Green Beans with Almonds

Green Beans with Almonds is a simple, yet elegant, side dish recipe. It’s perfect to serve at holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, but easy enough to make any night of the week. It pairs wonderfully with many main dishes.

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Green Beans with Almonds, often referred to as Green Bean Almondine, is another recipe that I first made in culinary arts school. The recipe is school was fairly basic, so I added a little shallot and garlic to kick it up a notch.

The additional flavor of the toasted almonds, along with their crunchy texture, makes this easy recipe absolutely delicious.

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe has a reputation of being an impressive side dish at holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, yet it’s so easy to make that you could serve it even on the busiest weeknight.

It’s a great way to elevate the flavor of green beans, which can sometimes come off bland or boring. You might even be able to get your kids to eat these tasty green beans without any complaining.

The recipe is naturally gluten free, low carb, and keto-friendly.

How To Make Green Beans With Almonds

Ingredients

• You can use olive oil in place of butter, if preferred. I use butter to give the green beans a richer flavor.
• Almond slivers or slices both work great in this recipe. I would not recommend whole almonds, as they are bit harder to grab onto with your fork.

The entire recipe and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.

Prep!

Wash and trim the green beans. Mince the garlic and shallot.

Prepare a bowl of cold water with ice. The bowl needs to be large enough so that you are able to submerge all of the green beans in it.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. 

Create!

Add the green beans to the boiling water to blanch. Cook just until they turn a brighter green, about 2-3 minutes. 

Drain the water from the green beans and immediately transfer them to the bowl of ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process. Allow the green beans to stay in the ice water while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Melt half of the butter in a large skillet and add the almonds. Cook, stirring very frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove to a plate and allow to cool.

Chef’s Tip: keep a very close eye on the almonds while you toast them. They can go from lightly toasted to burnt very quickly.

Melt the remaining half of the butter in the same skillet. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, or until softened.

Add the green beans and sauté, stirring often, until warmed through.

Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Present!

Transfer the green beans to a serving dish or bowl and top with the toasted almonds.

Tips and Techniques

• Use almond slices or slivers for the best results. Using whole almonds is not recommended.
• Keep a very close eye on the almonds while toasting them. They can burn very quickly.
• Blanching and shocking the green beans is the best way to keep them crisp. If you would prefer to just sauté them in a skillet instead, you can do so. Just cook them in butter or olive oil until crisp tender, then remove from the skillet before proceeding with the remainder of the recipe.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 3-5 days.

FAQ’s

Why Do You Toast Almonds?

Toasting almonds enhances their flavor. It also makes them crunchier.

Are Green Beans Keto?

Green beans are a good choice for those following a keto diet. There are about 2 net carbs in 10 4-inch long green beans. 

More Green Bean Recipes

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