Easy Green Beans Almondine with Garlic

Green Beans Almondine is an easy-to-make recipe with a fancy presentation! Fresh green beans are quickly boiled and blanched, then tossed with toasted sliced almonds, garlic, and lemon. Serve this healthy French side dish to impress your dinner guests.

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 with a squeeze of lemon juice and toasted almonds.

The spelling sometimes varies and is called “green beans amandine.”

Amandine is a French word in the culinary dialect 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!

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. Crushed 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. Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts.

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.

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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, bring to a boil, then add the beans. 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 an ice water bath, 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.

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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, salt, and lemon juice to the pot. Toss and warm up the green beans for 2-3 minutes.

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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.

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.

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