Green Bean Casserole with Homemade, Plant-based Cream of Mushroom Soup

Nothing beats the quality taste your local farmer’s market can provide when it comes to fresh food. Store bought produce just doesn’t measure up. However, if local produce if unavailable (or out of season) in your area, your local grocery store may be the next best thing…

Green beans
Buy fresh green beans from your local farmer’s market (if possible)
Wash and chop the green beans (set aside to add to soup later)
The quantity is really up to you (vary the amount of cream of mushroom soup you use when you add the beans to make it more or less soupy)

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Materials:
Food processor
High-powered blender
Measuring cups and spoons
Large pot
Cutting board
Vegetable knife
Garlic press
Spatula (or other utensil to stir)
Whisk

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Organic Baby Bella Mushrooms (10-12 fresh, medium-sized mushrooms)
1 medium yellow onion
2 cubes of organic vegetable bouillon low sodium (dissolved in 4 cups of hot water)
1/4 cup of organic, salted cashews
1-2 cloves of minced garlic
1-2 tsp of organic, extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp of thyme
1 tsp of sage
3 tsp of organic all-purpose flour
salt, ground pepper (to taste)

Directions:
1. Dissolve both cubes of vegetable bouillon in 4 cups of hot water
2. Blend 1 cup of the vegetable broth and 1/4 cup of cashews in a high-powered blender
3. Finely chop/dice onion, chop the mushrooms and mince the garlic*
4. Add oil, diced onion, and garlic to the pot, cook on medium heat and continue to stir until onions are cooked, but not burnt
5. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and sage to the same pot, stir and cook for approximately 6-7 minutes
6. Add the flour to the pot, mix and/or use the whisk to mix everything together
7. Add 1 cup of vegetable broth to the pot and immediately stir with the whisk or spatula
8. Add another cup of vegetable broth to the pot and continue to stir
9. Once the contents in the pot are boiling, add the cashew vegetable broth mixture and stir
10. Add more vegetable broth to the pot if you prefer a thinner version of cream of mushroom soup
11. Add salt or pepper if desired

*You may use the food processor to finely chop the onion verses cutting it yourself

12. Add fresh, chopped green beans to the pot and cook until beans soften and/or to cook off some of the liquid (if desired)
13. You may choose to cook the beans first in a separate pan and add the desired amount of cream of mushroom soup from the big pot.

Serving suggestion: Serve warm with crushed up oyster crackers on top.