Name: Green Beans Almondine
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds string beans; 5 tablespoons butter (divided); 1 cup sliced almonds; 1 medium shallot (diced); 4 medium garlic cloves (minced); 2 tablespoons lemon juice; Kosher salt; Pepper

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Green beans almondine is an elegant side dish prepared with little effort and pairs well with just about anything. Green beans are coated with buttery, shallots and garlic, then topped with toasted almonds.

Green bean almandine on a white platter.

First, let’s clarify the title. Green Beans Almondine is the way I have always referred to this dish. You may also see it referred to as Green Beans Amandine or Haricots Verts Amandine, which is the French title where amandine indicates a dish cooked with or garnished with almonds. Toe-may-toe, Toe-mah-toe. Regardless of how you spell or pronounce, this dish is an easy, crowd-pleasing side and is perfect for your holiday table or any weeknight.

Sometimes the dishes with minimal ingredients taste the best. This is one of them. You can use green string beans or French style haricot vert, which are thinner green beans. How long you cook them is up to you.

I grew up where vegetables were cooked until they were more than tender and we didn’t worry so much about the bright green color. Therefore, putting them in an ice bath was foreign to me. Honestly, I don’t dig out a bowl and fill it with ice to stop the beans from cooking. Instead, I drain them, rinse with cold water, and continue with the recipe. Less work and does the job. If you are a trained chef, you would shutter at the thought of not placing them in an ice bath, blah, blah, blah. Look, if you want to, do it.

That said, for this recipe, I rinse the beans with cold water as a “make ahead” step. If I am banging these out in one swoop, I just drain and continue with the recipe. This comes together pretty quickly, so have everything prepared before starting.

To cook the green beans, place them in a pot of salted boiling water. It’s important to add a good amount of salt to the water because it’s the first step to giving these beans flavor right from the start. Boil them until they're cooked to your desired tenderness:

If you want them crisp, about 3 - 5 minutes.
If you want them tender, about 5 - 7 minutes.
If you are like me and want them a little softer, 7 - 10 minutes. My family prefers them this way. I don’t like them crunchy because to me, they taste raw. Maybe I like them softer because of nostalgic reasons because of my Dad. Cook to your liking.

After you cook the green beans, drain them and rinse them thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking.

The rest is fast and easy. The almonds are toasted until golden in butter then transferred into a bowl. The shallots and garlic are sauteed in more butter then the lemon juice is added to brighten it up. The green beans are added and heated through. Then they’re transferred onto a platter and the almonds are scattered on top. Toss if you want to but I like the presentation of the almonds on top. Bam! You are done. Doesn’t it look great? Yes, it does.

Try some of my other delicious sides:

Life is too short for mediocre food.

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Green Beans Almondine

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Green bean almondine is an elegant side dish prepared with little effort and pairs well with just about anything. Green beans are coated with buttery, shallots and garlic, then topped with toasted almonds.

Cooking time is dependent on how crisp you like your green beans ranging from 3 - 10 minutes.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Green Bean Almondine, Green Beans

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: - 8 servings

Author: Natalie Gregory

Ingredients

2 pounds string beans
5 tablespoons butter divided
1 cup sliced almonds
1 medium shallot diced
4 medium garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Kosher salt
Pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. I add a tablespoon or so (eyeball it) of kosher salt to the water.
Add green beans to boiling water and cook until desired tenderness.
If you want them crisp, about 3 - 5 minutes.
If you want them tender, about 5 - 7 minutes.
If you are like me and want them a little softer, 7 - 10 minutes.
Drain green beans in a colander and rinse under cold running water until completely cool. If you are preparing ahead, drain the beans well, pat dry, and set aside. You can make these a day ahead. Just place the beans wrapped with a paper towel in a plastic bag and refrigerate up to 2 days.
In a large skillet over medium low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the almonds. Saute the almonds for a few minutes until they start to turn golden in color. Be careful not to burn because once they start to get color, they brown quickly. Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl. Set aside.
Melt the remaining butter in a skillet and add shallots and garlic, sauteeing them until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. They should start to caramelize.
Stir in the lemon juice.
Add the beans back to the pan and toss to coat. Lower the heat and cook, tossing, until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer to a serving platter and spread almonds on top. Serve immediately.