Green Beans Almondine
A classic French recipe, green beans almondine, is elevated with sautéed shallots, garlic, freshly grated lemon zest, and lemon juice. An elegant, simple, and delicious side dish that can be prepped ahead and is great for holiday entertaining!
Green Beans Almondine
Meet my new favorite side dish! Green beans almondine. Aka, a fancier way of saying green beans with almonds. Except I didn’t stop there. No, no.
Since we’ve been going full force on the sweets lately, I felt it was high time that I shared a delicious savory recipe with you. I wanted to keep it simple and elegant. But most importantly, I wanted to share a dish that you would turn to in the coming weeks.
When you’re hosting a dinner party or contributing to a potluck, it’s generally pretty straight-forward to pick the main course. It isn’t always easy to come up with vegetable or side dishes to serve alongside it.
On the one hand, you don’t want a side dish to be too simple (or, worse, boring). On the other hand, you don’t want the flavors to distract from the main attraction. Trust me, we’ve all been there.
Green beans almondine is an approachable, yet elevated recipe that pairs well with just about everything. It can even be prepped ahead with a few simple steps. It also happens to be delicious.
My hope is that today’s recipe will be one that you will turn to time and time again! The type of recipe that you learn how to master with your eyes closed, tweak and adapt, and make your own.
While my version isn’t far off from others out there, but I would argue that as far as flavor balance, it is one of the best! It also happens to be more time-friendly, as we’ll be skipping the ice bath (read below on why and when you can avoid this step).
What is Green Beans Almondine?
Green beans almondine is a classic French dish of green beans with almonds. Almondine (or amandine) is a culinary term for an almond garnish.
If there is one thing that I learned while attending a classically French-based culinary school, it is that the French really like their almonds. They add them to many things. You might remember this trout almondine recipe that I shared years and years ago. It happens to be one of my favorites easy main course dinners!
Green beans almondine is simply green beans tossed with toasted sliced almonds (which are usually sautéed in butter) and a variety of other ingredients. My variation includes sautéed shallots, garlic, freshly grated lemon zest, and a touch of lemon juice.
The butter browns in the pan and becomes nutty and fragrant. The toasted almonds contribute texture and a slight touch of bitterness. The sautéed shallots and garlic add natural sweetness. The lemon zest and lemon juice contribute just the right amount of acidity to brighten and balance the dish.
It sort of reminds me of a classier, stove-top version of my favorite roasted broccoli recipe.
Tips For Success:
Green beans almondine isn’t so much about the ingredient list, as it is about the ratio of ingredients and a few simple cooking tips and methods.
Here are my top tips for success:
- read the full recipe twice before starting, as this dish comes together quickly
- use French green beans (haricot vert); they are more tender, slimmer, and have better flavor than standard green beans. They also come pre-trimmed, which reduces prep time. Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Costco regularly sells them.
- sautéing the sliced almonds in the butter, as opposed to dry in the skillet, not only adds flavor, but prevents the almonds from toasting too quickly
- I prefer to finely dice the shallot, as opposed to thinly slicing it. This not only reduces sauté time, but also helps distributes their flavor better in the final dish.
- for this recipe, we’ll be par-cooking the green beans in boiling water. It is very important to heavily salt the cooking water. Do not skip this step. Heavily salting the water ensures that the green beans will be seasoned inside and out, and helps the green beans retain their bright green color.
- cook the green beans in the boiling water until they are crisp-tender and squeak a bit between your teeth. They should be al dente. If you cook them beyond this point, they can break down in the skillet and become over-cooked. Always err on the side of under-cooking them.
How to Make This Dish Ahead:
Many green bean almondine recipes call for blanching the green beans in boiling water and shocking them in an ice bath. This stops the cooking immediately and helps them retain their green color.
This step is very important if you wish to prep or make elements of this recipe ahead (you can find my full instructions for this in the ‘tips for success’ box at the bottom of the recipe card below).
I’m normally a strong proponent of this method, but choose not to follow it for this particular recipe for a few reasons:
- it isn’t necessary if you’re preparing the dish a la minute (at the last minute), as you can transfer the al dente green beans directly to the skillet along with the other ingredients
- it avoids one additional step: having to clean extra dishes
- if you cook the beans to the proper doneness and heavily salt your boiling water, you will not notice the difference in color or texture
Hope you love this dish as much as I do!
Green Beans Almondine
This classic French recipe of green beans with almonds has been elevated with sautéed shallots, garlic, freshly grated lemon zest, and lemon juice. This elegant, simple, and delicious vegetable side dish comes together quickly and is great for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 lb French green beans (haricot verts), trimmed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 heaping cup raw sliced almonds
- 2 medium shallots, finely diced
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
- zest of one small lemon
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water liberally with kosher salt (it should be very salty to taste). Salting the cooking water aggressively accomplishes two tasks: it ensures that the green beans will be seasoned properly inside and out, and also helps them retain their bright green color after cooking. For make ahead tips, please read the 'tips for success' box at the bottom of this recipe thoroughly.
- Blanch the green beans for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until they are crisp-tender and slightly squeaky between your teeth. It is important that the green beans be slightly undercooked as they will be transferred directly to the skillet and will continue cooking during this time.
- Meanwhile in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat until lightly bubbling. Add the sliced almonds and sauté, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are starting to turn golden brown. Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped shallots and garlic. Sauté for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly caramelized.
