- 1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
- ½ cup (43g) sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter
- 1 small shallot, thinly sliced (may use more if you enjoy them!)
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice plus the zest of one lemon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Green Beans Almondine
Yield: 4-6 servings
Simple yet special and bursting with vibrant color and flavor, this easy side dish takes green beans to new heights. Truly a vegetable to get excited about!
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare an ice bath so it’s ready when the green beans are cooked. (Ice bath how and why: To prepare your ice bath, add ice and cold water to a large bowl, leaving room to add the beans. The ice bath will stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color of the beans. You may skip this step. Simply account for some carryover cooking and a slightly less vibrant hue.) Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and boil for 3 to 4 minutes, give or take a minute depending on thickness of beans, or until crisp-tender or cooked to your preferred level of doneness. (Taste one to be sure.)
Drain the green beans and immediately place into the prepared ice bath. Once chilled, drain the beans very well and pat dry. (Prep-ahead tip: At this point, you may transfer the beans to a covered bowl or zip-top bag and refrigerate up to overnight.)
Meanwhile, preheat a large (12-inch works well) skillet over medium-low heat. Add the slivered almonds and cook, shaking the pan every 30 seconds or so, until the almonds are fragrant and lightly golden. As soon as they reach this point, transfer them to a plate.
In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. While these are sauteing, I zest the lemon into the pan so it infuses the butter sauce.
Add the green beans, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Toss to incorporate, and then cook a few minutes more to warm through. Add the toasted almonds. Gently toss so that they become coated with the sauce, too.
Transfer the mixture to a serving platter. Some of the almonds will likely settle to the bottom of the pan, so scrape those over the beans. You’ll want to eat every last one!
Notes
Green bean options:
• Longer, thinner haricot verts will work well in this recipe, too. They won’t take as long to blanch, so check for doneness after a minute or two.
• You could also use French-cut beans—this is just a fancy name for julienned or thinly sliced green beans. There are two ways to do this: Either trim the ends and then slice the beans in half lengthwise. Or use a food processer with the slicer (not shredder) blade, stack the beans horizontally (not sticking upright), and then press them through. The latter method will result in less uniform bean cuts but will be quicker. Note that French-cut beans will cook more quickly, too.
Storage: Leftover green beans may be refrigerated in a covered bowl or airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in an ungreased skillet until just warmed through. A microwave may be used, although the almonds may not be as crisp.