Green Bean Casserole

Everyone loves a green bean casserole, but the conventionally-made one with canned cream of mushroom soup and canned fried onions, just will no longer cut it for those who want a “clean” diet.  Here’s a version created by Diane Sanfilippo, who wrote the 21-day Sugar Detox Cookbook, that is gluten-free, additive-free, and just plain “clean and delicious.”

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon bacon fat or ghee
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds green beans, trimmed
  • 1 1/2 cups Creamy Mushroom Soup (see recipe below)
  • 1/2 cup almond meal* or other nut meal
  • sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the bacon fat, then cook the shallots in the fat until translucent and slightly browned on the edges, about 5 minutes.
  3. Roughly chop the green beans and place them in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
  4. Pour the Creamy Mushroom Soup over the green beans, then top evenly with the almond meal.  Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and then evenly distribute the shallots across the top.
  5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sides of the casserole are bubbling.

Creamy Mushroom Soup:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon bacon fat or ghee
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 dozen medium-sized mushrooms (cremini or shitake), sliced
  • leaves from 1 spring fresh thyme (1/2 teaspoon), plus an additional sprig for optional garnish
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 3 1/2 cups Bone Broth
  • 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, canned or homemade

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, melt the bacon fat over medium heat, then cook the onion until it is translucent and the edges begin to brown, about 5 minutes.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. Add the mushrooms, thyme leaves, and nutmeg to the pan.  Continue to cook until the mushrooms brown, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the Bone Broth and coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Using a slotted spoon, remove 1/2 cup of the mushrooms from the pan and set aside. (For a completely creamy soup without any chunks of mushrooms, skip this step.)
  5. Transfer the soup to a blender in 3 small batches, removing the center “valve” from the lid and covering the hole where the valve normally rests with a thick kitchen towel. Holding the lid in place with your hand, blend on low,then move to high speed after a few seconds.  Note that blending hot liquids causes them to expand, so rushing to blend this all at once or in an overfilled blender is not safe and will cause hot soup to splatter everywhere.
  6. After blending all 3 batches, pour the soup into serving bowls and evenly distribute the reserved mushrooms.  Garnish with a portion of a thyme sprig, if desired.

Servings:  4

Exchanges:

Vegetables: 2

Fats: 4

Other Thanksgiving Day Courses:

Foundational:  Bone Broth

Pumpkin Pepper Hummus

Best Turkey Ever

Grain-Free Stuffing

Grain-Free Gravy

Green Bean Casserole

Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash with Pecans

Cranberry Sauce with Oranges and Fresh Mint