Green Beans with Almonds

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Green Beans and Almonds – a light and crisp fresh green side dish to serve any day of the week! It’s the best green bean side dish (better than casserole in my opinion), and offers a nutritious and colorful dish to add to your meal. It’s embarrassingly easy to make and pairs really well with turkey and mashed potatoes! I hope you include it on your ever-growing Thanksgiving menu.

This recipe for green beans with almonds uses two different stovetop methods—a quick boil in salted water, which seasons the beans from the inside out, and then a sauté with oil, shallots, and garlic, which flavors and tenderizes them. 

The dish is similar to French green beans amandine (or green bean almondine, as it’s commonly known!) with the shallots, garlic, almonds, and lemon, but it’s made with olive oil instead of butter. And there’s only a tablespoon of oil in the recipe, compared to the French version, which usually uses several tablespoons of butter.

Don’t worry, though—these green beans with almonds and lemon are every bit as delicious!

Recipe at a glance

Cuisine Inspiration: French
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan
Key Flavor: Fresh, Savory, Bright
Skill Level: Easy

Summary

• Tender-Crisp Beans: The quick dip in boiling water combined with the sautéing results in the perfect green bean texture—fork-tender, but still crisp. It also cuts some of the raw flavor without taking away that bright freshness.
• Classic Flavor Combination: Lemon and garlic are a dynamic duo, with just the right balance of bright, sharp, and savory. It’s delicious in Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Lemon Pasta, and you’ll also love it in this recipe for green beans with almonds.
• Easy to Make: There are no hard-to-find ingredients here and the process of making this dish couldn’t be simpler. It also comes together in a matter of minutes, which I love for a side—it gives me more time to focus on the main dish!
• As Perfect for Weekdays as It Is for Holidays: Green beans with almonds are elegant enough for a holiday dinner, but easy enough for a weeknight. You can scale the recipe up or down!

Ingredients needed to make Green Beans With Almonds

• Green Beans: Yellow beans are also perfectly fine for this recipe, although I don’t think they have quite the visual appeal as green beans!
• Almonds: I use sliced almonds, but slivered will also work; they’ll add a little more crunch.
• Shallot: Shallots look like small red onions, but their flavor is milder than an onion; it adds some depth to this green bean side dish without overpowering the other flavors here.
• Garlic: The recipe calls for 3 cloves, but if you have an extra-large head of garlic, you may want to use a bit less. Have a small head of garlic with tiny cloves? Then throw in an extra clove or two!
• Oil: Olive oil is my go-to for green beans with almonds and garlic, but if you have another oil you prefer to cook with, that will work too.
• Seasonings: Salt and pepper enhance the flavor of this simple side dish.
• Lemon: Lemon juice adds a bright finishing touch. I always recommend fresh lemon juice because the flavor is much more vibrant than bottled.

Popular substitutions & additions

• Add Lemon Zest: For a little extra citrus flavor, you can zest the lemon before juicing it, then sprinkle the lemon zest over the platter of green beans.
• Use a Meyer Lemon: When Meyer lemons are in season, they make a fantastic pairing with green beans. Simply swap the regular lemon for a Meyer lemon to create a less tangy, more aromatic version of green beans with lemon.
• Make It Cheesy: You can never go wrong adding cheese! Green beans with almonds and Parmesan is a delicious combination—I recommend grating the Parmesan directly onto the green beans. It will melt right into them.
• Add Panko: Toast panko breadcrumbs with the almonds; add some salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle the panko-almond mixture over the green beans before serving.

How to make green beans with almonds

This 15-minute side dish couldn’t be easier to make! Here’s what you’ll need to do.

Blanch Green Beans

1. Add the green beans to a pot of boiling salted water.
2. Cook the beans until they’re bright green, but still firm. Remove them with a slotted spoon or strainer.

Pan fry The green beans and almonds

1. Warm the oil in a large skillet, then add the shallots and garlic; cook until they’re fragrant and softened a bit.
2. Add the green beans to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook the beans with the shallots and garlic until the beans are tender-crisp. 
4. Transfer the beans to a platter and squeeze the lemon juice over the top; toast the almonds until they’re golden brown, then scatter them over the beans.

Tips for making the best Green Beans With Toasted Almonds

1. Blanche and shock the green beans for the best results. This technique is widely used to make sure that green beans come out tender yet crisp without losing that beautiful bright green color. Cook for 2 minutes in boiling water and then place in iced water. A rule of thumb is the beans should spend as much time in the cold water as in the hot.
2. Trim the green beans evenly. The green bean pieces are similar in length so they cook evenly in the skillet after the blanching process is done
3. Take care not to overcook the garlic. It should be softened and fragrant, but don’t let it brown. If the garlic overcooks it can become bitter in flavor.
4. Try using different nuts. Green beans work wonderfully with almonds, but you can easily make this recipe with other varieties like pecans, pine nuts or walnuts if you prefer.

What to serve with green bean almondine

• Thanksgiving Turkey
• Prime Rib
• Spatchcock Chicken
• Honey Lemon Salmon
• Vegetarian Stuffing
• Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes

How to store & reheat Green Beans With Almonds

Store leftover green beans with almonds in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm them up in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.

How long will sauteed Green Beans last in the fridge?

Green bean almondine will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. 

Can I freeze sauteed Green Beans?

This recipe is best enjoyed fresh, but if you need to freeze leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat according to the instructions above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Lighten up the heavy Thanksgiving meal or holiday meal with this green beans with almonds side dish. It’s a really tasty reliable complement to the main course, and everyone will love the golden toasted almonds crunch on top! It’s an all around perfect side dish to make for the big meal.

Other Thanksgiving side dish recipes:

• Melting Sweet Potatoes
• Creamed Spinach
• Sautéed Mushrooms
• Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Autumn Pear Salad
• Cranberry Orange Sauce
• Oven Roasted Carrots
• French Bread Rolls

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Green Beans with Almonds recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

This Green Beans with Almonds recipe was originally published on November 9, 2018. The recipe has been slightly modified to remove the added parmesan cheese, use sliced almonds, and to make it easier. The post now includes updated images and step-by-step photos.

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Review

Green Beans with Almonds

If you’re looking for something lighter than green bean casserole for Thanksgiving, try my pan-roasted crisp and tender Green Beans with Almonds side dish!

5 from 113 votes

Author Yumna Jawad

Servings 6 servings

Course Side Dish

Calories 74

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Video

Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 1 pound green beans ends trimmed
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt plus more for salting the water
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 shallot thinly sliced
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ ¼ cup sliced almonds
• ▢ ½ lemon juiced

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the green beans, and cook until bright green but still firm, about 3-4 minutes.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until fragrant but not golden, about 2 minutes.
• Use a large slotted spoon to transfer the green beans from the pot of water to the skillet with shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the green beans become fork tender but still crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer the green beans to a large serving platter and add the lemon juice on top.
• In the same skillet used to cook the green beans, add the sliced almonds over medium heat and toast them until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle on top of the green beans.

Equipment

Ceramic Nonstick Cookware Set

Garlic Press

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge.

Make Ahead Tips: The beans can be blanched (boiled until barely crisp-tender) up to 1 day ahead. Store in the fridge wrapped in a paper towel in a ziplock bag to keep fresh until ready to cook. 

Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However if you don’t like almonds, you can try this with any other nut you’d like. It would work really well with walnuts or pecans. If you’re not a fan of the parmesan cheese, just leave it out. 

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 102mg, Potassium: 221mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 524IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Diet: Gluten Free

Cuisine American

Course: Side Dish