Green Beans Almondine is a classic French recipe made from boiled and blanched fresh green beans that are served with garlic, toasted almonds and a squeeze of lemon juice. Impress your dinner guests with this elevated side dish that can easily be made in under 20 minutes!
Green Beans Almondine Recipe
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 low-carb and gluten-free side dish in town that you’ll definitely want to add to your weekly recipe rotation… these Green Beans Almondine!
Not only are they super quick and simple to make, but they are also FULL of flavor.
The recipe only requires a few simple ingredients – I’m talking like SIX ingredients that you probably already have on hand.
And they look and taste super fancy but no one will ever know it took you less than 20 minutes to make!
What is Green Beans Almondine?
Green Beans Almondine is a recipe made by sautéeing 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.
But don’t let the slight difference in spelling confuse you – green beans almondine (the spelling typically used in the US) and amandine are the exact same dish!
So feel free to use either spelling with confidence.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need for this recipe are relatively easy to find and consists of:
- Green Beans – Fresh, and not canned or frozen, will deliver the most flavor in this dish.
- Butter – Feel free to substitute with a vegan “butter” or use olive oil instead if dairy-free.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves give this dish a wonderful punch of flavor. I do not recommend substituting with garlic powder.
- 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 can be used in this recipe. They’ll be toasted in a skillet to bring out the most flavor in this dish.
- Learn more about how to toast almonds.
Trimming Green 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.
There are two ways to trim green beans:
- Snapping:
- Hold the end of the green bean with both hands.
- Press into the bean using your thumbs until it snaps.
- Repeat this process until all green beans are trimmed.
- Cutting:
- Find the junction of the fibrous end and the bright green part on the green bean.
- Cut and remove the end of the green bean.
- Repeat until all beans are trimmed.
How to Make
Once your green beans are trimmed and prepared, it’s time to get to cooking!
Here are the basic step-by-step instructions you will need to follow for this recipe:
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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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Blanch green beans in an ice water bath immediately after cooking.
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Drain green beans once brought to room temperature.
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Combine 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.
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Add drained green beans, salt, and lemon juice to the pot. Toss and warm up green beans for 2-3 minutes.
Blanching
There is a step in this recipe that calls for blanching green beans.
Please do not skip this very important step! Blanching the green beans is crucial in stopping the cooking process.
When you dunk the boiled beans in an ice water bath, it halts the cooking process and keeps your green beans that vibrant 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.
Blanching green beans takes just a few minutes, and no longer than 5 minutes.
Of course, this will depend on how many green beans you have and how much ice you have in your ice water bath.
I like to blanch my green beans until they have come to room temperature. Then, I quickly reheat them in a skillet just before serving.
Slivered or Sliced Almonds
While some green bean almondine recipes call for slivered almonds, I actually prefer to use thinly sliced almonds.
Sliced almonds toast up a little faster in the skillet and absorb more of the delicious buttery flavor.
However, if you cannot find sliced almonds, feel free to use slivered instead!
Meal Prep and Storage Tips
To Prep Ahead: Boil and blanch the green beans and then store 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 Serve: Green beans almondine tastes best when served immediately after cooking.
To Store: If storing leftovers for later, they will last for up to 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
To Reheat: The best way to reheat leftover green beans is to heat 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.
To Freeze: While yes, you can freeze green beans, they will lose quite a bit of their crisp texture. If freezing, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months.
Change it Up
While this recipe is already gluten-free, low-carb, whole30, and vegetarian, there are a few things you can change up if needed:
- Use olive oil in place of the butter for a vegan and dairy-free version.
- Allergic to almonds? You can use pecans or walnuts instead.
- Switch out the green beans for asparagus, or mix them together!
- You might also want to check out this Fish Almondine, too!
Pro Tips and Tricks
- You can either snap or cut the ends in order to trim green beans.
- After boiling it is crucial that you blanch the green beans to stop the cooking process.
- Sliced almonds are better to use than slivered.
Other Easy Side Dishes
Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles Recipe
15 Minute Green Beans with Vinegar
Parmesan Garlic Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
Green Beans Almondine Recipe
Green Beans Almondine is an easy-to-make recipe with a fancy presentation! Serve this healthy French side dish to impress your dinner guests.
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
- 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.
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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!