If you're looking for a simple way to spruce up fresh green beans, Green Bean Almondine is a seriously flavorful solution.
The name may mislead some into thinking it's a complex recipe, but rest assured, these buttery beans topped with a crunchy almond sauce comes together quickly and with very few ingredients.
Today, in addition to an easy (and quite tasty) Green Bean Almondine Recipe, we'll cover fun facts like the difference between Almondine and Amandine, which kind of beans to buy, e-ver-y-thing you need to know about Almondine sauce, why blanching is an optional step, and the best way to serve up this famous side dish.
WHAT IS GREEN BEAN ALMONDINE?
Green Bean Almondine is a fresh and light side dish of French origin. It features fresh green beans, sliced almonds, butter, and lemon juice. It's fast, it's easy, and it is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
GREEN BEANS ALMONDINE OR AMANDINE?
Amandine is a French culinary term that indicates an almond garnish. Almondine pretty much means the same thing, it is just the American spelling associated with the word. An "amandine" garnish goes far beyond green beans. It can be used for topping all kinds of fish, as well as vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, and more.
INGREDIENTS
As mentioned above, Green Bean Almondine is very simple to prepare. This is mostly thanks to the limited number of ingredients called for in the recipe. The dish really comes down to two main components -- the vegetables and the sauce.
- Fresh Green Beans
- Butter
- Sliced Almonds
- Lemon
- Salt and Pepper
WHICH GREEN BEANS TO BUY?
Do not attempt to make Green Bean Almondine with canned green beans -- only fresh will do. Fresh green beans have a sweet, somewhat nutty flavor and boast a lovely texture once cooked.
These days you can typically find them already strung, snipped and packaged in the produce section of the grocery store. And, while you're in the produce section, you might also notice there is more than one kind of green bean.
These days most grocery stores carry both standard American green beans and their slender (slightly more tender) French cousin, Haricot Verts. Either one will work for Green Bean Almondine.
WHAT'S IN ALMONDINE SAUCE?
Remember, the origin of "amandine" is French so naturally, this sauce begins with the good stuff -- butter. Be sure to purchase unsalted butter as it will give you more control over the sodium within your dish. However, if you've already got salted butter on hand, just be sure to taste-test before adding any more to your dish.
And, of course, you can't have Green Bean Almondine without sliced almonds, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten things up.
HOW TO MAKE GREEN BEAN ALMONDINE
If you can boil water, you can make fresh green beans, and that is precisely how we will begin.
- Boil and blanch the green beans.
- Add butter to a pan and melt. Add almonds and cook 3-5 minutes, until toasted.
- Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the pan, followed by the green beans and stir.
TO BLANCH...OR NOT TO BLANCH?
Before you begin boiling your green beans, you'll want to have a large bowl of ice water off to the side. This will be for blanching. Blanching green vegetables as soon as they finish cooking not only helps them to stop the cooking process immediately (keeping them from becoming too soft) but it also helps to preserve color and prevents them from discoloring.
COOK THE GREEN BEANS
Once you've decided whether or not you'll be blanching, get your water up to a roaring boil and cook the green beans until tender, about 6 minutes.
MAKE THE ALMONDINE SAUCE
Almondine sauce comes together very quickly and you'll start by melting the butter in a large pan. Watch closely as butter tends to burn quickly. Once the butter has melted, you'll add your almonds to the pan. The toasty almonds will flavor the butter and vice versa.
Once the almonds have begun to take on a golden color, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the sauce and stir. Ad this point you can either add the green beans to the pan and toss to combine or spoon the sauce over the green beans on a serving platter.
HOW TO SERVE IT: HOT OR COLD?
Green Bean Almondine should be served warm. If you'd like to get some of the prep done in advance, you can boil your green beans and blanch them a day or two ahead of time. Reheat them in the microwave and prepare the sauce just before serving.
5 MORE SIDE DISHES YOU’LL LOVE
- Green Beans with Tomatoes and Bacon is an easy, slow-cooking side dish made special with fresh green beans, bacon, and fire-roasted canned tomatoes.
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Cheese features freshly cooked green beans, baked in an incredible homemade cream of mushroom sauce and topped with crispy French fried onions.
- Pesto Pasta Salad is a creamy pasta salad made with bowtie noodles, grape tomatoes, green beans, and fresh Mozzarella.
- Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a family-friendly side dish Ranch lovers will swoon for. Pasta salad coated in a quick and easy Ranch dressing (homemade or store-bought), crispy bacon, and more!
- Fresh Green Beans are still great on their own, so don't fret if you can't swing an Almondine sauce tonight. Featuring over fifteen amazing ways to eat fresh green beans in stellar side dishes, salads, and main courses.
Green Bean Almondine is a simple, crowd-pleasing side dish that's full of flavor! Featuring fresh green beans, sliced almonds, butter, and lemon juice.
- 1 (12 ounce) package fresh green beans ( washed and snipped )
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Generous pinch of black pepper
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Have ready a large bowl filled with ice water. Fill a large pot about a ⅓ of the way with water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and add green beans.
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Boil for 6 minutes (or just until al dente), remove from the heat with a slotted spoon and transfer to the bowl of ice water. Drain well and set aside.
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Add the butter to a large pan over medium-low heat, and allow it to melt. Add the almonds and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, just until toasted. Do not allow butter to burn.
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Add the green beans, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir to coat.
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Continue over medium-low heat, stirring often, just until the green beans are warmed through, 2-4 minutes.
Sources: The Spruce Eats | Amandine: A Culinary Preparation Featuring Almonds