Meet your new favourite side dish. It sounds so fancy but it is such a simple recipe for green beans and almonds. Crisp green bean almondine is an easy side dish made extra special with the addition of buttery, pan fried almonds! You are going to love eating your greens with these delicious and crispy green beans with almonds.
What is green bean almondine?
This recipe is a classic french dish and is simply green beans with almonds. The name has been adapted from the original French term of ‘amandine’ meaning 'a garnish of almonds’.
As nice and simple as all that sounds, in order to make this the best green bean recipe, there are a few extra additions that can really bring it to life. This mainly involves pan frying the almonds in butter and lemon juice. The lemon juice reduces into the butter and creates a sweet caramelised sauce. So delicious!
My own twist, which I really feel does make this the best green been almondine recipe ever, is the addition of freshly chopped dill. The subtle flavour of this unobtrusive herb partners so well with the sour lemon and creamy almonds.
Green Bean Almondine Ingredients
To make this recipe you will need just 5 ingredients, plus a bit of seasoning. Keep in mind, fresh green beans are best for this recipe. They’re easy to prepare and deliciously crisp.
- 200g Green Beans
- 50g Butter
- 50g flaked almonds
- Juice of half a lemon
- Fresh dill
- salt and pepper
How to prepare the green beans
Preparing green beans is not a difficult task at all. Plus, fresh green beans are well worth it for their crisp texture and flavour. Follow these guidelines and you’ll be cooking fresh green beans for your green bean almondine in no time!
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How to trim green beans
Trimming green beans needn’t be a hassle. The ends that need to go are the ones with the remaining stems (where the bean was attached to the plant). The thinner tapered end can stay – no trimming required.
- Line the bean up so the stem ends are all together on the same side.
- Use your hand to line up evenly then slice the stem tips off with a sharp knife.
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How to clean green beans
As with most veg, fruits and salads, green beans can be rinsed under cold tap water to ensure any debris and dirt has been washed away.
How to Make Green Bean Almondine
This green bean recipe is one of the easiest you’ll find. It takes just a few steps and is well worth the end result.
- The first important step in this recipe is how to boil green beans correctly so they stay crisp and bright green. Start by adding washed and trimmed green beans to a small pan. Add boiling water from the kettle and simmer on the stove for 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes immediately drain the water and plunge the green beans into iced water to stop the cooking process and to help keep the green beans crisp and bright in colour.
- Next, place a frying pan on a medium heat and add 50g of butter. Once the butter has melted add the flaked almonds and toss together. Fry for 5 minutes, allowing the almonds to lightly brown.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice and then take off the heat. RECIPE NOTE: Adding the juice will cause the butter to simmer and reduce rapidly, this further browns the butter and almonds. Removing the pan from the heat prevents burning.
- Drain the green beans from the iced water. Add to the pan and toss with the buttered almonds.
- Stir in some fresh dill and season. Then serve immediately.
Can I make green beans almondine ahead of time?
This recipe should ideally be served immediately from the pan. However, there are couple of preparatory steps you can undertake ahead of time. The initial blanching of the beans is finished by plunging the beans into iced water (see steps 1 and 2 above). Once the beans are fully cooled they can be transferred to a container and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours or until needed.
The lemon and dill can be sliced and the butter and almonds can be weighed out and also all stored in the fridge.
When ready to serve, all that remains is melting the butter in the pan, cooking the almonds for 5 minutes and then adding the lemon juice, beans and dill.
What to Serve with Green Bean Almondine
The best thing about this recipe is that its a side dish that will go with almost any meal. Be it a simple roast chicken, a creamy chicken and leek recipe or foil pack salmon or even a Thai red curry, green bean almondine is a great side dish to have at the table. This recipe also partners really well with other side dishes like foil pack potatoes or honey glazed carrots and parsnips. You could also pair it with slow cooker applesauce and any of the main dishes above.
For dessert, depending on the time of year, try this delicious Bakewell tart with raspberry jam, apple dump cake with fresh apples. pumpkin cobbler with spiced butter toffee, healthy banana bread with week old bananas, strawberry rhubarb crisp, or peach cobbler with cake mix.
So next time you’re stuck for ideas on what to serve with dinner, why not give this fabulous side dish a try.
📖 Recipe
Green bean almondine
Ingredients
- 200 g Green Beans
- 50 g Butter
- 50 g flaked almonds
- Juice of half a lemon
- Fresh dill (Handful)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
How to trim green beans
- Trimming green beans needn't be a hassle. The ends that need to go are the ones with the remaining stems (where the bean was attached to the plant). The thinner tapered end can stay - no trimming required.
- Line the bean up so the stem ends are all together on the same side, use your hand to line up evenly then slice the stem tips off with a sharp knife.
How to clean green beans
- As with most veg, fruits and salads, green beans can be rinsed under cold tap water to ensure any debris and dirt has been washed away.
How to Make Green Bean Almondine
- The first important step in this recipe is how to boil green beans correctly so they stay crisp and bright green. Start by adding washed and trimmed green beans to a small pan. Add boiling water from the kettle and simmer on the stove for 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes immediately drain the water and plunge the green beans into iced water to stop the cooking process and to help keep the green beans crisp and bright in colour.
- Next, place a frying pan on a medium heat and add 50g of butter. Once the butter has melted add the flaked almonds and toss together. Fry for 5 minutes, allowing the almonds to lightly brown.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice and then take off the heat. RECIPE NOTE: Adding the juice will cause the butter to simmer and reduce rapidly, this further browns the butter and almonds. Removing the pan from the heat prevents burning.
- Drain the green beans from the iced water. Add to the pan and toss with the buttered almonds. Stir in some fresh dill, season, and then serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Notes
Can I make green beans almondine ahead of time?
This recipe should ideally be served immediately from the pan. However, there are couple of preparatory steps you can undertake ahead of time. The initial blanching of the beans is finished by plunging the beans into iced water (see steps 1 and 2 above). Once the beans are fully cooled they can be transferred to a container and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours or until needed. The lemon and dill can be sliced and the butter and almonds can be weighed out and also all stored in the fridge. When ready to serve, all that remains is melting the butter in the pan, cooking the almonds for 5 minutes and then adding the lemon juice, beans and dill.What to Serve with Green Bean Almondine
The best thing about this recipe is that its a side dish that will go with almost any meal. Be it a creamy chicken and leek recipe or foil pack salmon or even a Thai red curry, green bean almondine is a great side dish to have at the table. This recipe also partners really well with other side dishes like foil pack potatoes or honey glazed carrots and parsnips. You could also pair it with slow cooker applesauce and any of the main dishes above.This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Family Foodie. I first shared this Green bean almondine recipe on the Sunday Supper Movement site, where I am a contributor.
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