Are you looking for a green bean casserole alternative this holiday? Look no further; this stunning green bean side dish is full of crisp and earthy green beans that have been sautéed with savory mushrooms and then topped with crispy shallots, crunchy raw sliced almonds, and creamy goat cheese. This is the green bean dish you will want to make for your Thanksgiving and holiday meals.

This simple dish is made with only a few ingredients and comes together in less time than what it would take for you to assemble and bake a casserole, plus you can skip the condensed soup mix and highly processed fried onions for unrefined and whole food ingredients.  Whether you’re cooking dinner during the week or for a special occasion, this is the perfect tasty side dish for any night!

 Why Green Beans and Mushrooms are So Good for You!

Getting a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables is essential in your health and wellbeing. Green beans are full of  fiber, vitamins and minerals!

Vitamins

• Vitamin A (beta-carotene): Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and reduces oxidative stress and is also converted to vitamin A in the body.  Vitamin A  is essential in the health of your eyes, skin, bones, kidneys, and lungs.
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine): A water soluble vitamin that is essential in glucose metabolism and supports health heart and nervous system function.
• Vitamin B3 (niacin): Essential in healthy metabolism, supports healthy cholesterol and blood pressure [2].
• Vitamin B6: There are many benefits from a diet rich in vitamin B6.  It plays a role in our immune health, metabolism, and brain health.  Vitamin B6 is essential in creating neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which play a role in emotional health and sleep [3].
• Vitamin E: A powerful Antioxidant that is essential in vision health, skin health, and reproductive health [3]. It also works to reduce oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals that are produced during metabolic processes or from environmental exposure.
• Vitamin K: Vitamin K1 is essential in your body’s clotting ability and is converted to vitamin K2 in your gut.  Vitamin K2 is essential in maintaining healthy bones and skin

Minerals

• Calcium: The most abundant mineral in the body and is essential in maintaining health teeth and bones as well as heart, muscle and nerve function [4].
• Iron: Iron is an essential mineral that your body needs and in plants we have non-heme iron.  Non-heme iron is more difficult for our bodies to absorb [1], so pairing it with vitamin C rich foods, such as a homemade jam increases the absorption of the non-heme iron in our diets.
• Magnesium: A mineral that is essential in healthy metabolism, nervous system regulation, detoxification, and blood sugar regulation.
• Potassium: Plays a role in your body’s hydration and cellular fluid balance, with sodium being the counter balance.
• Zinc: Essential in digestion, thyroid health, and a healthy immune system.

Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods, but did you know they are not technically a vegetable?  They fall into the fungi kingdom of classification, and they have so many health benefits.

Mushrooms are rich in B vitamins which are necessary for so many bodily processes.  In addition to that, mushrooms contain selenium, a trace mineral that is essential in thyroid health, vitamin C, an antioxidant that is important in supporting a healthy immune system, and choline, a nutrient that is important in cell membrane health along with essential metabolism processes. 

So grab some fresh green beans and mushrooms and let’s get cooking!

Sautéed Green Beans and Mushrooms with Caramelized Shallots Ingredients

Serves 6-8

1.5 lbs. Fresh Green Beans, trimmed

8oz Fresh Cremini Mushrooms, quartered or into 1/2″ pieces

1-2 Fresh Shallots, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp Ghee, divided

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves

1-1.5 tsp Fine Real Salt

3/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp Raw Sliced Almonds

3 oz Plain Goat Cheese*, crumbled

*Omit for Paleo and Whole30

How to Make Sautéed Green Beans and Mushrooms with Caramelized Shallots

1. In a colander, throughly rinse the green beans and trim the stems off, if you like, you can cut these into 2″ in length pieces, but I like to keep them as they are.  Set the green beans aside.

2. With a clean, dry paper towel, wipe off any dirt and debris on the mushrooms. Trim off the very bottom of the stem and quarter or cut the mushrooms into 1/2″ pieces, setting aside.

3. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of ghee over medium heat, add the shallots and sauté for 7-10 minutes until browned and mostly crispy, remove from the pan.

4. Add 1 Tablespoon of ghee to the pan, the green beans, mushrooms, thyme leaves, salt and black pepper and turn the heat to medium-high. 

5. Sauté for 10-14 minutes until green beans and mushrooms have softened a bit, checking to make sure that the green beans still have a little bite to them but aren’t raw or overcooked.

6. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the caramelized shallots, raw sliced almonds and goat cheese crumbles.

Enjoy!

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FAQs

Q: Can I use frozen green beans for this dish?

A: You can, however, the texture will not be as crisp as fresh green beans.

Q: Why are my green beans mushy?

A: It sounds like they got cooked a little too long, next time reduce your cook time and test as you go like I do!

Q: Are there different mushrooms I can use for this green bean dish?

A: Pretty much any mushroom you like: button, king, oyster, porcini, chanterelle, or white beech to name a few!

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