, stringy part off....
And then into the kettle they went, along with a ham hock or a big mess of bacon to simmer all day on the stove until they were "melt in your mouth perfect". And trust me, they WERE good.
I was remembering missing them the other day thinking....."I haven't had some GOOD green beans in a LONG time... "
So with my Mushroom Bacon from my popular Vegan Gyros Recipe....I set off to remedy that. Would these VEGAN Green Beans actually taste just as good without any of the traditional animal parts used for flavoring?
Only one way to find out...
Southern Style Vegan Green Beans
First, the 'bacon'
Slice up about 8-12 oz of medium-sized Baby Bella Mushrooms. I had about 6 of them in my package. Wash off any dirt and then slice them up into bacon sized pieces.
Toss the mushrooms into a pan and start heating them up on medium heat.
In a small bowl or measuring cup...add the soy sauce, maple syrup, water, and spices and whisk everything up until it's nice and smooth, then pour over the mushrooms.
Cook, until the mushrooms have reduced in size and some of the liquid, has cooked off. As I said in my Vegan Gyros Recipe, you can drain off any remaining marinade (save it) and then crisp this 'bacon' up a little more by placing it under a broiler for a minute or so. My toaster oven makes this easy.
Now on to the beans
Rinse the beans really well and if you haven't already ....start snapping the ends off. Be sure and remove any strings. Set the beans aside when you're finished.
OR....for convenience sake you can use those little 10oz bags of frozen Green Beans from the store. I'd use 2 of them.
Dice a large onion and sauté in a large soup pan until softened. Add a tablespoon of veg broth or water if needed to keep things from sticking.
Add the fresh beans (hold up if using frozen) and a 24oz bag (1 ½ lbs) of baby yellow potatoes (those little new potatoes - about the size of a walnut or smaller), the veg broth, and water.
Finally, stir in the seasonings and add the lid.
Bring the beans to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let that go for the next hour (again if using fresh beans).
If using frozen beans, they only require a few minutes to heat up since they're already cooked. Toss those in during the last 10 minutes or so.
After the hour is up, remove the lid and toss in the mushroom bacon and any leftover marinade.
Stir and serve, and might I suggest a nice hot Cornbread Muffin to go along with?
I think mom would approve.
Southern Style Vegan Green Beans
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
These Southern Style Vegan Green Beans still have that country flavor with the addition of Mushroom Bacon...slow simmered all day long....mmm good eating' !
Ingredients
Mushroom Bacon
- 8-12 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms ((sliced))
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce ((low sodium))
- 2 Tbs Maple Syrup
- 2 Tbs Water
- 1 tsp Oregano
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Liquid Smoke
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
Green Beans
- 1 lg Onion ((diced))
- 2 Tbs Veg Broth or Water ((for sautéing))
- 2 lbs Fresh Green Beans OR...... ((ends snapped off) )
- 2 bags Frozen Green Beans ((10.80z))
- 24 oz Baby Yellow Potatoes (1 bag or about 1 ½ lbs))
- 2 Cups Veg Broth ((low sodium))
- 2 Cups Water
- Leftover Bacon Marinade
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 batch Mushroom Bacon
Instructions
Mushroom Bacon
- Clean and slice mushrooms, and add to a large skillet.
- Whisk remaining marinade ingredients and pour over mushrooms.
- Cook until mushrooms have reduced in size. Drain and save the marinade.
(for added crispness, place the mushrooms under a broiler for a minute or so)
Green Beans
- Rinse the green beans, and snap off both ends, removing any strings.
- In a large soup pan, dice and saute a large onion until softened.
- Add the beans, potatoes, veg broth, water, and any leftover marinade from the bacon.
- Add remaining seasonings, stir and cover.
- Bring beans to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour then remove lid.
- Add bacon and stir.
Notes
Original Recipe Date: September 12, 2017
Ahna
This recipe is delicious! I make it several times a summer with fresh green beens. The flavor soothes my heart as it reminds me of ham and green beens that I grew up on. Brings me fond memories of my mom and grandma. My vegan family loves this recipe!! It's spot on. Thank you!
D Hilliard
Made recipe yesterday. It is a keeper for me. I will reduce black pepper next time. Personal taste is a factor in all recipes. After tasting yesterday I wondered what I might add for flavor. Today I put a little black salt sprinkled on serving and was pleasantly surprised that to my taste buds it indeed added flavor. At first I was concerned about the salt as I have high blood pressure. I used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos. 1 tablespoon has 310mg sodium. 4 tablespoons (number in 1/4 cup)have 1240mg sodium. Divide by 6 servings (low side) is 207mg per serving. Plus after taking the vegetables out of liquid I dispose of the liquid. This liquid has a lot of the salt in it. So I believe that makes for low sodium side dish. Thanks Chuck for all the testing and research you have done to produce these healthy recipes!
