Brown Butter Green Beans Almondine

When I mentioned recently to my daughter-in-law, Lindsay, that I wanted to create a new holiday side dish, she immediately said, "Something green would be great!" I thought about it and she was right; we have a lot of recipes featuring carrots, sweet potatoes and butternut squash, so a pop of fresh color would be a welcome addition. That's when the idea for this Brown Butter Green Beans Almondine recipe was born.

My version of this French-inspired recipe (Haricots Verts Amandine in French) features tender green beans tossed in nutty brown butter with toasted almonds, shallots, and a bright hint of lemon. It can be prepped ahead and comes together in just minutes before serving, a perfect balance of elegance and ease for dinner parties and holiday meals.

Brown Butter

If you're not familiar with brown butter, you're in for a treat! It's one of the simplest ways to add a layer of rich, complex flavor to just about anything. So what exactly is it? Brown butter is simply butter that's melted on the stovetop, then slowly cooked until the water evaporates and the milk solids begin to caramelize. The result is a beautiful golden butter with a deep, nutty aroma and flavor.

Browning butter is a classic French culinary technique known as beurre noisette, which literally translates to "hazelnut butter." The name perfectly captures its warm, nutty taste... almost as if the butter has been gently toasted. French chefs use it in all kinds of dishes, both sweet and savory, to add incredible depth and flavor.

The experts at King Arthur Baking Company describe brown butter as "butter on steroids," and they're right! It takes something already wonderful and transforms it into something extraordinary. That's exactly what happens in this Brown Butter Green Beans Almondine recipe... the brown butter brings a crazy-delicious flavor to every bite.

Here's what you'll need for this Brown Butter Green Bean Almondine recipe

A short ingredient list keeps this recipe simple, but each one adds its own layer of flavor, buttery, nutty, and bright!

• 1 pound fresh French green beans (also called haricots verts)
• 3 tablespoons butter (I use salted butter.)
• 1 medium shallot
• red pepper flakes
• salted almonds (I use Blue Diamond Lightly Salted Almonds
• kosher salt and pepper
• lemon juice and zest

Prep Ahead

This recipe is wonderfully make-ahead friendly! You can cook the green beans until they're crisp-tender right in the microwave.

Just place them in a microwave-safe bowl with a few teaspoons of water, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Once done, spread them out on a clean kitchen towel to cool.

The almonds can also be chopped in advance. I like to seal them in a ziplock bag and gently crush them with a meat mallet or the bottom of a small heavy pan... easy and no mess!

You can even chop the shallot ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you're ready to pull everything together.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve these Easy Green Beans Almondine straight from the pan for a casual, family-style presentation- they'll look beautiful glistening in that buttery almond sauce.

Or, for a holiday meal or special occasion, transfer them to your prettiest platter and spoon the golden almonds and brown butter over the top.

Either way, they make a fresh, elegant side that pairs beautifully with roasted meats, poultry, or seafood, a simple way to add a little green magic to any meal. I think you'll love how this simple dish adds such a fresh, delicious touch to any meal, with minimal effort and maximum flavor

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Brown Butter Green Beans Almondine

Chris Scheuer

This easy, elegant side dish features tender French green beans tossed in nutty brown butter with toasted almonds, shallots, and a hint of lemon. It's make-ahead friendly and perfect for holidays, dinner parties, or any special meal.

5 from 2 votes

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 6

Calories 147

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

.5x1x2x

To parcook the beans

• 1 pound fresh French green beans, also known as haricots verts
• 2 teaspoons water

For the almonds:

• ½ cup salted whole almonds, I use Blue Diamond Lightly Salted Almonds

For the brown butter

• 3 tablespoons butter

To finish:

• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

 

For the prep

1. Spread a clean kitchen towel out on the counter or a work surface.

For the almonds:

1. Place the almonds in a ziplock bag. Use the smooth side of a meat mallet or the bottom of a small, heavy-duty pan to roughly crush them (don't make them too fine). Set aside. ½ cup salted whole almonds

For the beans

1. Place the beans and 2 teaspoons of water in a medium-large, microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and microwave for 4 minutes. Using pot holders, carefully remove the bowl (it will be hot!) and lift off the plastic wrap. Test one of the beans - it should be crisp-tender to your liking. If it's still too firm, cover again and microwave for another 1-2 minutes. 1 pound fresh French green beans, 2 teaspoons water
2. Transfer the beans to the prepared towel and spread them out to cool.
3. If you're prepping ahead, let the beans cool to room temperature, then wrap them in paper towels and refrigerate in a ziplock bag. When ready to finish, remove them from the fridge and continue with the recipe.

For the brown butter:

1. Place the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat and let it melt. Once melted, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally. The butter will gently sizzle and turn golden. When the sizzling subsides and you catch that nutty aroma, the brown butter is ready (about 5-6 minutes total). 3 tablespoons butter

To finish:

1. Add the chopped shallots and red pepper flakes to the brown butter and cook for 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the crushed almonds and continue to cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. 1 medium shallot
2. Add the prepared green beans and toss with tongs until heated through. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice, then toss again to coat. (It's normal for the almonds to gather at the bottom of the pan.) ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, Finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3. Try one bean and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

To serve:

1. Transfer to a serving platter and spoon the buttery almond mixture from the bottom of the pan over the top. Serve and enjoy! You can also serve the beans right from the pan - just spoon some of that nutty deliciousness from the bottom over the top for a beautiful presentation.

Nutrition

Calories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 245mgPotassium: 270mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 722IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 1mg

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French-Inspired

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