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Fresh, simple, and flavorful!
Fresh and crisp green beans paired with buttery, pan-fried almonds, zesty lemon, and dill - that's my Green Bean Almondine recipe, a perfect side dish for the holidays or as a fancy addition to your weeknight rotation!
As fancy as it looks (and tastes!), this recipe for green beans and almonds is beyond easy to make, and pairs well with every protein from beef and chicken to pork and fish.
I love serving it every year for Easter, but it's also a common side dish at my family dinner table with our Sunday dinners, like roasted chicken or sous vide salmon, because we all love it too much for it to just be a seasonal dish. Try it yourself, and I bet you'll agree!
Jump to:
- Fresh, simple, and flavorful!
- What is green bean almondine?
- String Beans and Almonds Ingredients
- How to Make String Beans with Almonds
- Also try...
- What to Serve with Green Beans Almondine
- Making Green Beans with Almonds Ahead
- How to Store Green Beans Almondine
- FAQ
- Veggie Side Dishes
- Elegant but Easy Green Beans Almondine
- Reviews
What is green bean almondine?
Green beans almondine is a classic French dish combining string beans and almonds. The name comes from "amandine", which essentially refers to a garnish of almonds. Though it has a fancy name and elegant presentation, the recipe is very simple!
String Beans and Almonds Ingredients
- Green Beans: The best green beans for this recipe are the French green beans (also known and sometimes labeled as haricot verts) that are tender and cook quickly. But, you can also use other varieties, such as your classic snap beans. You can easily trim green beans by lining them up so they're even and cutting off the stem end.
- Butter: Because this is such a simple dish, the quality of the butter you use can make a difference. I would recommend using a high-quality butter, whether it's salted or unsalted butter, like Kerrygold. If you use salted butter, make sure to add less salt in the seasoning so you don't over-salt your beans.
- Sliced Almonds: You can't have green bean almondine without the almonds! Of course, you could always try using another nut if you'd like. Most would still pair very well with green beans. Just keep in mind this recipe is tailored to using almonds.
- Lemon Juice: You'll want half a lemon's worth of freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. Do not use the bottled lemon juice. Trust me on that - the flavor is noticeably different, and won't taste nearly as good in your almondine.
- Salt and Pepper: I recommend using a flaky salt, like Maldon sea salt flakes (my favorite!), and freshly cracked black pepper.
Tip from Isabel
Feel free to add other ingredients, like freshly minced garlic (a garlic press is great for this) or shallots, or seasonings like lemon zest or red pepper flakes. Adjust the flavors to your taste preferences and to pair with the dish you want to serve with green beans almondine.
How to Make String Beans with Almonds
Clean the green beans: Fresh green beans can be rinsed under cold tap water to ensure any debris and dirt has been washed away. I always begin with this easy step before trimming the beans.
Trim the green beans: Begin by lining up your green beans so the stem ends are all together on the same side. Use your hand to even them out and keep them in place, then carefully slice off the stem tips with a sharp knife. No need to trim the thin, tapered end.
Tip from Isabel
A nice, sharp knife makes quick work of trimming green beans. Make sure to cut carefully.
Boil the green beans: Boil water in a small pan on the stove. Once boiling, add your washed and trimmed green beans and simmer for 2 minutes. To save some time, I like to boil water separately in my electric kettle, then pour it over the beans in a pan on the stove and allow them to simmer that way. This saves a lot of time waiting for the water to boil.
Blanch the beans: After 2 minutes, immediately drain the water and plunge the green beans into an ice water bath in a bowl. This stops the cooking process and will help keep the green beans crisp and brightly colorful. If you're short on time, you can skip blanching, but if you do have the time, I recommend this step.
Pan-fry the beans: Add butter to a frying pan over medium heat and allow it to melt. Then, add the sliced almonds and toss them in the butter. Fry for 5 minutes, allowing the almonds to lightly brown. Then, add lemon juice and take the almonds off the heat.
Important note from Isabel: Adding lemon juice will cause the butter to simmer and reduce rapidly, further browning the butter and the almonds. The pan must be removed from the heat to prevent burning.
Toss in the beans: Drain the beans from the ice water and add them to the pan with the toasted almonds. Stir in fresh dill, season with salt and pepper, then serve and enjoy!
Also try...
What to Serve with Green Beans Almondine
Making Green Beans with Almonds Ahead
- Boil and blanch the green beans, then allow them to cool before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours ahead of time.
- Slice the lemon and portion out the almonds and butter beforehand. Store near the contained green beans for easy access.
- When ready to serve, all you have to do is melt the butter, cook the almonds, then mix everything together. Easy!
How to Store Green Beans Almondine
Store leftover green bean almondine in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For best results, do not freeze.
FAQ
No, I recommend you do not freeze this dish as green beans can become too soft when thawed.
Yes, feel free to add garlic. I recommend adding minced garlic to the pan at the very end of cooking the almonds, before mixing in the lemon juice and the green beans and seasoning.
Veggie Side Dishes
Elegant but Easy Green Beans Almondine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 7 ounces green beans - washed and trimmed - see post for guide
- 3½ Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 handful fresh dill - optional
- salt and pepper - preferably Maldon sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Boil water in a small pan on the stove. Once boiling, add your washed and trimmed green beans and simmer for 2 minutes. To save time, you can boil water separately in an electric kettle, then pour it over the beans in a pan on the stove and allow them to simmer.7 ounces green beans
- After 2 minutes, immediately drain the water and plunge the green beans into an ice water bath in a bowl. If you're short on time, you can skip blanching, but it will help keep your green beans crisp and colorful.
- Add butter to a frying pan over medium heat and allow it to melt. Then, add the sliced almonds and toss them in the butter. Fry for 5 minutes, allowing the almonds to lightly brown. Then, add lemon juice and take the almonds off the heat immediately to prevent burning.3½ Tablespoons butter,½ cup sliced almonds,Juice of half a lemon
- Drain the beans from the ice water and add them to the pan with the buttered almonds. Stir in fresh dill, season with salt and pepper, then serve and enjoy!1 handful fresh dill,salt and pepper
Marsha says
I like how you took the time to explain the "easy" parts, like why you take the pan off the heat before tossing in the green beans, and how to clean and trim the beans!
Also, sounds great.... hesitant about the dill, but I'll try it!
Em Beitel says
Thanks so much, Marsha! We're so glad it was helpful for you! Enjoy!