Yes, Thanksgiving is different this year – which means your favorite veggie side dishes can be too. I’m a sucker for classic green beans on Thanksgiving, although I’m not the biggest fan of traditional green bean casserole with condensed soup, crispy onions, and super mushy and overcooked green beans – meh.

My favorite green bean dish (this one!) has vibrantly fresh green beans (that still have a crisp snap to them!), savory and buttery wild mushrooms, aromatic shallots, and savory thyme sprinkled on top. My mom has made something similar to this recipe for the past few years, and I’ve upgraded with even more wild mushrooms (so good) which are at peak season right now.

Wild mushrooms 101. I think Portland has turned me into a mushroom person. Here, people are very into their fungi, and foraging for wild mushrooms is a very normal early morning activity in Oregon’s lush wet forests. Locally in Portland, you can findl wild mushrooms at the local farmer’s market or through food delivery services, like Local Milk Run and Fresh & Wild NW. These beautiful mushrooms were gifted to me from Fresh & Wild NW, and have been incredible to cook with.

There are many, many delicious wild mushroom varieties to try. These include:

Chanterelle mushrooms – gorgeously yellow and golden, chanterelle mushrooms are in season late summer through December, depending on the area and species. These shrooms have a mild, sometimes peppery taste and taste heavenly when sautéed with grass-fed butter.

Hedgehog mushrooms – find these cuties in summer and fall. They can taste nutty and sweet – and bonus – can be frozen!

Hen of the woods mushrooms – also called Maitake or sheep head’s mushroom, these mushrooms can be found late summer and throughout the fall. They typically tend to pop out after rain! Again, these taste amazing sautéed in butter and cream. I love these pretty mushrooms in risotto and on crostini, too.

Chicken mushrooms – also called sulphur shelf mushrooms. These have a meaty flavor and can be found throughout late summer and into early fall depending on the growing region.

Oyster mushrooms – prolific in cooler weather, these mushrooms (again) taste amazing sautéed and added to your favorite dishes.

Trumpet mushrooms – these thick and large mushrooms are very meaty when cooked, and have a taste similar to portobello mushrooms.

Wild mushrooms not only provide hearty and umami flavor to cozy dishes like risotto, pasta, grain bowls, on top of toast, and beyond, they’re also highly nutritious and a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, B vitamins and complex carbohydrates called glucans. Some wild mushrooms have even been shown to have anticancer, cholesterol-reducing, and anti-inflammatory properties.

These green beans with wild mushrooms are so simple – and so mouthwateringly good. Wild mushrooms are sautéed in butter and shallot until golden and incredibly flavorful. Organic broth (I used organic chicken broth) deglazes the pan and makes a savory and simple sauce to coat the green beans. The whole thing comes together in less than 30 minutes and is sure to provide a bit of bright freshness to your Thanksgiving meal.

I hope you enjoy it on your holiday table, too!

Green Beans with Wild Mushrooms

Serves 4-6

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pounds of green beans, ends trimmed
4 tbsp. grass-fed butter
2 shallots, diced
1 pound wild mushrooms, stems trimmed and roughly chopped*
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 cup organic broth of choice

Directions:

1. Wash and trim green beans. Add to a steamer basket and steam for 5 minutes.
2. While green beans steam, heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add mushrooms and sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until softened and slightly golden. Add pepper, sea salt, dried thyme, and broth and let mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add steamed green beans to skillet and toss to combine.
4. Serve green beans immediately and enjoy!

Notes:

-Feel free to use a mixture of your favorite wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, oyster, trumpet, and hen-of-the-woods (maiitake).
-If you don’t have wild mushrooms, swap with shiitake!
-Prep ahead of time: chop mushrooms and trim ends of green beans to save a bit of prep time for the big thanksgiving feast!