Green Beans Almondine (w/ Lemon Zest)

Light yet buttery green beans almondine is a classic holiday side that my mom has been making since I can remember. The crunchy slivered almonds and fresh lemon zest add a welcome crunch and brightness to this simple veggie dish!

The holiday season is here and I’m excited to share a recipe that’s been on my Thanksgiving table since I can remember (thanks Mom!). Lots of Thanksgiving sides are heavy and cheesy (don’t get me wrong we love cheese), but this Thanksgiving side is fresh, zesty, and on the lighter side.

This 2-part recipe features blanched green beans sautéed with shallot, garlic, almonds, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. It’s made right on the stovetop, freeing up valuable oven space for other holiday staples like healthy sweet potato casserole and spatchcock turkey.

Our #1 tip for green beans almondine success? Don’t skip blanching the beans! This extra (simple) step ensures the green beans stay bright green in color, while still being cooked inside. Add these green beans to your menu today!

What You Need for Green Beans Almondine

• Green Beans
• Olive Oil + Butter
• Shallot + Garlic
• Salt + Pepper
• Lemon Juice + Zest
• Almonds

Green Beans Almondine Variations

Citrus: We love the brightness that fresh lemon juice and zest add, but feel free to use orange juice and zest or omit it completely.

Almonds: Feel free to use toasted almonds instead of raw almonds. To toast almonds, add 1 tablespoon of butter to a pan and heat over medium/high heat. Sauté almonds for a few minutes, or until they become golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat immediately and use as instructed in the recipe. 

Storage

This one of few holiday side dishes that we recommend making fresh (no valuable oven space is needed, though!). The crisp green beans and crunchy almonds really shine if enjoyed right after making it. If you do have leftover green beans, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

We don’t recommend freezing green beans almondine.

Serving Suggestions

Green beans almondine is most commonly enjoyed throughout the holiday season (though we often wonder why we don’t make them more often!). They’re a fresh and flavorful side dish addition alongside Thanksgiving turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, and cheesy scalloped potatoes. You could even make them in place of (or in addition to) healthy green bean casserole!

Green Beans Almondine

This holiday season, whip up delicious green beans almondine in under 30 minutes. No precious oven space needed!

Prep:15 minutes minutes

Cook:15 minutes minutes

Total:30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• Ice bath
• 4 cups water
• 1.25 teaspoons salt divided (and to taste)
• 1 lb. green beans rinsed, ends trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for serving
• 1 shallot minced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cups raw slivered almonds*
• lemon zest for garnish

Instructions 

To Blanch the Green Beans

• Prepare an ice bath: Add 4 cups of ice to a large bowl and fill the rest of the bowl with water. Set aside.

• Fill a large pot with 3-4 cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil on the stovetop.

• Place the green beans in the boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes.

• Immediately remove the pot from heat and strain out the green beans. Submerge the beans in the ice bath let sit for at least 5-10 minutes.

For the Green Beans Almondine

• While the green beans are cooling, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan set over medium/high heat.

• Once fragrant, add the shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the shallot is translucent.

• Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Mix in the chilled green beans and fresh lemon juice.

• Sauté for 3-5 more minutes. Toss in the almonds.

• Remove the pan from the heat, give it a taste test, and add more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with lemon zest and more butter.

Tips & Notes

• Storage: Store green beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Almonds: Feel free to use toasted almonds instead of raw almonds. To toast almonds, add 1 tablespoon of butter to a pan and heat over medium/high heat. Sauté almonds for a few minutes, or until they become golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat immediately and use as instructed in the recipe. 

Nutrition facts

Calories: 166kcal Carbohydrates: 9g Protein: 4g Fat: 13g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 2g