Easy Make Ahead Green Beans Almondine Recipe
Green beans almondine made completely ahead of time — caramelized shallots, toasted almonds, garlic, and fresh lemon over tender French green beans. Assemble it fully, refrigerate, and reheat in the oven when you're ready to serve. The side dish that makes you look like you tried way harder than you did.
Servings: 6
Calories: 116kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb French green beans (regular green beans will also work)
- 1/2 cup almonds (slivered or sliced )
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 shallots (sliced)
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- ¼ lemon (juiced)
- 1 dash of salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and cut off both ends of 1 lb French green beans.
- Steam them in a pot over medium heat. You can place them in boiling water as well. Cook until they are almost done. Remove the tender green beans from the pot and place on paper towels.
- Heat a cast iron skillet (or regular skillet if you don't have one) to medium.
- Place the 1/2 cup almonds (slivered or sliced) in the pan and cook until golden brown and they start to make a popping sound. Stir frequently.
- Remove the almonds from the pan and add in 1 tbsp unsalted butter.
- Place 2 shallots in the pan and cook until caramelized.
- Add the green beans into pan with the sautéed shallots and stir until combined and the green beans are heated.
- Add in 2 cloves crushed garlic and cook about 2-3 minutes. You want to add the garlic in at the end so that it doesn't burn, which created an incredibly bitter flavor.
- Once it is cooked add in a squeeze of ¼ lemon I say ¼ of a lemon (juiced), but you can start there and stir it in. If it needs a little bit more you can squeeze in more.
- Finally, toss in the slivered almonds and stir together. I keep a dish of sea salt mixed with pepper by my stove and this is where i grab a pinch and sprinkle it on top. The best way to finish any dish is with 1 dash of salt and pepper to taste.
- This is what makes the dish a make ahead side dish. Serve the green beans on an oven safe serving platter. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator. To reheat, turn the oven up to 350℉ and place the dish in the oven. Cook about 10-15 minutes until heated through.
Notes
Make ahead: Cook the full dish, transfer to an oven-safe serving dish, cover with foil, and refrigerate. Reheat at 350°F for 10–15 minutes. The beans will be slightly less vibrant in color but the flavor is completely unaffected.
Garlic tip: Always add the garlic last — after the green beans are already heated through. Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Two to three minutes over medium heat is all it needs.
Almond tip: Toast the almonds in a dry pan and watch them closely. They pop when they're done. Remove immediately — they continue to brown from the residual heat of the pan.
Cast iron note: A well-seasoned cast iron skillet needs no added oil. If using a regular skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil before the shallots.
Gluten-free, vegetarian, low-carb as written. That is why I love this recipe!
Nutrition
Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 281mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 581IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg