Steamed and sautéed green beans get tossed with a simple garlicky dressing, sautéed mushrooms and crunchy croutons. The whole dish gets topped with crispy fried shallots—it’s basically green bean casserole without mushroom soup (and much more flavor)!
Table of contents
Why I Love this Recipe
It’s green bean casserole in salad form! Every component of this dish—from the green beans and mushrooms to the croutons and shallots—is packed with flavor and adds tons of texture. Plus, every step of the recipe uses the same pan which means less dishes all around!
I love that this salad is packed with good-for-you ingredients like Swiss chard, green beans and mushrooms while also being super savory and satisfying. The crispy fried shallots give this dish that french fried onion flavor you love about green bean casserole, just elevated.
Ingredients Needed for this Green Bean Side Dish
Olive oil, salt and pepper are not listed but used.
- Shallots get fried in olive oil until golden brown and crispy.
- Sourdough or whole-wheat bread, I love using really good whole-wheat bread here, but sourdough is also delicious.
- Cremini mushrooms can also be found labeled as “baby bellas.”
- Green beans, fresh is best here! Frozen and canned will not work for this recipe. Seek out regular green beans instead of haricot verts as the recipe timing is for regular green beans.
- Dijon mustard is important for creating a flavorful dressing for the green beans and mushrooms.
- White-wine vinegar is also important for the dressing. Red wine vinegar, tarragon vinegar and sherry vinegar are all great substitutions.
- Garlic
- Thyme, fresh is ideal here but dried can be used in a pinch.
- Swiss chard or Tuscan kale, either works well. Swiss chard is pictured.
How to Make this Green Bean Salad Recipe
- Fry the shallots in olive oil until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the shallots to a bowl.
- Toast bread cubes in the now-empty pan until golden brown. Transfer the croutons to a bowl and set aside.
- Cook mushrooms in the now-empty pan until golden brown. Transfer those to a bowl as well.
- Add green beans and a bit of water to the now-empty pan. Cover the pan and steam the green beans.
- Remove the lid then stir in the dressing. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Swiss chard, mushrooms and croutons.
- Transfer the green bean salad to a large serving platter and top with crispy shallots.
FAQs & Test Kitchen Tips
You can certainly skip adding the greens. If you do, I would recommend increasing the amount of green beans by about 8 ounces.
It’s absolutely fine to use a different type of mushroom. I would recommend trying shiitake, portobello or white button.
I don’t recommend making the entire dish ahead of time, but you can make most of the components ahead of time. Instead of steaming and sautéeing the green beans in the skillet, I would recommend balancing them and storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to cook the final dish.
Likewise, you can make the croutons and crispy fried shallots ahead of time. Store both at room temperature for up to 2 days.
If you want to give this dish an obvious nod to green bean casserole, feel free to skip the fried shallots and sprinkle canned fried onions over top.
More Side Dish Recipes to Love…
All of these make for great Thanksgiving sides. If you’re looking for a super simple green bean recipe, check out my roasted green beans with lemon and garlic.
Print
Green Bean Casserole Salad
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8–9 cups (8 servings) 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A deliciously unique green bean side dish! Serve this dish as a fresh take on Thanksgiving green beans or even a healthy green bean casserole alternative—it’s got all the flavors!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced (½ cup)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 cups cubed whole-wheat or sourdough bread (4–5 ounces)
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
- 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 bunch Swiss chard or Tuscan kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add half the shallots and cook, stirring, until golden brown and crisp, 3–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to a paper-towel-lined plate; season with salt. Repeat with the remaining shallots; set aside. Leave any remaining oil in the pan.
- Add bread to skillet and cook over medium heat until toasted, 3-4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet; heat over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and continue cooking until deep golden brown, about 2 more minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Add green beans and ¼ cup water to the pan, cover, and cook over medium heat until tender, 5–6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk Dijon, vinegar, garlic, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Add vinaigrette to beans and cook until fragrant, 30–60 seconds.
- Remove from heat and stir in chard, mushrooms, and croutons. Transfer bean and green mixture to a large platter and top with crispy shallots.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
To make ahead: Blanch green beans; cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Skip Step 4; instead stir beans into the pan with the mushrooms in Step 3 to heat through. You can also make the crispy fried shallots and croutons ahead of time. Store them at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For a bit more browning and decadence, add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet while the mushrooms cook. Some large shreds of Parmesan cheese would also be delicious.
Nutrition
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 259mg
- Fat: 7.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 13.5g
- Fiber: 3.5g
- Protein: 4.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: green beans and mushrooms, Green bean salad recipe, Thanksgiving green beans, Healthy green bean casserole, Green bean side dish, Green bean casserole without mushroom soup
