Green Beans Almondine are an easy, delicious side dish made with garlic that go with any meal! Gluten free, keto and whole30 friendly.
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These Healthy Green Beans Almondine have become a favorite at our house for a healthy side dish to dinner lately! Garlicky, delicious green beans that are tossed with crunchy almonds + the perfect amount of salt and pepper…I mean.. how can you go wrong?!
Green beans have been one of my favorite veggies for pretty much forever, but when you jazz them up with this simple (but tasty!) recipe, you’ve got the ultimate side! (Next to Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole!)
These green beans are paleo, Whole30, gluten free, dairy free, and just simply delicious.
They’re great for serving on a busy weeknight, or as a holiday side dish! It’s a much healthier green bean recipe than your traditional green bean casserole.
What is green bean almondine?
Green beans almondine is a fancy way of saying green beans topped with sliced almonds. It’s traditionally made with slivered almonds and ‘haricot verd’ which are the French, skinnier green bean, although you can make it with any variety of green bean.
As much as I love green beans, they’re always a point of disagreement.. or should I say discussion.. between Tyler and I. I like them SUPER crunchy (like borderline raw), while Tyler wants them to be cooked well.
After making this a couple of times, I perfected the cooking time to be somewhere in the middle of what we both like.
Not too crispy, not too mushy.. they have the perfect little snap when you bite into them! Along with an amazing burst of flavor from the garlic/salt and pepper combo (which in my opinion is simply the best!!).
These Healthy Green Beans Almondine go great alongside basically any meal because they have a relatively ‘neutral’ flavor to them.
I love to put them alongside my Rosemary Pecan Crusted Chicken Cutlets or Crockpot Whole Chicken, but we have also put them with roasted pork tenderloin + which tastes great too!
It always amazes me that such simple ingredients can make something SO tasty!
If you were to double or triple the batch, they’d even be great for serving on a holiday! Maybe alongside your Easter ham or Thanksgiving turkey?
(And if you’re still planning your Thanksgiving menu – check out these Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes!)
Green Bean Almondine Recipe Ingredients
To make this green bean recipe, I keep it pretty simple. You’ll need:
- olive oil
- minced garlic
- salt and pepper
- slivered almonds
- fresh green beans!
It really doesn’t get much simpler than that! But you can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded box. Â
How to make green beans almondine:
To make this green bean recipe:
- Heat olive oil in pan on the stove at medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant/slightly translucent.
- Add green beans, salt + pepper to the pan.Â
- Sauté green beans and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add water. Cover and steam on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lastly, remove cover, add sliced almonds, and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until the liquid has evaporated from the pan.
Substitutions for this Green Beans Almondine Recipe
This recipe is super versatile! Here are some ways to customize it.
Herbs – If you want to add even more flavor to these green beans, try adding a 1/2 teaspoon of thyme leaves or freshly chopped rosemary – both are delicious!
Nuts – You can sub chopped walnuts or pecans for the sliced almonds. You can also use toasted almonds or toast whatever nut you prefer!
Oil– You can use avocado or refined coconut oil instead of olive oil.
Bacon – Chopped crispy bacon is a delicious addition to this recipe. I use about 1/4 cup.
Lemon Zest – Some people like to add a bit of lemon juice or zest. If you’d like, add 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (about what you’d get from one lemon!)
Can you use canned or frozen green beans in this recipe?
Yes, you can.. but I really wouldn’t recommend it. Fresh green beans are without a doubt the best for this recipe!
If you do use canned or frozen green beans, follow these directions.
For frozen green beans: Do not add water to the pot or defrost the green beans. Follow step 1, cover, and let cook for about 4 minutes. Toss with sliced almonds + serve.
For canned green beans: Drain and rinse green beans well. Follow step 1, cover, and let cook for about 2 minutes. Toss with almonds + serve.
Are you supposed to blanch the green beans?
Many green bean almondine recipes call for blanching the green beans ahead of time. I’ve tried this recipe by blanching the green beans and can find zero difference in taste or quality.Â
I don’t think it’s worth the extra time and effort (or worth dirtying another pan!)
What to serve with Green Beans Almondine:
Green Beans Almondine are the perfect side dishes for pretty much any meal! Here are some of our favorite things to serve them with:
- Crockpot Whole Chicken
- Whole Roasted Chicken
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Oven Roasted Potatoes Recipe (Crispy)
- Crock Pot Turkey Breast
- Easy Orange Chicken
Can you make Green Beans with Almonds ahead of time?
These green beans hold up really well, so they’re great for meal prepping or making ahead for a holiday side dish. If you want to make these green beans ahead of time, and reheat, I recommend cutting the cooking time in half and cooking them in an oven safe skillet.Â
When you’re ready to serve, you can place the skillet/pan in the oven to reheat or reheat on the stove for a few minutes.
Undercooking the beans initially is the most important part of this, it ensures that you don’t wind up with soggy, sad green beans.
How to Store Green Beans Almondine
Green Beans Almondine is best when eaten fresh, but they will keep in the refrigerator.
Storing: Store Green Beans Almondine in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this recipe. The nuts will lose their crunch and the green beans will be soggy.
Reheating: These Green Beans Almondine are best when reheated in a skillet. You can microwave them too.
Almond Green Bean FAQ
Dried spices, fresh herbs and olive oil are great additions to add flavor to green beans. We like to cook them with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic or garlic powder.
You can use either! Amandine means ‘garnish of almonds’. Almondine is the ‘Americanized’ version of that. You can call this recipe by either name.
Green Beans Almondine
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 lb green beans about 4 cups, trimmed
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in pan on the stove at medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant/slightly translucent. Add green beans, salt + pepper to the pan.Â
- Sauté green beans and garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add water. Cover and steam on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove cover, add almonds, and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes until liquid has evaporated from the pan.
Elizabeth Taylor says
These were so delicious and the perfect easy side dish! My husband was skeptical, but even he loved them! 🙂
The Clean Eating Couple says
So happy you both enjoyed them!
Nora says
These are SO yummy. They go well with basically any dinner. I like them with roasted chicken and potatoes. One of our favorites!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked the, Nora!! They’re one of our favorite sides too!