Green Beans Almondine Recipe

Amethyst · November 2, 2025, 4:48pm

Green Beans Almondine Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sliced almonds
1.5 pounds green beans, ends trimmed if desired
1 cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, optional, but it brings a delicious flavor
3 garlic cloves minced (about 2 teaspoons)
pinch ground nutmeg (1/8 to 1/4 tsp.)
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

In a large dry skillet, toast the almonds, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Set aside.

Bring water to a boil in the same skillet. Add the green beans, cover, and cook until tender and bright green, about 6-9 minutes. Drain the water and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the olive oil, butter, and minced garlic, season with salt and pepper, and saute for about 1 minute, or until it becomes fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat.

Toss the green beans with the garlic and lemon juice. Using tongs, layer the green beans in rows on a serving platter. Top with the toasted almonds and serve.

Notes:

Make Ahead: Blanch the beans up to 1 day ahead; store covered in the refrigerator. Just before serving, finish the toasting and sauté step.

Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days; rewarm gently in a skillet to preserve texture.

Holiday Tip: Double or triple the recipe for larger gatherings; keep almonds separate and toast just before serving for maximum crunch.

Variations:

With Shallots: Add thinly sliced shallots in step 3 for extra sweetness.

With Parmesan: Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan just before serving for a richer finish.

Make-Ahead Friendly: Blanch the beans ahead of time and keep chilled; finish the toasting just before serving for minimal last-minute steps.

Lighter Butter-Free Version: Use only olive oil instead of butter if you prefer a lighter profile.

Use Regular Green Beans: If you don’t have haricots verts, go with regular beans - adjust the blanching time until crisp-tender.

Tips for the Best Green Beans Almondine:

Cook ahead, finish later: Blanch beans in advance, then reheat them with the almonds and butter right before serving - perfect for holidays.

Toast almonds carefully: Keep the skillet over medium heat and stir often. Almonds can go from golden to burnt quickly - once they smell nutty and turn lightly brown, remove from the heat.

Blanch in salted water: Salting the water seasons the beans all the way through and helps preserve their bright green color.

Don’t overcook the beans: Green beans are at their best when they’re crisp-tender - still bright green with a little snap. Overcooking can leave them limp and dull. Cook to your preferred doneness, but for the prettiest presentation, keep them slightly crisp.

Shock beans in ice water: Plunge the beans into ice water after blanching to stop the cooking and lock in that crisp-tender texture.

Add lemon at the end: For the freshest flavor, squeeze lemon juice just before serving so it doesn’t dull during cooking.

Nutritional Facts:

Recipe courtesy of 31 Daily.com