Ksanders
It was delicious
Cheryl
Wow....I am so impressed! Green Beans are one of my absolute favorite vegetables. I have a great recipe using no meat, yet it does include no sodium chicken broth, but I think this just might be even better! A little more time consuming maybe with prepping the mushrooms, but so worth it. My only issue is I can't find no sodium vegetable broth and even the reduced sodium vegetable broth I've found is still quite high for my husband who has congestive heart failure. But because of this recipe, I'll continue to look. I have just found this website, and even though we are not vegans, I look forward to trying some of your other recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Karin
where do you see chicken broth????? it's vegetable broth.
DHilliard
Amazon has number of brands sodium free vegetable broth. If you cannot find in store.
Emily
Collect/freeze your mushroom/vegetable trimmings (but not cruciferous greens) and once you have enough, roast them at 400 for an hour (optional but makes it extra yummy), then throw them in a pot with enough water to cover (and if you roasted, get those brown bits off the pan with some cooking wine) and simmer that for an hour. (I sometimes add lentils just to thicken it a bit). Then you should have enough stock to use/freeze until your trimming bags fill up again. And the cycle begins again...
Emily
*450
Susan P
Chuck, another great recipe!
I will definitely make this again super easy and delicious.
Renee
These green beans were delicious and I’m not vegan, I make vegan dishes for my daughter! Once I tasted them now this is only recipe I use for green beans!
Ahna
This is one of my favorite recipes. It's incredibly delicious and such a perfect comfort food. When green beans and potatoes are in season I make this nearly every week. I made it today and forgot to buy mushrooms. I had my heart set on eating this and just happened to have a head of green cabbage and used that in place of the mushroom bacon. Delicious!!!! Thank you for such a wonderful and hearty recipe.
Christina A
Is this Mary's mini compliant? Probably not because of the Maple Syrup...
Chuck Underwood
If it helps you stay on track for 10 days - why not. That's my official answer - not McDougalls. If it bothers you - leave it out.
Mary L Martin
Loved it but i notice u dont add the soup part to it in video or pic just made it so yummy!! Used mixed potatoes instead
Quin
Not very much flavor to me or my husband . Made it exactly as mentioned
Donna Reeves
You may be new to this way of eating. Once you are accustomed to eating without processed foods, high amounts of sugar, salt and fat you might find this delicious. Of course if you are not from the south that could make a difference too.
Hannah
Love this recipe! Thank you.
I use sweet potatoes instead of regular and add them at the halfway cooking mark (30 min into the beans and onions cooking) and it is delicious. I also add cayenne (dash), smoked paprika (TSP), and date nectar (TBS) to the "bacon" when I don't have maple syrup or liquid smoke around.
Will be trying other recipes. Thanks and have a great day!
Allison
Delicious! Thank you!
Sophie
Luv this recipe!!! I added vegan gouda cheese slice on top (follow your heart brand) and ate it with two slices of sourdough bread it was soooo yummy!!! It reminded me of french onion soup!! Thank you for this delicious recipe
Wanda Huberman
My husband has been eating Vegan since the day he was born and that was 68 years ago. He thinks this may be the best recipe I have ever made (And I have made a lot!) I'm from the south and also love this recipe.
Harrison
Can this be done in a slow cooker?
Chuck Underwood
Sure - canned green beans don't take very long to cook though.
Jennifer Leeson
This has become one of our favorite recipes.... and the Best Chili recipe.... my non vegan friends love it also.
Scott Rudolph
I wonder if this could be done in an Instant Pot?
Kris
I make this in an instant pot often. You only need 4 minutes & quick release. Voila!!
Carolyn Cobb
Mine at 4 minutes was overcooked. Did you use the low setting?
Chuck Underwood
I always use the HP setting
Trish
I make this in Instant Pot too - OFTEN! 4 minutes on high.
This is what I call delicious comfort food - as good as the old style version but healthier.
I love all your recipes.
CruznV
I was so hoping someone would ask about a IP version???.. I am so Over watching pots boil on a stove since a Instant Pot came into my life...?
Mona
What are the red bits in the photo? This is definitely going into the recipe file.
Chuck Underwood
You know - I don't know WHAT those are? :). Maybe some leftover Red Bell Pepper - that's all I can think of.
Melody
Green beans were delicious!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Megan
Can I use frozen beans?
Chuck Underwood
Absolutely!
Ella
I made this today and it is delicious. In my opinion it is about as close as one can get to the green beans and potatoes my Mother cooked when I was growing up.. The only thing I will do different next time is use a little less pepper..
Diane
Now that sounds like one interesting recipe. I am not from the south but I do remember snapping beans as a youngster. (Like a hundred years ago.)
Pat Montana
Making this tonight and I can't wait! I'm sure it will be delicious as all your recipes are. This was a dish favored by my mother, a southern cook, whenever she could find small new potatoes. She flavored hers with salt pork, onion, butter, lots of salt and pepper and cooked in a broth with milk! Yours sounds better!
Elaine Romero
How was it? I am about to make it.
Pat Montana
Sorry I didn't post after I made this. It's delicious! In fact, I had leftover green beans from Thanksgiving and I threw them, along with some baby purple potatoes, into my slow cooker and had a great meal! Love Chuck's recipes!