Turn boring green beans into a flavor-filled terrific side dish everyone will love with this fresh green beans almondine recipe. Sounds fancy but its really pretty simple. Tender fresh green beans topped with buttery, crunchy toasted almonds. For the most tender green beans, use the French variety called haricot verts. Easily made ahead or in 30 minutes.
A classic French dish, green beans almondine is a nice, lighter alternative to heavier recipes like green bean casserole at a holiday dinner. The other way you'll see it spelled is green beans amandine. It pairs with everything from ham or pork tenderloin to roast chicken and roast turkey.
For a delicious for green bean recipe for falls holidays, try Thanksgiving green beans recipe.
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Why You'll Like This Recipe
- An easy side dish with simple ingredients.
- Make the green beans and almonds ahead of time.
- A nice swap for traditional green bean casserole.
- Humble green beans taken to a new level. It's the best green bean recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- Green beans: Buy the French ones called haricot vert. They are sometimes labeled as baby green beans, French green beans, or French beans. They are long, slender, and more flavorful and tender than standard green beans. Think string beans.
- Almonds: Buy sliced, raw almonds.
- Shallot: Shallots provide an earthy, aromatic flavor that's a little sweet.
- Garlic: Adds great flavor and fragrance.
- Butter: Use either unsalted butter, ghee or clarified butter, or plant butter for a vegan, no-dairy dish.
- Olive oil: A little for sautéing the shallots and garlic, and adding healthy fat and flavor.
- Coarse kosher salt: I don't usually put salt in this list, but you need a bunch for blanching the green beans. Here is what I use and keep boxes in my pantry.
Please see recipe card for measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Can't find haricot verts? Regular green beans work too for green beans almondine.
- No sliced almonds? Use slivered almonds.
- Don't like almonds? Use walnuts, pine nuts, or pecans. Or try these toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
- Want a sweeter option? Swap the almonds with these candied maple pecans and sprinkle over the top (chop them a bit).
- Add chopped fresh herbs like Italian parsley or chives.
For more ideas, check out this post on 12 ways to dress up green beans.
Recipe Instructions
Set Up:
- Get a large pot of very salted water boiling to blanch green beans.
- Set up an ice bath. Fill a medium bowl half full of ice cubes and add cold water.
- Ready a plate or rimmed baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to drain the beans.
While the water is coming to a boil, make the toasted almonds.
Toast Almonds
These buttery toasted almonds really make the green beans almondine the best!
Step 1: Melt unsalted butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
Step 2: Add the almonds and toast for 3-4 minutes, stirring. Don't walk away as nuts burn quickly. If you need to turn your heat down, do so. You want toasted almonds, not burned ones.
Step 3: Finished browned butter toasted almonds ready to cool.
Step 4: Pour the almonds out of the hot pan onto a sheet pan or onto parchment paper and scatter a little salt over the top. Get them out of the hot pan so they do not over brown. Cool the almonds and keep them in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They keep for a month. Beware, they are deliciously addictive!
Cook Green Beans
- Step 1: If needed, snap the tops off any stems. Haricot vert usually come trimmed. Place green beans in the boiling, salted water (1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water) and cook for 4 minutes. After cooking, use tongs and immediately plunge the blanched green beans into the ice water bath. This stops the cooking process and the green beans retain their bright green color.
- Step 2: When green beans are cold (just a couple minutes), move them to drain on a kitchen towel.
- Step 3: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or large skillet over medium heat and add the shallots. Saute until soft and tender, cooking time about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 1 minute, stirring.
- Step 4: Add the green beans and turn to coat with flavor and warm up, about 5 minutes. Remove green beans to a shallow bowl or platter for serving and sprinkle (or toss) with the almonds.
Chef's Note: Blanching is a basic cooking method that par-cooks (or pre-cooks) vegetables to be finished at a later time. Blanching requires very salty boiling water; think of it like fast brining for vegetables. It locks in their flavor and sets color. You are not consuming all of the salt in the water, so don't worry. The water is drained off. Start with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per quart of water. I use 5 tablespoons of coarse kosher sea salt for an almost-full 6 quart pot. It works!
Serving Suggestions
Green beans almondine is traditionally served warm, but it is surprisingly good served chilled like a salad in warmer weather.
At fall holidays, sprinkle with dried cranberries for a tart sweet and colorful finish. Crumbled crispy bacon is terrific too.
For another green bean side dish, try this green bean salad with tomatoes and corn for summer.
Use extra almonds to top other vegetables, toss into salads, top Greek yogurt or even add to steel cut oats for breakfast.
Recipe FAQs
There's no difference, it's referring to the same kind of recipe, a culinary term meaning the food is garnished with almonds, usually toasted almonds, like green beans almondine.
The best green beans are called haricot vert, a French variety of green bean. They are long, slender, and more tender than common American varieties of green beans. They are popular and easily found in most produce departments.
First, be sure to salt your water heavily when cooking them (1 tablespoon per quart of water), as that adds flavor. Second, season them with salt and pepper or your favorite seasonings. Drizzle with olive, melted butter, toasted sesame oil, or a flavored finishing oil, even Balsamic glaze. Add garnishes like toasted almonds, crisp crumbled bacon, grated Parmesan cheese, toasted garlic butter breadcrumbs, just to give you a few ideas.
More Great Vegetable Side Dishes
For another easy and pretty green bean recipe try this one with pomegranate seeds.
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📖 Recipe
Green Beans Almondine
Equipment
Ingredients
Blanching water
- 5 tablespoons coarse kosher salt Use approx. 1 tablespoon per quart of water
Green Beans
- 12 ounces haricot verts of baby green beans
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot halved lengthwise, sliced thin crosswise
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped or zested
Toasted Almonds
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter ghee or plant butter
- 1 cup sliced raw almonds 4 ounces
- 2 pinches sea salt
Instructions
Getting started
- Fill a large pot (5-7 quarts) with water adding kosher salt at approximately 1 tablespoon per quart of water. Bring the water to a full boil. While you're waiting on the water to boil, set up the ice bath and toast the almonds.
Toasted almonds
- Add butter to a medium skillet or fry pan. Melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the almonds and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Don’t walk away from the stove as nuts burn quickly. When done, sprinkle with a little extra salt and set the almonds aside on a baking sheet to cool. Use now for serving or keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Finish the green beans
- When the water is boiling and the ice batch is ready, drop the beans into the boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. When done, remove the beans from the pot with tongs and plunge them into the ice water. When cold (they chill fast), drain the beans in a colander and dry on a clean kitchen towel.
Serving
- When ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a large fry pan and saute the shallot until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more. Add the green beans and heat through, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Serve scattered or tossed with the toasted almonds.
Patti says
I want to make this ahead. How do you heat it up when time to eat it?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Patti. Cook the green beans ahead and shock in ice water to stop the cooking process and keep the beans a nice bright green, drain and dry. They will hold up to 4 days ahead. Make the buttered almonds ahead and zest too. When you want to serve, place the green beans in a shallow casserole or on a platter, cover with foil or a lid and heat in a hot oven about 350°F until hot. You can get the green beans out of the refrigerator an hour ahead to get the chill off, and they will re-heat faster. Timing is hard to say, maybe 20 minutes? Top with your garnishes before you put them on the table.