Look no further than this Easy Green Beans Almondine with Garlic for an easy yet flavorful side dish. Simply boil and blanch fresh green beans, then toss them with toasted almond slices, garlic, and lemon. This recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free, and is perfect for holidays and busy weeknights alike!
Do you get tired of making the same side dish recipes over and over again?
Well I am happy to report that there is a new side dish in town that you’ll definitely want to add to your weekly recipe rotation… these Green Beans Almondine!
Not only are they FULL of flavor, but they are super quick and simple to make. I’m talking six ingredients and less than 20 minutes kind of simple!
Green Beans Almondine is a recipe made by sautéing fresh green beans in a bit of butter and garlic and then topping it with a squeeze of lemon juice and toasted almonds.
The spelling sometimes varies and is called “green beans amandine.”
Amandine is a French culinary term that means “topped or garnished with almonds.” It can refer to anything from fish and asparagus to green beans or potatoes.
No matter how you spell it, this fresh and healthy side dish will make the perfect addition to any meal–even Thanksgiving or Christmas!
Ingredients
The simple ingredients you need to make this Green Beans Almondine recipe include:
- Green Beans. Fresh, and not canned or frozen, will taste best. You can buy them in bulk with the ends still on, or purchase a bag of trimmed beans.
- Butter. Feel free to substitute with a vegan “butter” or use olive oil instead if dairy-free.
- Garlic. Minced garlic cloves give this dish a wonderful taste. Garlic powder is not recommended.
- Lemons. Once again, fresh lemon juice and zest will take this dish over the top. If you must, you can use the pre-squeezed lemon juice.
- Almonds. Both slivered or sliced almonds will work in this recipe, but sliced will give you more per bite. They’ll be toasted in a skillet to bring out the most flavor in this dish. Learn more about how to toast almonds.
How to Make Green Beans Almondine
The basic steps for making Green Beans Almondine are simple to follow:
Trim the Beans
If you purchased your green beans in bulk at your grocery store, you will first need to trim and prepare them before cooking.
You can skip this step if you purchased the rinsed and trimmed green beans found in plastic bags in the produce section.
One at a time, use your fingers to snap off the ends of each green bean.
Or, line up a few at a time and use a knife to cut off the ends.
Boil and Blanch
Cook for 4-5 minutes until they are bright green and crisp tender. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the green beans. Add the green beans to the boiling water. Learn more details about how to Boil Green Beans perfectly.
Blanch green beans in an ice water bath immediately after cooking.
When you dunk the boiled beans in a large bowl of ice water, it halts the cooking process and keeps your green beans that bright green color you see in the pictures!
If you don’t blanch the beans they will continue cooking and turn a darker, less vibrant green and no longer have that delightfully crisp texture.
Drain and Dry
Once cooled, pour the green beans and water into a colander to drain.
Toast and Mix
Combine the butter or olive oil, garlic, and almonds in the same large pot or in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Stir for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is browned slightly.
Add the drained green beans to the almond garnish along with salt and lemon juice. Toss and warm up the green beans for 2-3 minutes.
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Boil and blanch the green beans and then keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving. Toss with the butter and garlic sauce and toast the almonds on the day of serving.
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Seal in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months. Note that they may loose some of the crisp texture.
- To Reheat: Warm them up in a skillet with a bit of oil or butter. Cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through.
Dietary Modifications
The recipe you’ll find below is already gluten-free, low-carb, Whole30, and vegetarian as written. Here are some adjustments and substitutions you can make to help it fit your other dietary requirements:
- Dairy-Free: Use olive oil in place of the butter.
- Vegan: Swap out the butter for olive oil.
- Almond-Free: Allergic to almonds? You can use pecans or walnuts instead.
FAQs
Amandine and almondine are the same, the latter is just the Anglicized version. Both terms refer to the French word for almond garnish.
Green beans are the same thing as string beans. Historically, string beans got their name from the silky string attached to the plant.
Yes, you can definitely cook green beans too long. Be sure to watch the timer when you boil them, then blanch them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Snap or trim. Remove the stem ends from the green beans before boiling.
- Blanching is key. Placing the cooked beans in an ice bath stops the cooking process.
- Fresh is best. If you don’t have fresh, you can use previously frozen green beans instead.
- Sliced over slivered. Sliced will give you more almonds in every bite.
- Butter is better. Use oil if you are vegan or dairy-free, but butter has much more flavor.
What to Serve with Green Beans Almondine
This green bean recipe is so good with simple or fancy dinners, try one of these dishes alongside it:
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Air Fryer Meatloaf
- Air Fryer Shrimp
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger
- Air Fryer Salmon
- Olive Garden Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
Other Easy Side Dishes
Round out any meal with these other tasty recipes:
- Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles Recipe
- Green Beans with Vinegar
- Parmesan Garlic Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
- Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
Green Beans Almondine Recipe
Look no further than this Easy Green Beans Almondine with Garlic for an easy yet flavorful side dish. Simply boil and blanch fresh green beans, then toss them with toasted almond slices, garlic, and lemon.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. green beans fresh, ends trimmed
- 2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- ¼ cup sliced almonds or slivered almonds
- ½ tsp. salt to taste
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- Lemon zest optional
- See this recipe in Meal Plan #7
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook green beans for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked to your desired tenderness.
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Once done cooking, immediately blanch green beans in an ice water bath. Drain once beans have cooled to room temperature.
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While green beans are blanching, combine butter or olive oil, garlic, and almonds in the large pot over medium heat. Stir for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is browned slightly.
Recipe Notes
Meal Prep and Storage
- To Prep-Ahead: Boil and blanch the green beans and then keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving. Toss with the butter and garlic sauce and toast the almonds on the day of serving.
- To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: Seal in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months. Note that they may loose some of the crisp texture.
- To Reheat: Warm them up in a skillet with a bit of oil or butter. Cook over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through.
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Laura says
These look lovely! Any advice about how to bring them as a side to a Thanksgiving dinner so that they are warm but don’t get mushy? It’s for a large crowd, so I don’t want to add chaos to the host’s kitchen by reheating them on site. FWIW, the drive from my house to the host’s house is 15 minutes. Would the reheating and the storing for transport make them mushy?
London Brazil says
I’m so sorry I didn’t get to this earlier! It takes a long time for them to turn mushy, so it shouldn’t have a problem in the future. Make sure to wrap whatever dish you have in towels, and cover the top with foil to keep the heat in. You can always pop them in the microwave when you get there!
Davido says
Nice write up about GREEN BEANS . beautiful blog by the way.
London says
Thanks so much, Davido!!
Kirby says
This recipe looks so easy to make!
London says
It totally is, Kirby!