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 the holidays!
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.
Make Ahead Tips & Instructions:
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
Green Beans Almondine
Ingredients
- 1 lb (16 oz) French green beans haricot verts, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ 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 to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Please see recipe notes below for make-ahead tips and 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 notes section 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.
Video
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.
- Crockpot or Slow Cooker: While I haven't personally tested this option, I've heard from multiple people over the years that once the green beans are prepared, they can be transferred to a crockpot or slow cooker and kept warm (over the low setting) prior to serving. If you are doing this, be more careful with the cook time for the green beans, as they might be sensitive to becoming over-cooked with this method. In addition, I really only recommend this route if you are using the crockpot to keep them warm for a shorter period, not all day.
138 Comments on “Green Beans Almondine”
How many ppl does this recipe serve?
Kind of depends on how you’re serving it, but I do list serving suggestions in the recipe box! I would say 3-4, but again, it sort of depends on the setting.
Made this tonight for dinner with some cod loins….delicious! Only change I made was using red onion instead of shallots and no capers!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
I made these as a Christmas side paired with halibut and herbed mashed potatoes. It was fantastic and the whole family really enjoyed it. After preparing the butter, almonds, shallots, garlic and transferring the beans to the skillet, I waited to do the final sauté until the rest of my meal was ready and it worked out great so everything was done at once. Thank you!
Made this tonight for Thanksgiving. Nothing was left. It was a big hit. Thank you
So happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, and happy Thanksgiving!
I’ve made this recipe for the last few Thanksgivings and it’s always a hit. I blanche the green beans for a little longer as my family prefers them softer. (I personally like them to have a little snap and 5 min is good for that). You can make it a few hours before dinner and then reheat in a pan with a splash of lemon juice and it still tastes great.
So happy to hear that, and another great tip! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, and happy Thanksgiving!
this looks really delicious. i have made trout almondine in the past and this calls for almost all the same ingredients. I love the way you explain about the balance of the ingredients and fine tuning it with the diced shallot cuts and layering of the flavor with the brown butter. I was looking for a green bean recipe that’s not typical of the thanksgiving and that’s not a salad. and this fits the bill. Thank you so much!
Yes! There’s a lot of parallels between the preparations. Almondine (amandine) is a variation of meunière, the French name for the sauce base made from brown butter, parsley, lemon juice.
Are these good for leftovers?
Yes! Probably not quite as good as fresh of course. I would encourage you to warm them up in a sauté pan!
These green beans are so fancy and delicious! Thank you for sharing! I paired this with coconut crusted mahi mahi and cilantro lime rice tonight. I also made them with our Thanksgiving dinner this year so, a versatile recipe too!
Used more garlic than on recipe (no regrets). Steamed the beans then added to butter, garlic and almonds. Highly recommend this recipe.
Thanks so much Deborah! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
I’m am a bit confused about the “blanching “. Blanching is a technique that stops the cooking process by immediately submerging veggies in an ice bath.
So are we actually blanching the green beans or just a short boil then transferring to the pan?
Hi Leah, blanching is technically the term for when something is put in scalding water or par-boiled. (An ice bath is just an additional step often accompanied with it, that’s all).
These were delicious! The lemon really takes them up a notch. The lemon really balances the richness of the butter , onion and garlic in this recipe and gives it some zip. I cooked the beans ahead of time, dried them and before company arrived I made the topping & sautéed it all together. Right before serving I added the zest & lemon juice. They were a huge hit and one guest said she didn’t usually like green beans but gathers were delicious. I will make these often !!!
Great Great recipe!!
I used walnuts instead of almonds. I also added fried tofu.
It was fantastic!
Thanks!
Clyde
Delicious! I added a teaspoon of Herbs de Provence
Love these green beans. Prepared them at Thanksgiving and they were a huge success. The lemon really added to the flavorfullness.
Really great recipe, loved what the shallots, garlic and lemon did with the beans. Worked really well for a Thanksgiving side, everyone loved them
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, especially right after your holiday celebration.
Hello. Love the quick recipe. Changed from green bean casserole to this lovely dish. Will keep almonds in a separate skillet and dish for those allergic to nuts. Accepted Thanksgiving dinner invitation from a lovely couple in my Parish two weeks ago. And just received text message from host that dinner will be at 530pm opposed to 5pm. Therefore, after reading recipe several times, will prepare dish at 425pm for 5pm departure.
Yassss green beans recipe for the WIN! Love that it’s vegetarian and gluten free for our family of different food needs. It was so good and will become a family staple. I did the make ahead version and it worked out perfectly, not a green bean left behind by the end of dinner. 10/10 recommend
For those of you that are not into the lemon flavor I recommend pairing the green beans with fish. Great pairing
I’ve made these twice now with garden fresh green beans. Fabulous!
Hi, thanks for this recipe, it looks great and I’m looking forward to taking my green bean game up a notch. Can you give me an idea of the measurements for heavily salting the water? Like: 1/4 cup of salt for 4 quarts of water, etc.
Hi Keith! I’m hesitant to suggest a specific amount of salt, because I cook with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is substantially less dense than most other varieties (other kosher salt brands, table salt, etc.). They’re not interchangeable. If you’re using DC kosher salt, I’d say roughly 2 tablespoons per 4 cups water, but you should essentially add salt, stir, dip your fingertip in, and the water should taste like the ocean. Hope that helps!