Description
This green bean and almond recipe features tender-crisp green beans tossed with buttery toasted almonds, crispy garlic, brown butter, and lemon. It is a family-friendly, healthy, and quick side dish perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
- 0.5 cup slivered almonds
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- 1 small lemon, zested and juiced (approx. 2 tablespoons juice)
- 1 teaspoon ground sumac
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more if needed
- 0.75 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Green Beans: Trim the stem ends off 1 pound fresh green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until vibrant green and tender-crisp. Immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Once thoroughly chilled, drain very well and set aside.
- Toast Almonds: In a dry, medium skillet (a 10-inch skillet works perfectly here) over medium heat, add 0.5 cup slivered almonds. Toast, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until lightly golden brown and fragrant. Transfer toasted almonds to a small bowl and set aside.
- Make Crispy Garlic and Brown Butter: In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat over medium-low heat. Add very thinly sliced garlic from 4 cloves and cook gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer crispy garlic to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve garlic-infused oil in the skillet. Add 6 tablespoons unsalted butter to the skillet. Heat over medium heat until butter melts, foams, and milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty (5-7 minutes). Once browned, remove from heat and immediately whisk in lemon juice to stop browning.
- Combine and Finish Dish: Add drained green beans back into the skillet with the brown butter-lemon sauce. Return to medium heat and gently toss for 1-2 minutes to warm and coat beans. Add toasted almonds, 1 teaspoon ground sumac, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest, 0.75 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Toss gently to combine all ingredients.
Notes
For healthy upgrades and substitutions, often swap butter for extra virgin olive oil (dairy-free option). A final squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end always brightens the dish. If fresh beans aren’t in season, thawed organic frozen green beans can be a convenient substitute, just pat them very dry. Peak season for green beans is summer and early fall; store them unwashed in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Blanching, Sauteing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 0.75 cup (120 g)
- Calories: 280 calories
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
Keywords: easy side dish, green beans, almonds, healthy, quick, brown butter, lemon, summer, fall, family-friendly
