French green beans with toasted almonds is the perfect side dish. Ready in just 15 minutes this dish will wow all of your guests at your next holiday dinner.
Green beans are a very versatile vegetable, and this version with toasted almonds is the way to showcase that.
This dish of roasted green beans with toasted almonds is equally perfect as a side for a weeknight dinner as it is for your next holiday meal with the whole family.
The simplicity of this dish makes it an easy last-minute add-on. The flavours, on the other hand, will make you look like a real chef.
Preparing Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Ingredients
Green beans: Green beans are young pods picked before the beans inside mature. They are long and skinny and differ from other beans in that the pods and
the beans are eaten together, as opposed to just the bean.
Almonds: Often grouped in the nut category, almonds are actually a seed of the almond tree. They are in a shell that is removed to expose the edible seed. They are high in protein, fiber, unsaturated fats and vitamin E making them a very healthy choice.
Olive oil: I use olive oil for this recipe because of its mild flavour. Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives. The least processed is extra virgin olive oil, which I use in this recipe.
How to Make Green Bean with Toasted Almonds
Since there are only 4 ingredients in this green bean dish you can imagine that it’s quite simple to make.
Step 1: Prep the ingredients
Start by chopping the almonds if you are using whole ones. If you have sliced almonds then no prep is required.
Next, wash and trim the green beans. I use French beans which are usually trimmed.
Step 2: Roast the Green Beans
Now it’s time to heat up the oil. I like to heat it up on medium-high heat to get a bit of char on the beans. But we will be cooking them on medium heat so they don’t burn.
Once the oil is hot, turn the heat down to medium and add the beans to the pan. Using tongs, toss them in the oil to coat evenly coat them. Roast for about 5 minutes tossing once halfway through. This should brown the beans well.
To make sure the beans are perfectly cooked, add a ¼ cup of water to the pan and cover it with a lid. This will steam the beans a bit giving them the perfect texture on the inside.
Now remove the lid, add the almonds and salt and toss everything once again. Sauté everything for another 3-4 minutes just to toast the almonds.
TIP: If you are using sliced almonds keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn. Hand-chopped whole almonds will take longer to cook than pre-sliced almonds.
Storing Roasted Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
This dish is best served fresh however I do often resort to making it ahead and reheating it. When storing leftover green beans, put them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week.
TIP: If you are going to make this dish ahead of time, you can skip the steaming step in the instructions and reheat the beans in a pan when you are ready to serve. This will ensure that they are not overcooked and taste freshly made.
I usually make this dish ahead of time for holiday meals as a side dish if I am making many different varieties of sides.
I am also lazy with reheating and like to use the microwave which by the way works very well. So, after storing your green beans in an airtight container in the fridge, to reheat, move the beans to a microwave-safe dish and reheat for 45 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the quantity that you are reheating.
Serving Roasted Green Beans with Toasted Almonds.
Remove the beans from the pan and serve immediately. You can serve them on the side of any meat and potato dish like our tender chicken breast in. mushroom sauce with simple mashed potatoes. Or add them to a delicious lunch bowl to make an easy Niçoise salad.
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French Green Beans with Toasted Almonds Recipe
Equipment
- Large pan (11-inch)
- Knife
Instructions
- Start by chopping the almonds.2-3 tbsp almonds
- Next, wash and trim the beans if they are not already cleaned up.400 g French green beans
- Now, add the oil to a large pan and heat it on medium-high heat.1 tbsp olive oil
- Once hot, turn the heat down to medium and add the beans to the pan. Toss the beans in the oil and sauté for about 5 minutes tossing halfway.400 g French green beans
- Add ¼ cup of water and cover with a lid.¼ cups water
- Once the water has fully evaporated, add the salt and almonds and sauté tossing occasionally for another 3-4 minutes.¼ tsp salt, 2-3 tbsp almonds
