Here’s the thing about green beans. Half the people I cook for will quietly push them to the edge of their plate, and the other half will steal the last one off my own. This dish is for the first group. I make it when guests have confessed — usually over wine — that they ‘don’t really do vegetables’. By the time the second course is out, I’ve got a few new converts.
It’s a classic French side called green beans almondine, and ‘almondine’ (or amandine) is just the fancy French word for a garnish of toasted almonds. No technique, no special equipment — a pot, a pan, and a timer.
Why this works
Two small moves do all the work. Parboiling the beans in very salty water for exactly 4 minutes keeps them bright green and snappy, then a quick dunk in cold water stops the cooking dead. Toasting the almonds first builds a nutty, almost savory base that the beans and lemon finish off. The lemon is not optional — it’s what makes this taste like more than ‘just green beans’.
What you need
- 400 g (about 14 oz) fine green beans
- 40 g (about 1/4 cup) raw almonds, halved lengthwise
- 1 lemon — both zest and juice
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- Olive oil, to finish
Serves 4. Around 133 kcal per serving. Easy — it’s a side dish with five moving parts.
How to make it (25 minutes, start to finish)
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil — salt it like the sea, because this is the only chance the beans have to taste good. Parboil the green beans for 4 minutes exactly. I set the timer. Using fine green beans; if yours are thicker, give them a minute or two more.
- Drain the beans and plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking. Set them aside.
- Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the halved almonds and sauté until they start to brown, about 2 minutes. Keep an eye on them — browned is good, burnt is bitter.
- Add the shallots and garlic. Cook until the shallots start to soften, a minute or two.
- Add the parboiled green beans and toss to coat them in the butter and almond mixture. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, then season well with salt and black pepper.
- Arrange on a serving plate — pile the almonds on top, don’t be shy about it — and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil.
What to serve it with
This started out as my go-to side for beef bourguignon — the beans cut through the rich stew beautifully. It’s just as good with roast chicken, a simple pan of fish, or creamy mashed potatoes if you want the full French dinner without the effort. For a plant-based table, a mushroom bourguignon works as a stand-in.
Trade-It Tip: No shallots? A small onion, finely chopped, does the job — a touch sweeter, same job. And if you’re out of almonds, sliced ones toast just as well; you just can’t halve them.
That’s the whole dish. One pot of boiling water, one pan, 25 minutes. If it doesn’t fit a Tuesday night, it doesn’t get published.