Green bean almondine is a quick, easy, and healthy recipe. Lemon zest, fresh garlic, and slivered almonds are added to tender green beans, making a fresh and irresistible side dish.
I’m a big fan of vegetable side dishes. They’re such a fun and easy way to make dinners more healthy, while also spicing them up a little bit. This green bean almondine recipe has quickly become one of my go-to sides, because it has everything I’m looking for in a side dish. It’s easy to make, takes less than half an hour, and is super healthy. Lemon zest and grated garlic make the green beans taste light and fresh, while slivered almonds add some richness and depth. What more could you want in a side?
Green beans are one of my favorite vegetables, because they’re so versatile. They’re bright and fresh enough to be eaten in the spring or summer, but hearty enough to serve as a fall or winter vegetable. You can usually find ripe green beans all year round, and they last for a while in the fridge before going bad. So needless to say, I keep green beans around most of the time, and this almondine is one of my favorite ways to use them up. And did I mention that it’s vegan?
What You’ll Need
Here are all the ingredients that you need to make this tender green bean dish. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article for the exact amounts of each ingredient.
- Green beans – Your green beans will need to be trimmed.
- Slivered almonds
- Vegan butter – If you prefer, you can use olive oil.
- Garlic cloves – The garlic needs to be grated on a microplane.
- Kosher salt
- Lemon zest
How to Make Green Bean Almondine
Here’s how to make this easy, 6-ingredient green bean side dish. It takes less than 30 minutes!
- Prep. Add water and a large pinch of salt to a pot, and bring to a boil. While the water heats, fill a large bowl with ice and cold water.
- Blanch the green beans. Add the beans to the boiling water, and cook until they turn bright green and are crisp, but a little tender. This should take about 1-2 minutes. When the beans are done cooking, drain them and immediately place them in the ice water.
- Toast the nuts. Heat a skillet over medium heat, and add the almonds. Cook, while stirring constantly, until they become fragrant and start to turn golden. This should take about 4 minutes. Season the almonds with salt, and transfer them to a bowl.
- Cook the green beans. Add the vegan butter to the skillet. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, while stirring. Then add the green beans and salt, and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the beans are tender. This should take about 1 minute.
- Serve. Stir in the lemon zest, then transfer the green beans to a serving tray, and top with the slivered almonds.
Tips for Success
Here are some tricks and tips to help you make the perfect green bean almondine.
- Top and tail the beans quickly. A lot of people don’t like to cook green beans because they think it’s a hassle to trim them all. However, there’s a quick way to do it. Grab a handful of beans, and line them all up together, then chop off all of their ends in one cut. Rotate the beans 180 degrees, and do the same thing on the other side.
- Be liberal when seasoning the water. Make sure you add a healthy amount of salt to the boiling water when blanching the green beans. This will not only help season them (green beans can take a lot of salt!) but also help them cook better.
- Be careful with the almonds. Toasted nuts are absolutely fantastic, but burnt nuts are awful. Make sure that you stir the almonds constantly, and don’t let the pan get too hot, or you’ll end up with a very bitter topping for your green beans.
How to Store Green Bean Almondine
You can store this veggie side dish in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat over medium heat for 2 minutes, in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes, or in the microwave on a high setting, in 30-second intervals.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can definitely freeze green bean almondine. Place it in an airtight container in the freezer, and it will last for 3 months. Reheat in a 350F oven for 15-20 minutes, or thaw before reheating in a pan or the microwave.
More Veggie Side Dishes
If you enjoyed these tender, zesty green beans, then check out some of my other favorite vegetable side dishes.
- Roasted winter vegetables with maple glaze
- Best ever massaged kale salad
- Lightened up broccoli casserole
- Easy roasted zucchini
- Warm detox farro salad with kale
Green Bean Almondine
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans , trimmed
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter , or olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , grated on a microplane
- ½ tsp. kosher salt , plus more for salting the water
- ¼ tsp. lemon zest
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. When the water in the pot is boiling, add the green beans all at once and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Immediately drain the beans and submerge in the ice bath.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast, stirring constantly, until fragrant and starting to turn golden, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and transfer to a bowl.
- Add the butter to the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, then add the green beans and ½ tsp. salt, and cook while stirring. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the green beans are tender, about 1 minute. Add the lemon zest.
- Transfer to a platter and top with the almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
