Green Beans Almondine Recipe
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Green Beans Almondine (in French Haricots Verts Amandine) is a classic French-inspired side dish that brings elegance to your table in just 15 minutes. Crisp-tender green beans paired with buttery toasted almonds, a hint of garlic, a touch of nutmeg, and a splash of lemon.
This dish is perfect for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter - yet simple enough for a weeknight, much like my Green Bean Casserole or bright and delicious Green Bean Salad.
Recipe Overview
- Occasions: Holiday dinners (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter), as well as a fresh weekday side.
- Taste: Buttery and nutty with aromatic garlic and a bright citrus finish.
- Texture: Tender-crisp green beans, crunchy almonds.
- Ease: Ready in ~15 minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
What I Love About This Recipe
I love that this dish has genuine French roots (the "amandine" garnish of almonds is a classic of French cuisine) yet requires no fancy technique or hard-to-find ingredients.
The almonds toast in minutes, the beans cook quickly, and the combo of lemon and nutmeg gives it a subtle flavor twist that lifts it beyond the everyday side. It's elegant but effortlessly so.
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Key Ingredients
Here are the handful of ingredients you’ll need.
- Fresh Green Beans (or haricots verts if you can find them): Choose bright green, slender beans for that refined look and crisp texture.
- Sliced Almonds: Toasted to bring nutty richness and crunch.
- Butter & Olive Oil: The butter adds classic richness; the olive oil adds a modern layer, letting you moderate the butter if you like.
- Garlic (minced): Adds savory depth without overpowering the beans.
- Ground Nutmeg, Salt & Pepper: The nutmeg is a subtle nod to French flavor-building; salt and pepper are essential.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: A bright finish that keeps everything light and fresh.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Green Beans Almondine
Making this Green Beans Almondine recipe is simple and only takes a few minutes. Here's a quick look at the process with detailed steps and photos.
- Step 1: In a large dry skillet, toast the almonds, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Set aside.
- Step 2: Bring water to a boil in the same skillet. Add the green beans, cover, and cook until tender and bright green, about 6-9 minutes. Drain the water and immediately add the beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
- Step 3: In the same skillet, add the olive oil, butter, and minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and nutmeg.
- Step 4: Toss the green beans with the garlic and lemon juice. Using tongs, layer the green beans in rows on a serving platter. Top with the toasted almonds and serve.
Variations
- With Shallots: Add thinly-sliced shallots in step 3 for extra sweetness.
- With Parmesan: Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan just before serving for a richer finish.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Blanch the beans ahead of time and keep chilled; finish the toasting just before serving for minimal last-minute steps.
- Lighter Butter-Free Version: Use only olive oil instead of butter if you prefer a lighter profile.
- Use Regular Green Beans: If you don't have haricots verts, go with regular beans - adjust the blanching time until crisp-tender.
Tips for the Best Green Beans Almondine
- Cook ahead, finish later: Blanch beans in advance, then reheat them with the almonds and butter right before serving - perfect for holidays.
- Toast almonds carefully: Keep the skillet over medium heat and stir often. Almonds can go from golden to burnt quickly - once they smell nutty and turn lightly brown, remove from the heat.
- Blanch in salted water: Salting the water seasons the beans all the way through and helps preserve their bright green color.
- Don't overcook the beans: Green beans are at their best when they're crisp-tender - still bright green with a little snap. Overcooking can leave them limp and dull. Cook to your preferred doneness, but for the prettiest presentation, keep them slightly crisp.
- Shock beans in ice water: Plunge the beans into ice water after blanching to stop the cooking and lock in that crisp-tender texture.
- Add lemon at the end: For the freshest flavor, squeeze lemon juice just before serving so it doesn't dull during cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this Green Beans Almondine with:
- Your favorite roast turkey recipe or baked ham (ideal for Thanksgiving or Christmas).
- A simple roasted chicken, baked salmon, or baked fish recipe for weeknight meals.
Other favorite green-bean sides you may also enjoy are Garden-Fresh Neapolitan Green Beans or Fresh Green Bean Salad.
Recipe FAQs
"Almondine" (or amandine) refers to a cooking garnish of almonds - typically toasted - in French cuisine. So Green Beans Almondine is simply green beans tossed with toasted almonds (and seasoning).
Some of the best flavors include toasted nuts (for texture and richness), garlic or shallots (for depth), citrus (lemon or zest for brightness), and a good seasoning of salt and pepper to let the beans shine.
It hits a sweet spot: it cooks quickly, uses minimal ingredients, pairs with many mains, and gives a sense of refinement (thanks to the almonds and the French styling).
Restaurants often blanch and shock green beans to lock in vibrant color and crisp-tender texture, then sauté them in butter or oil and finish with flavorful touches like nuts, garlic, or lemon - all of which we incorporate here.
More Recipes with Green Beans
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Green Beans Almondine Recipe
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1.5 pounds green beans ends trimmed if desired
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter optional but it brings a delicious flavor
- 3 garlic cloves minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- pinch ground nutmeg (1/8 to 1/4 tsp.)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large dry skillet, toast the almonds, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Set aside.
- Bring water to a boil in the same skillet. Add the green beans, cover, and cook until tender and bright green, about 6-9 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the olive oil, butter, and minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, and saute for about 1 minute, or until it becomes fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat.
- Toss the green beans with the garlic and lemon juice. Using tongs, layer the green beans in rows on a serving platter. Top with the toasted almonds and serve.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Blanch the beans up to 1 day ahead; store covered in the refrigerator. Just before serving, finish the toasting and sauté step.
- Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days; rewarm gently in a skillet to preserve texture.
- Holiday Tip: Double or triple the recipe for larger gatherings; keep almonds separate and toast just before serving for maximum crunch.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This is one of the family’s favorite holiday side dishes, but I also make it for an easy entertaining dish or in the summer when the beans are fresh from the vines. It’s a seasonless, delicious and easy we love!