Green Beans Almondine (Amandine)
This version of the classic green beans amandine is one of my all time favorite sides. Browned butter enhances the nutty toasted almonds, while lemon adds a pop of brightness to the tender crisp blanched haricots verts. It’s an easy side dish that will stand out on any occasion and only takes 20 minutes!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 161kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound haricots verts or thin green beans, stem ends trimmed
- kosher salt for blanching water and seasoning
- 4 tablespoons butter salted
- ½ cup almonds skinless (blanched) & sliced
- 1-2 cloves garlic very finely minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest finely grated
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the haricots verts and cook until bright green and just tender, about 2 minutes.1 pound haricots verts
- Drain, then immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain again and pat very dry.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the almonds. Toss around and let them toast for about a minute to warm through.½ cup almonds
- Add the butter and continue cooking, swirling the pan often, until the butter foams and starts to turn golden brown and the almonds are toasted and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully so neither burns.4 tablespoons butter
- Lower the heat, move the almonds to the side, then add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, then add the beans and lemon zest.1-2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Toss until warmed through and evenly coated in the brown butter and almonds, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste, then toss to combine.kosher salt, 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, Freshly ground black pepper
- Transfer to a serving platter and spoon the browned butter and almonds over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Drying your green beans after draining is important so the butter coats the beans rather than slipping out due to excess liquid.
- Do not brown the garlic, only sauté it to release flavor into the butter. Deeply browning the garlic can make the dish bitter.
- For the best presentation, only trim off the very small tip of the stem ends of your green beans.
- Salt the blanching water generously so the beans stay bright green and get seasoned from within.
- The green beans can be blanched up to one day ahead and refrigerated until ready to finish.
- When toasting the almonds, keep them moving so they toast evenly.
- Once you add the butter, watch closely. The milk solids will foam, then turn golden and smell nutty. Add the garlic as soon as this happens, or turn off the heat so it doesn’t burn.
- The almonds and butter can go from golden to burnt in seconds. If they start browning too quickly, pull the pan off the heat or add a splash of water to slow things down.
Nutrition
Calories: 161kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 755IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
