Green Beans with Almonds and Lemon
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This green beans and almonds recipe is a twist on the classic green beans almondine. It’s made with fresh green beans, tossed in a lemony butter sauce with toasted slivered almonds, and bread crumbs for a little extra crunch. It’s a simple yet elegant side dish that everyone will love.
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This green bean recipe is the perfect combination of flavors and texture; the crispy almonds and bread crumbs add subtle flavor and just the right amount of crunch.
Why you will love Green Beans with Almonds and Lemon
- It’s a simple recipe with simple ingredients that takes minutes to make.
- It’s a healthy side dish that is perfect for busy weeknights or a holiday meal.
Here is what you will need
This is a brief summary of the ingredients needed to make Green Beans with Almonds and Lemonand a convenient shopping list from my Instacart affiliate link. For a printable recipe card with exact measurements and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card section.
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Ingredients
- Fresh green beans
- Unsalted butter
- Raw almonds
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Fresh lemon juice
- Garlic
🥄Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Steamer basket (optional)
- Large skillet
- Paring knife
- Skillet
- Steamer basket
How to make green beans with almonds and lemon
Prepare: Rinse and trim the green beans, and chop the garlic, and cut the almonds if you are not using pre-sliced almnds. Measure the butter and bread crumbs.
Step 1. Add a small amount of water to a saucepan, and place a steamer basket over the water. Add the green beans to the steamer basket, cover the pan and cook the green beans over high heat until they are tender and bright green. Once they are cooked, rinse them under ice cold water, pat them dry with a paper towel and set the green beans aside.
Step 2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the almonds and bread crumbs and cook for just a few minutes until they start to turn golden. Remove them from the heat and set aside.
Step 3. In the same skillet melt the butter and garlic over medium heat. Cook until the garlic begins to soften, and add the lemon juice. Toss the green beans in the butter sauce and stir in the toasted almonds and bread crumbs.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The complete list of ingredients to make this green beans almondine recipe is above. Below are notes about some of the ingredients, along with ideas for substitutes.
Green beans – Even though any variety of green bean will work in this recipe, French green beans also known as haricot vert are skinnier green beans, and are more tender are the best.
Butter – Unsalted butter is my first choice for cooking so you can salt and flavor the dish yourself. Butter can be replaced with an equal amount of olive oil for a vegan version.
Almonds – If you have pre-sliced almond slices they work the best. If you buy whole almonds, instead of trying to slice them, you can roughly chop them.
Panko – Panko breadcrumbs are Japanese style breadcrumbs. They have a more course texture than regular breadcrumbs and add a nice crunch to these green beans. You can replace panko with regular breadcrumbs or leave them out for a gluten-free version.
What to serve with green beans and almonds
An easy side dish like green beans almondine tastes great garnished with fresh lemon zest and served with just about any main dish.
We like to serve these tender green beans with One Pot Creamy Chicken, Instant Pot Pork Loin in Apple Cider, Turkey Cranberry Meatballs, Hasselback Pork Tenderloin, grilled chicken breasts, pork chops with vinegar peppers, turkey meatloaf or beef.
Storing and re-heating leftovers
Store leftover green beans and almonds in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days.
Reheat the green beans on top of the stove in a skillet or in the microwave.
Freezing leftover green beans and almonds is not recommended.
Make ahead instructions
Get a head start on preparing this dish; steam the green beans up to two days ahead of time and store them in an airtight container in them in the refrigerator.
Prepare the crispy topping and store it at room temperature to retain the crispness or you can make it just before serving the green beans which is recommended.
An hour or so before serving, bring the beans to room temperature, make crispy topping and the lemon butter sauce. Add the beans to the sauce over low heat to warm them up and top them with the crispy topping.
Variations
This recipe is a flavorful recipe as it is, and is also a blank slate to add some interesting flavors. Here are some suggestions.
Green beans with almonds and bacon – add one to two strips of cooked and crumbled bacon to the
Green beans with almonds and shallots – add 1 tablespoon of chopped shallots to the butter and garlic in the skillet.
Green beans almondine with cranberries – just before serving, stir in a 1/4 cup of dried cranberries for a festive look and sweet flavor.
Add cheese – add a quarter cup of shredded parmesan cheese on top of the toasted bread crumbs and almonds.
Change up the almonds – instead of almonds use chopped wlanuts, pecans or macadamia nuts.
Tips
- If you don’t have a steamer basket, place the beans into a pan with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, and making sure they are not completely submerged.
- If you like your beans short, line them up on a cutting board and cut them all in half with a sharp knife.
- The steamed beans will be slightly crispy. If you prefer softer green beans, cook them for a few minutes longer.
Frozen beans can be used in place of fresh green beans to make green beans almondine. Cook the green beans according to the package instructions and add the cooked beans to the skillet with the butter lemon. Sprinkle on the topping and serve.
You can bring out the flavor of green beans by adding a variety of flavors such as garlic, butter, onion, fresh or dried herbs.
The green beans will continue to cook once they are removed from the heat. Running them under cold water or placing them in an ice bath (a large bowl of ice water) will stop the beans from cooking and they will remain crispy.
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Find process photos and variations in the blog post:
Green Beans and AlmondsEquipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans French or regular green beans
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 1/4 cup raw almonds slivered or chopped
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients: rinse and trim the green beans, chop the garlic and almonds if they are not sliced. Measure the butter and panko breadcrumbs
- Add a small amount of water to a saucepan (enough to cover the bottom of the pan – about 1 inch). Place a steamer basket inside the saucepan and place the green beans on top of the basket. If you don't have a steamer basket, place the green beans into the water in the pan, they should not be completely covered with water.
- Cover the beans and cook over medium heat until they become crisp-tender, or to the texture of green beans that you prefer.
- Once the green are cooked rinse them under cold water, pat them dry and set them aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the chopped almonds and bread crumbs. Cook them until they begin to toast and turn brown and remove them from the heat and set them aside.
- Melt one tablespoon of butter in the skillet with one clove of chopped garlic for a minute or two until the garlic starts to soften and the butter has melted, reduce the heat to low.
- Add the green beans to the pan and toss them in the butter. Once they are heated through, place them in a serving bowl and top the beans with the toasted almonds and panko.
Notes
Toast the almonds and panko, and melt the butter, garlic and lemon as instructed in the recipe and serve. See article above for recipe tips, variations and more!
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
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