Soak the raw cashews in hot water for 1-2 hours before starting. Also, cook and peel the potato. I microwave mine, but if you plan to cook it some other way, do that now.
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and the white beans. Add all of the cashew cream ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Set aside.
For the vegan green bean casserole
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and lightly grease a 9x9-inch square baking dish, or another baking dish of a similar size.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, and the celery if using, and stir. Stir occasionally and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the shallot is softened and starting to lightly brown.
Stir in the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the green beans, and then add the white wine. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the green beans turn bright green, and are cooked to your liking. (They won't soften much further in the oven.)
Stir in the blended cashew cream mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture from the pan to your prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the top evenly with crispy onions.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until hot throughout and the crispy onions are beginning to brown. For more browning, you can briefly broil the casserole for about a minute - keep an eye on it to prevent burning. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
CRISPY ONIONS: These are usually found in the produce section of the grocery store, OR near the salad dressings. Most brands are naturally vegan; some are gluten-free.MAKE THIS SOY-FREE: Use a soy-free miso such as chickpea miso; or omit the miso.TO USE CANNED GREEN BEANS: Drain the canned green beans well. Do not further cook them in the skillet. Stir them in with the cashew cream after removing the pan from the heat.TO USE FROZEN GREEN BEANS: Thaw the frozen green beans and then drain well. Add them to the skillet as the recipe instructs, but adjust the cook time as needed. Green beans should be heated through and cooked to your liking before proceeding to the next recipe step.RECIPE VIDEO: P.S., some folks may need to disable AdBlock in order for the recipe video to be viewable. Apologies for the inconvenience!