Thanksgiving purists, avert your eyes.
Truth be told, I can’t recall ever having a green bean casserole on the table at any of my childhood Thanksgiving celebrations. Perhaps there was one though, lovingly prepared by traditionalist grandmother, aunt, or uncle, but I sure never noticed. A holiday fraught with food complications even before I went vegan, there’s rarely been much on the expansive buffet table that got me excited, or even remotely hungry for that matter. Hunk of dry, bland turkey for you, my dear? How about a smidgen of mushy breadcrumbs swimming in a pool of their own tears? What about the gelatinous, can-shaped cranberry “sauce” that clearly has remained untouched up to this decade? No thanks, no thanks, and not on your life.
Mercifully, being that the menu remained more or less the same no matter who prepared it or where we met to eat, it became easier to predict the horrors that awaited me on that fated day of celebration. Prepared for the worst, it was a much more survivable experience, like going into battle with a map of where the landmines were hidden. It was still rough going- Downright traumatic at times, depending on the mortifying family memories that might be unearthed yet again- But at least you’d make it out alive.
Best of all, everyone would be so sick of the typical Thanksgiving fixings the next day that in spite of the copious embarrassment of leftovers, it wouldn’t be too difficult to plead for a dinner of Chinese takeout. That was the true festive meal, for all I was concerned.
Now on my own and separated by every member of my family by over 2,500 miles, I’m at a bit of a loss. I’ve finally gotten my wish, freed from the obligations of the traditional dinner, and I’m not quite sure I really want to escape it anymore. Suddenly those old-school favorites seem ripe with potential, and even though I have no plans or guests to feed, I can’t help but go back and create pieces of the feast that I always wished might be on the table.
That means combining the standard green bean casserole with an infusion of spicy sichuan peppers, just hot enough to make your lips tingle but still keep the inherent savory soul of the baked dish intact. The twist might very well horrify those who expect nothing but the same menu, year after decade after century, but for anyone who’s wanted to shake things up just a bit, I can’t think of a better dish to start with.
Sichuan (Szechuan) Green Bean Casserole
Meet your new Thanksgiving tradition in a casserole dish. Combining the standard green bean casserole with an infusion of spicy sichuan peppers, the results are just hot enough to make your lips tingle but still keep the savory soul of the dish baked right in.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Fresh Green Beans, Trimmed and Halved
- 1 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Shallot, Minced
- 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1-Inch Fresh Ginger, Peeled and Minced
- 1 Cup Cremini or Button Mushrooms, Roughly Chopped
- 1 Cup Unsweetened, Plain Non-Dairy Milk
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Broth
- 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Teaspoons Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/8 – 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Sichuan Pepper*
- 1 Cup Fried Shallots or Onions, Divided
- 3/4 Cup Crispy Fried Noodles or Wonton Strips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Pour the sesame oil into a medium saucepan and heat over high. Once blisteringly hot, add the prepared green beans and saute while stirring briskly, until seared all over but still crisp; about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool.
- Return the pan to the stove, down down the heat to medium, and add the olive oil, shallot, garlic, and ginger. Cook until aromatic and just barely browned around the edges; about 8 – 10 minutes. Introduce the mushrooms next and cook until softened. If any of the vegetables threaten to stick or burn, begin adding in splashes of the non-dairy milk.
- Shake up the vegetable stock and flour in a closed jar to create a slurry. Add it into the pan, stirring to thoroughly incorporate, followed by the non-dairy milk. Introduce the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, pepper flakes and Sichuan pepper next, reducing the heat to medium-low and stirring to combine. Continue to cook, stirring periodically, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil.
- Remove from the stove and add the green beans back into the mixture.
- Mix to combine, folding in 1/2 cup of the fried shallots as well.
- Transfer everything into a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish and top evenly with the crispy fried noodles and remaining fried shallots. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
Notes
*Given that true Sichuan peppercorns can be difficult to hunt down at times, you can omit them for an equally delicious, if less tongue-tingling experience.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 176Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 289mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.