This green beans almondine recipe is a stunning side dish to serve for holidays and quick enough to make during the week. All you need is one pan to toast the nuts in browned butter and steam the vegetables until crisp-tender.
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Are you looking for a simple yet elegant vegetable side dish to serve during the holidays? Green bean casserole is a staple, but why not switch things up this year? Green beans almondine, or amandine in French, is a classic dish garnished with almonds.
What makes this dish special is the delicious toasted almonds. It’s cooked in browned butter, adding a golden hue and butterscotch flavor. Using the same pan, the green beans then quickly steam until tender. In just 30-minutes, you’ll have a delicious dish that will shine on the dinner table!
Prepare the green beans
Haricot verts are my top choice to make this green bean recipe. They are long, slender, sweet, and tender. They are harvested earlier than string beans, so the skin is thinner. If not available, you can use any other type of fresh green beans. Trim off the stem end, and cut them in half if the bean is long.
Toast the almonds
Although it might be tempting to add the almonds straight from the package on top of the cooked green beans, just a few minutes to toast them boosts the flavor. Add the sliced almonds and cook in melted butter until you can smell a nutty butterscotch aroma.
Toasting creates extra crunch and seasoning to the nuts. Use a light-colored pan, like stainless steel, to easily monitor the color change. As the milk solids in the butter turn golden in hue, a delicious browned butter sauce is created for the beans.
Saute the alliums
To add a savory taste to the dish, saute sliced shallots and minced garlic. Shallots have a mild onion and garlic flavor. Red onions are a suitable swap. The alliums cook quickly in the brown butter, infusing a naturally sweet and savory flavor to the fat.
Don’t overcook! The garlic and nuts can become charred if cooked longer than a minute. The allium should be fragrant and tender, and the nuts a deep golden brown.
Make a citrus sauce
Add some fresh lemon juice and zest to balance the rich browned butter. I didn’t want it to be too tangy, just a hint of citrus. Stir with the heat turned off to preserve the delicate citrus taste. The zest contains citrus oils, which dissolve in the butter.
Stir in a few tablespoons of water or vegetable stock to emulsify the sauce, making for a luxurious coating on the green beans. Transfer the nut mixture to a small bowl. Save the pan; you will use it for cooking the green beans.
Steam the green beans
To reduce the number of dirty dishes and cooking time, I make this a one-pot green bean recipe by steaming them. I do this method for sauteed green beans; I love how quick it is and uses less water! Add the green beans, vegetable stock, salt, and pepper to the pan.
Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and steam until the beans are tender, with a slight crispness. Remove the lid, and cook until the broth reduces. It will only take about a minute, depending on the moisture in the pan. Combine with the toasted almond mixture to finish the dish.
Alternatively, if you prefer blanching the green beans, that works too! Cook in a pot of boiling water until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water, which stops the cooking process to keep the beans bright green and prevents overcooking. Add to the pan the toasted nuts and sauce, then toss to combine.
Serve this with
- Roast turkey
- Slow cooker turkey breast or roast turkey breast
- Crispy red potatoes
- Mashed potatoes
- Mashed sweet potatoes
Frequently asked questions
Amandine is a French culinary term to describe garnishing a dish with almonds. Almondine is used synonymously in American recipes. It’s a popular way to prepare green beans topped with toasted nuts.
Yes! Sliced, slivered, roughly chopped, or whole almonds can be toasted for green beans almondine. Don’t chop nuts too fine, or they will brown quickly in the hot butter.
You can steam or blanch the green beans, chill in ice-cold water, drain, then store them for up to 3 days before you are ready to serve. Rewarm them in a skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons of water. I recommend making the toasted almond sauce the day of serving for the best texture, then combining it with the beans.
Cooking with alternative cooking fats
If you prefer not to use butter in the recipe, you will unfortunately not be able to get the butterscotch flavor from the milk solids. If you plan to use coconut oil, plant-based butter, or olive oil, you can still toast the nuts in the fat until lightly golden brown. The nut oils will infuse into the fat, adding some nutty notes.
Green Beans Almondine
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans, or haricot verts
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup shallots, or red onion, ⅛" thick
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup vegetable stock, broth, or water, plus 2 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Green Beans – Wash green beans thoroughly under cool water and drain well. Trim off the string end of the green beans. If the beans are very long, cut them in half. Set aside.
- Toast Almonds – In a large skillet, saute pan, or dutch oven, heat butter, and almonds over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until almonds are light golden brown and butter has a nutty aroma, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Make the Sauce – Add shallots and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in lemon juice and zest. Slowly stir in 2 tablespoons of vegetable stock or water to make an emulsified sauce. Transfer the almond mixture to a small bowl. Set aside and reserve the pan.
- Cook the Green Beans – Using the same skillet, add the green beans, ½ cup vegetable stock, salt, and pepper to the pan. Stir to combine. Increase to medium-high heat. Cover and cook until the beans are crisp-tender and bright green, about 4 to 6 minutes.Remove the lid and stir the beans until the stock has evaporated, about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste the green beans and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Turn off the heat.
- Combine Ingredients – With the pan off the burner, pour the almond sauce over the beans, and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.
Equipment
- Skillet
Notes
- Recipe Yield: About 8 cups
- Serving Size: About 1 cup
- Storing: Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Cover and cook in the microwave in 30-second increments until hot. On the stovetop, cook over medium heat until hot.
- Blanching the Beans: If you prefer to blanch the beans in salted, boiling water instead of steaming, cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add directly to the onion mixture, stir, season with salt and pepper as desired, then top with crispy bacon.
- Using Frozen Beans: Do not cover. Simmer in the chicken stock until defrosted and hot, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Using Canned Beans: Use 8 cups of drained canned beans. Skip the steaming step. Add to onion mixture with butter, and stir until beans are hot about 3 to 5 minutes.
Miriam says
Hello. Should the slivered almonds be salted or unsalted?
Looks great for a Thanksgiving side dish!
Thank you.
Jessica Gavin says
I use unsalted almonds for the recipe.