Vegan green bean casserole for a holiday side dish on Meatless Monday

No one's saying you have to go meatless just because it's Monday -- but as incentive to join the growing movement, every week we're offering an animal-free recipe.

Green bean casserole is a holiday favorite, but cream-of-mushroom soup is not a vegan-friendly ingredient. This recipe includes a flavorful sauce that's indistinguishable from the dairy-saturated version; no one will ever know you omitted the cow products. And it's incredibly easy!

You will need:

3 cans of French-cut green beans
1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (make your own; it's well worth the results in flavor)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
a pinch of garlic powder
a pinch of onion powder
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 6-ounce can French-fried onions

Don't be afraid of the nutritional yeast if you've never used it. High in protein and B-complex vitamins, it will add a creamy consistency and a little extra tang to the gravy.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F; drain the three cans of green beans in the sink while you prepare the sauce.

2. Melt the vegan butter over medium-low heat in a small saucepan.

Stir the flour into the butter, then add the vegetable broth; whisk any lumps out of the sauce.