Classic French-inspired ✅ Green Beans Almondine is an easy side dish that’s fit for holiday tables as well as on busy weeknights and made with just a handful of ingredients. If you’re looking for a lighter and fresher way to prepare green beans that still feels satisfying and elegant, this is the perfect green bean recipe!
Easy Green Beans Almondine Recipe
- This easy green bean side dish is what to put on your holiday menu for celebrations including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or other holiday meals.
- If I’m being completely honest, I would much rather prefer the simple and understated French elegance of green beans prepared this way than in green bean casserole. No judgment if you’re a huge green bean casserole fan!
- Or maybe you’re wondering what goes well with a quick chicken skillet dinner recipe? Green beans almondine of course! This delicious side dish is naturally gluten-free.
- It’s ready in 20 minutes and made with just a few basic ingredients that bring out the natural tastiness of green beans.
Ingredients in Green Bean Almondine Recipe
Green Beans: Traditional French green beans, or haricot vert, are thinner and more elongated than “American” or regular green beans. If you can find haricot vert, they’re lovely. Trader Joes and Costco sell them trimmed and ready. Whatever type of green bean you use, make sure to trim the ends if you’re not buying them prepped and packaged that way. Do not use canned green beans and I don’t recommend frozen either. Since they’re the star of the show, using fresh green beans or haricot vert is my recommendation.
Water: For boiling your green beans, make sure to salt the water generously so the green beans have extra flavor. Salt also helps seal in their bright green color.
Unsalted butter, shallot, garlic: All add flavor without overwhelming the humble vegetable. For this reason, I prefer shallots to other types of onions.
Almonds: You can’t have green bean almondine (or amandine in French) without them! Sliced or slivered almonds also get tossed in the buttery mixture which softens them, infuses them with flavor, and keeps them from burning compared to toasted almonds in a dry skillet.
Lemon juice, salt, black pepper: The lemon juice really brightens up the overall dish so make sure to use it. If you want more lemony flavor, lemon zest is great. Salt and pepper are always important, but even more so in a simple side dish recipe because they bring out the best in simple ingredients.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Green Beans with Almonds
- To a large pot of salted water that’s boiling, add the green beans, and cook in boiling water until just al dente, or about 4-5 minutes. Drain over a colander and transfer them to a large bowl. Tips – When properly blanched, the green beans will squeak a bit between your teeth and have a crisp-tender texture. If in doubt, err on the side of undercooking rather than overcooking. Mushy green beans are never in style!
- While the green beans are cooking, to a large skillet add the butter, and heat to melt it. Swirl the butter around in the pan so that the butter browns but doesn’t burn.
- Add the shallots, garlic, almonds, and saute for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the drained green beans, saute for another minute or two, add the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste before transferring to a serving dish.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for step-by-step photos and process shots of the cooking process.
Green Beans Almondine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed (haricot vert may be substituted; do not use canned green beans and I don’t recommend frozen green beans)
- water + salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot, finely diced (or 2 medium shallots)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large stockpot with water and generously salt the water. Bring the water to a boil, add the green beans, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until just done. When done, drain and set aside. If you'd like to move onto step 2 while the green beans cook, you may.Tips – Salt is necessary so the green beans taste their best and it helps lock in their vibrant green color. Green beans are done when they've just softened but are still al dente and firm. They will likely squeak between your teeth. If in doubt, err on the side of underdone rather than overdone because they're going into a skillet for a couple minutes in step 4.
- To a separate large skillet, add the butter and heat over medium-high heat to melt it.
- Add the shallot, garlic, sliced almonds, and saute for about 2-3 minutes; stir nearly continuously so you don't burn the garlic or nuts.
- Add the green beans to the skillet and saute for 1-2 minutes; flip and toss nearly continuously.
- Turn off the heat, evenly drizzle in the lemon juice, evenly sprinkle with salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- If desired for flavor balance, add additional salt and pepper, more lemon juice or lemon zest, another pat of butter, garnish with fresh herbs if desired, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe is going to be lovely, delicious beans with high protein, best of both worlds!!
Thank you, Heather, and I’m glad that you’re going to enjoy it! Personally, I would take green beans this way, compared to green bean casserole any day! 😉