Green Beans Almondine

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 18:21:18 +0000

Green Beans Almondine is a side dish that works with almost any main entree

This easy vegetable is packed with flavor including almonds, sautéed garlic, shallots, and lemon zest. The best part is it’s ready in less than 15-minutes!

Almond Green Beans, are popular during the holidays but are also fantastic in the summer when green beans are at their peak of freshness. We love to pair them with our Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, garlic studded Roast Beef, and Tomahawk Steak.

This dish is also easy to make ahead and we’ll walk you through the steps.

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Ingredients Needed:

A beautifully simple dish, this side requires just a few ingredients:

Green Beans – use either regular green beans or French-style haricot verts (see below for the difference in these beans). Haricot verts come pre-trimmed which saves time
Butter – we use unsalted butter but salted is fine too
Sliced Almonds – Use the untoasted variety
Shallots – shallots add a milder touch of flavor than onions
Fresh Garlic
Lemon Juice and Zest
Salt and Pepper – we use sea salt and black pepper

What are Haricot Verts?

In French, the term “haricot verts” simply translates as green beans. This variety of beans has a few small differences when compared with the typical green beans you see in American grocery stores.

Haricots verts tend to be thinner and straighter than traditional green beans
This variety is harvested younger and as a result, they are more tender and cook quicker
They are more expensive than traditional green beans but can be used interchangeably in most recipes

How to make Green Beans Almondine

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Salt the water heavily because this will ensure great seasoning in the end result, and will help the beans stay bright in color when cooking
Rinse the beans and trim any stems
Mince the garlic and the shallot. Zest the lemon with a hand-held zester and squeeze the juice
Blanch the prepared beans in the boiling salted water until they are al dente. This will take about 4-6 minutes depending on the size of the beans. NOTE: Haricot verts will cook quicker than regular green beans. (See more about blanching and al dente below)
Stir occasionally. Be sure to slightly under blanch the green beans because they will finish cooking in the skillet
While the beans are boiling melt the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat
When the butter is bubbling lightly add the almond slices and cook, stirring constantly, until they smell nutty and begin to look lightly brown (about 3 minutes)
Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic and shallots
Saute for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently
Drain the green beans and add to the skillet. Toss to combine and sauté for about 30 seconds to heat everything up
Remove from the heat, and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper
Toss everything to combine well and serve

How to make ahead:

Want to get a jump start on your dinner during the busy holidays? You can prep the beans ahead of time so that all that is left to do is saute the almonds, garlic, and shallots.

If prepping ahead: blanch the green beans until al dente, drain, and immediately plunge them into a bowl of very cold water. This will stop the cooking process and help retain the bright color and firm texture of the beans
Drain again and store the beans in a sealed container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator
Once ready to serve prepare the almonds, garlic, and shallots as above
Add the beans and sauté for about 2 minutes until hot, add the lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper and serve

How to blanch vegetables:

It’s simple but involves a bit of food chemistry.

Blanching means scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time. It’s then normally followed by quick, thorough cooling in very cold ice water
Blanching works to stop enzyme actions that would otherwise cause a loss of flavor, texture, and color.

What does al dente mean:

Al Dente is an Italian term and means “to the tooth”

Al dente vegetables are firm with a crunch but cooked long enough that they lose their raw flavor
Al dente pasta means to cook pasta slightly underdone with a slight resistance when you bite into it

Storing leftover Almond Green Beans:

If you have leftovers (we rarely do!) you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and then quickly reheat them in a skillet or sauté pan.

Variation ideas:

This recipe is basic and can easily be modified to suit your tastes. Here are some ideas:

Replace the almonds with walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or pine nuts
Use onions instead of shallots
Try the juice of an orange and orange zest instead of the lemon

Looking for other easy side dishes?