French Style Green Beans (Haricots Verts Amandine)
These French Style Green Beans with Almonds, also known as Haricots Verts Amandine or Green Beans Almondine, are made with tender blanched green beans, sliced almonds toasted in brown butter with shallots, lemon and finished with a touch of parsley.
There are few vegetables that benefit from a little French treatment quite as much as green beans. When they’re blanched until just tender and then tossed with nutty browned butter, toasted almonds, shallots and a touch of lemon, they become something considerably more interesting than an everyday side dish.
The combination of crisp-tender beans, buttery toasted almonds and bright lemon is wonderfully balanced: rich without being heavy, and elegant without being fussy. And the best part is that most of the work can be done ahead of time.
Ingredient Notes:
- Green beans: Slender beans or haricots verts are ideal if you have access to them, but regular fresh green beans work perfectly well. The important thing is to cook them until tender but still slightly crisp.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is best because it gives you control over the seasoning. Browning the butter enhances the characteristic nutty flavor of this dish.
- Almonds: Sliced almonds toast quickly and provide a lovely delicate crunch. You can also use slivered almonds, although they’ll take a little longer to toast.
- Shallot: Shallot adds subtle sweetness and savory depth. If unavailable, use a little sweet onion.
- Lemon: Use both lemon zest and juice for this dish. The zest provides bright citrus flavor, while the juice cuts through the richness of the browned butter.
- Parsley: Fresh flat-leaf parsley adds color and freshness and keeps the finished dish from feeling too rich.
Cooking Tips and Recommendations for Green Beans Almondine
Why Blanch the Green Beans?
- Blanching gives the beans a quick, controlled cook before they go into the skillet. It softens them just enough to make them tender while preserving their fresh flavor and slight crunch.
- It also means the beans don’t have to spend several minutes sautéing in the butter to become tender. That’s important here: we want the browned butter and almonds to coat and flavor the beans, not cook them to the point of softness.
- Start with well-salted, rapidly boiling water. The beans should be cooked until they’re bright green and just tender when pierced with a fork. The exact time will depend on their size; slender haricots verts may need only 3 minutes, while larger beans may take 5 minutes or slightly longer.
Why Use an Ice Bath?
- The ice bath isn’t just about keeping the beans green. It stops the cooking immediately.
- Without it, the beans continue cooking from their residual heat after they’re removed from the boiling water. That can take them from crisp-tender to overcooked surprisingly quickly.
- The ice bath also sets the beans’ color, giving you those beautiful bright-green beans that make the finished dish so appealing.
- Once chilled, drain the beans thoroughly. This is particularly important if you’re preparing them ahead of time: excess water will dilute the browned butter and can cause the beans to steam rather than sauté.
What to Look for When Browning Butter
- Browning butter is easy, but it requires your attention.
- As the butter melts, it will first foam as the water evaporates. Keep cooking over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally. The foam will eventually subside enough for you to see the milk solids collecting at the bottom of the pan.
- You’re looking for those milk solids to turn golden brown, with a warm, nutty aroma. The butter itself will also take on a beautiful amber-gold color.
- This is the point to add the almonds.
- Don’t wait for the butter to become dark brown. The milk solids continue cooking from the residual heat, and there’s a fine line between nutty and bitter. If you see black rather than golden-brown flecks, the butter has gone too far.
Why Toast the Almonds in the Browned Butter?
- Adding the almonds directly to the browned butter allows them to toast while absorbing all that nutty, buttery flavor. They also contribute a little more toasted flavor to the dish as they cook.
- Stir them frequently and watch them closely. Once they’re lightly golden and fragrant, they’re ready for the shallot and garlic.
- Why Add the Lemon at the End?
- Browned butter and almonds are wonderfully rich, but they need a little acidity to keep the dish from feeling heavy.
- Adding the lemon juice after the beans have finished cooking preserves its fresh, bright flavor. The finely grated zest reinforces the citrus without adding too much acidity.
- The result is a much more balanced dish: buttery and nutty, but still fresh-tasting.
Why Finish with Fresh Parsley?
Parsley isn’t just decoration here. Its fresh, slightly peppery flavor provides a final contrast to the richness of the browned butter and almonds. Add it off the heat, along with the lemon, so it retains its fresh flavor and color.
What to serve with French Style Green Beans (Haricots Verts Amandine)
These beans are particularly good alongside roast chicken, turkey, pork, veal or fish. You can try them with my chimichurri roasted chicken, with this Lemon and thyme roasted turkey, or with an apple cider roasted pork loin. They’re also an excellent choice for a holiday meal because the beans can be blanched well ahead of time, leaving only a few minutes of finishing work when dinner is ready.
For a full French style meal, you can start with this salmon tartare as an appetizer, duck breast with cherry sauce for the main course with these green beans on the side, and finish with a decadent molten chocolate cake.
And honestly, they’re good enough to eat straight from the skillet. Tender green beans, crisp toasted almonds and nutty browned butter are a pretty irresistible combination.
How to store any leftovers
Leftover green beans can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. For the best texture, allow the beans to cool before covering and refrigerating. The almonds will naturally soften somewhat during storage, although the dish will still be delicious.
However, if you’re preparing the beans ahead for a dinner party, I recommend blanching the beans in advance and finishing the entire dish just before serving. This gives you much better texture and keeps the almonds crisp.
Reheating Tips
- The stovetop is the best way to reheat these beans. Place them in a skillet over medium-low to medium heat and cook, tossing occasionally, until heated through. If the pan seems dry, add a small knob of butter.
- Avoid microwaving if possible. It will heat the beans, but the almonds will lose their texture and the beans can become softer than intended.
- If you’re reheating leftovers, a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of fresh parsley just before serving will brighten the flavors considerably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely. For the best results, blanch and chill the beans up to 2 days ahead, then drain and dry them thoroughly. Store them refrigerated and finish them in the browned butter shortly before serving.
Can I use slivered almonds?
Yes. Slivered almonds make an excellent substitute for sliced almonds. They are a little thicker, so give them an extra minute or two to toast and watch them carefully so they don’t burn.
Can I use salted butter?
You can, but unsalted butter is preferable because the blanching water is already salted. Using unsalted butter makes it much easier to control the final salt level.
French Style Green Beans (Haricots Verts Amandine)
Ingredients
- 1 lb slender green beans, trimmed 450 g
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 56 g
- ½ cup sliced almonds 50 g
- 1 shallot, finely minced can also use white or yellow onion
- 1 small clove garlic finely minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the green beans and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bright green and crisp-tender.
- Immediately transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain very well.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells distinctly nutty, about 3 to 5 minutes. Don’t walk away at this stage, as the butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt very quickly.
- Add the sliced almonds to the butter and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted.
- Stir in the minced shallot (or onion) and cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Add the blanched green beans and toss thoroughly to coat them in the browned butter. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are heated through.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, and several grinds of black pepper. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
- Transfer the beans to a serving dish, making sure to spoon all those lovely toasted almonds and browned butter over the top.
Photos of the step by step preparation process for French Style Green Beans (Haricots Verts Amandine):
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