Description
Green beans almondine, a classic French side dish from Ina Garten’s repertoire, elevates simple ingredients with elegant technique. Her recipe combines crisp green beans, toasted almonds, and a buttery finish that brings restaurant-quality flavor to home cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340 g) green beans, preferably haricot verts, trimmed
- 2 tbsps sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ tsp sea salt, plus more for seasoning
- ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Blanching Preparation: Fill a large pot with salted water and create an adjacent ice bath to preserve bean texture and color.
- Bean Cooking: Immerse green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, then immediately transfer to ice water to halt cooking process, maintaining crisp-tender quality.
- Almond Toasting: Heat cast-iron skillet, evenly distribute almonds, and toast until golden brown, releasing rich nutty fragrance. Set aside toasted almonds.
- Shallot Sauté: Reduce skillet temperature, add olive oil, and gently cook shallots with sea salt until translucent and soft.
- Bean Integration: Introduce blanched green beans to shallot mixture, stirring consistently to ensure even heating and preserve optimal tenderness.
- Flavor Enhancement: Remove from heat, add freshly grated garlic and bright lemon juice. Toss ingredients thoroughly, seasoning with additional salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- Serving Presentation: Transfer green bean mixture to serving dish, crown with toasted almonds, and serve immediately while maintaining peak temperature and texture.
Notes
- Maximize Bean Freshness: Select vibrant, crisp green beans without blemishes or soft spots for best flavor and texture.
- Master Blanching Technique: Precisely time boiling to 2 minutes, ensuring beans remain bright green and retain satisfying crunch without becoming mushy.
- Toast Almonds Carefully: Watch nuts closely during toasting, as they can quickly burn; remove from heat when golden brown and fragrant to prevent bitter taste.
- Balance Seasoning Subtly: Use sea salt and black pepper sparingly, allowing natural green bean and almond flavors to shine through the dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg