A simple yet elegant dish, Green Beans Almondine will be the hit of your meal!
I’ve always been a creature of habit when it comes to vegetables. When I find something I like or my family likes, I stick with it. That was the case with green beans, as I always made Caesar green beans for dinner, except for Thanksgiving, which called for the traditional green bean casserole. That has changed since I discovered how easy it is to make green beans almondine.
Jazzing things up with slivered almonds makes you feel like you’re dining in a French restaurant. If you serve these green beans alongside our recipe for Dijon Salmon, you’ll be the belle of the ball – or house! And your family will gladly say, “C’est magnifique!” It will be our little secret how easy it was to prepare.
How To Get Perfectly Cooked Green Beans
Staying close to your green beans while they’re cooking is crucial. Since you only blanch them for 3 to 4 minutes, getting sidetracked in another room can mean the difference between tender-crisp green beans and mush! I should know because it’s happened to me more times than I care to think.
When the beans turn bright green, drain them and plunge them into a bowl of ice water. I fill the bowl half full of ice cubes because the heat from the green beans will quickly warm the water if there is no ice. Once the beans are cold, drain them and set them aside to dry. I spread them on a clean tea towel to speed up the drying process so they are ready to go into the skillet. Short cooking is the key to perfect green beans.
Here Are A Few Tips To Remember
- First, don’t forget to salt your blanching water. It infuses the green beans with extra flavor.
- Don’t overcook the green beans. Boil them uncovered for no more than 4 minutes.
- Drain them quickly and plunge them into cold water to “shock” them! It stops the cooking process.
- Drain them again and let them dry before adding to the skillet.
- Keep stirring the almonds and watch them closely so they don’t burn.
How to Make Ahead and Store
To prepare this recipe ahead, blanch the green beans and refrigerate them when cool and dry. They can stay like this for up to 3 days before you sauté them to complete the dish. Store them in an airtight container.
Once prepared, the dish will stay fresh for 3 days. You can reheat it in a microwave, but I prefer a skillet. Use low heat until warm. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
Although green beans almondine is a French dish, you do not need the rest of the meal to be themed that way to make these vegetables. This dish goes great with anything. If you want to make them look extra fancy, sprinkle the top of the green beans with some lemon zest.
Some of my favorite recipes to pair with these green beans include Buffalo Chicken, Panko Crusted Salmon, and Easy Seared Ahi Tuna Steak. If you don’t want a veggie dish with nuts, try these Easy Grilled Green Beans for a delicious side dish.
Green Beans Almondine
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans trimmed
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the green beans. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they are bright green and tender-crisp. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the slivered almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the blanched green beans to the skillet. Toss to coat with the butter and almonds. Cook for another 2 minutes until the beans are heated through.
- Remove from heat and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
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