- Using a large slotted spoon, tongs, or kitchen spider, transfer the blanched green beans from the boiling water directly to the skillet. Sauté briefly, gently tossing the green beans with the almond mixture until evenly combined and the green beans are tender. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice, toss once again, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Tips for Success:
- Make Ahead Tip: If you want to prepare this dish in advance, blanch the green beans as directed (reducing the cook time by an additional minute or so). Transfer the green beans to a large ice bath to shock. Once the beans are cool, drain and transfer them into a thin, even layer on a towel-lined baking sheet to soak up any excess water. Transfer the green beans to an airtight container or large Ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to 2 to 3 days. Just before serving, prepare the almond mixture as directed and add the par-boiled green beans. Continue sautéing over low heat until the beans are heated through completely.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 5g
Delicious! Have always liked this!
This is my favorite side dish. It’s just so good!
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be trying it tonight, it looks delicious.
Just a little correction, I’d say à la dernière minute for at the last minute. Otherwise you’re missing a word 😉
Source: I’m French.
Aaah! Thanks for letting me know. In culinary school, our French instructors just always said ‘a la minute’ – and I haven’t heard that before here in the states. I think we must abbreviate it as an American thing – yikes, haha!
Interesting! Well, the internet tells me it exists so I guess it’s become a culinary term in which case it was correct in its own way 🙂 it’s always funny seeing how French words or expressions end up being used or transformed.Anyway! Recipe was great, although I think I’ll put way less butter next time haha. Might make it a little bit spicier/hotter next time too!
I would recommend to blanch/boil the green beans a little longer. I did it for 5 min., then transferred to the pan with almonds and onions and they never fully cooked. I left them very long in the pan, mixing constantly, then the shallots and almonds started to get black.The flavor was there and it was so tasty, but the beans were rubbery and hard to eat. I will try this again, but cooking the beans longer and maybe separated from the almond mixture, to avoid it for blackening.
Hi Ana! Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like you may have used regular green beans – and not French (haricot verts) green beans which are thinner and cook faster. I prefer them much more for this reason, but they also just have a better flavor in my opinion. But thank you for the notes, I may add a suggestion within the recipe if you are using another type to help clear that up.
Thanks for the recipe. Your instructions are clear and exact so I will make it next week and I can’t wait.
This is a great recipe. I was out of almonds and used pistachios instead. Love the taste!
This will be on the table on Thursday. Thanks for the tips.
So happy and honored to hear that! Hope you enjoy it Steve! Happy Thanksgiving!
Just made this for our Thanksgiving dinner. Delicious, elegant, easy. We all loved the lemon.
I’m super excited to make these for our Christmas dinner
I made this dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s an excellent recipe (thanks!). Here are my tweaks—I’m on a low salt diet and so I skipped the heavy salting part…it’s not needed and the beans don’t lose their color. Two shallots seems to be too much. I’d use one, mince it, and add some white wine as last night the almond, butter, two shallot carmelization got a bit dry and I tossed about half the shallots. The garlic, lemon zest, and final lemon juice is a nice touch. I’d be tempted to throw a bit of dried cilantro into the mix next time. Overall a very nice and relatively easy recipe that I’ll make again.
Glad to hear that!! I think the shallots are really more of a taste preference than anything. I personally like more, but people can adapt to their taste!
Wow! Just Wow! I am so glad your recipe/site popped up when I googled a green bean almondine recipe. I am in a veggie rut and this was a winner. The family was scrapping the pan. I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
So thrilled to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and comment!
easy and good, even with “regular” fat green beans. I didn’t have shallots (hello from the time of quarantine!) so I subbed Penzey’s Sunny Paris seasoning. Par-boiled the green beans by throwing them in the microwave.
Wonderful!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and were able to make adaptations to work in these crazy times!
Can you use olive oil instead of butter?
Yes, but it won’t really have the same flavor and isn’t traditional, but you can certainly substitute it.
Would this recipe be a disaster without shallots? I don’t have any!
Definitely not a disaster, but just less flavorful. I would use 1-2 garlic cloves or some finely diced onion if you have it, personally!
Do you think this would be ok in a crockpot on warm for a few hours after doing it on the stove-top?
Honestly, probably not the best! The green beans might easily become mushy, but you could try it? I think you’d be better off leaving it cold and doing a quick reheat in a sauté pan.
Thank you! I actually think I’m going to do them in batches on the stove because I’m serving 15 people at my mother-in-laws, will put in a cast iron Dutch oven and reheat on stove when I get there!
Too much lemon!!!!. . . .ruined the beans. . 🙁
Sorry to hear that, but two teaspoons really isn’t very much lemon. But everything is subjective when it comes to taste! 🤷🏻♀️
The members of my family are very much “traditionalists” when it comes to Thanksgiving. No “unusual” flavors are allowed in our meal. Because things were already strange this year (#2020), I thought I would sneak in a new dish and decided to go for this green bean almondine recipe. WOW was it perfect. I was a bit skeptical that the shallots and lemon zest would take over, but the flavors mixed SO well. To save on time while cooking a full thanksgiving meal we opted for frozen green beans (I know…), but no one would have known. This will definitely be a new staple in our family!! Thank you!!
Hi Rebecca! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and feedback on the recipe. I’m so thrilled to hear that you all enjoyed this dish, honored that it made it onto your table and appreciate you trying something new, especially on such a traditional holiday. Hope you had a great day!