Blistered Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

over head view of charred green beans with almonds on a black plate. A knife and fork beside the plate.

These are not my mum's haricots vert amandine.

by Erin Henderson

My mum loves green beans with almonds. She suggests them for every holiday dinner. And every holiday dinner my sister and I vote her down.

Green beans almondine, or haricots vert amandine, originates from France, likely from Provence, though it’s hard to tell when it came into the culinary fore. The best I can tell is the 1950’s, but even that date is a bit sketchy.

What I do know, is it came into my culinary fore as a child in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. A time when almondine (which just means things served with almonds such as trout or vegetables or anything, really), signified sophisticated dining. To my young palate, it signified boring dining. Steamed green beans with neutral blanched almonds tossed on top, does not a happy five-year-old make.

So, it’s never been my jam. Especially when there are so many other captivating vegetables and preparations to enjoy.

You may also like: Carrots with Pistachio Pesto, Pomegranate, and Lemony Yogurt

But that all changed a few summers ago.

I was vacationing with my family at the cottage. On a day out in the small town nearby, we stopped for lake side drinks and a snack at one of the touristy restaurants lining the strip. Among the items we ordered, were summer-fresh beans, sauteed in brown butter until wrinkly, and confettied with toasted hazelnuts. They were so good: salty and rich with butter, nutty and crunchy with the roast nuts, and soft and squeaky beans seared within an inch of their life.

We went back to the cottage and replicated that same dish for dinner, although with almonds and not hazelnuts. And we’ve been making it ever since.

Blistered Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

Like most of our recipes, this is more of a “use what you have” rather than a dictum of exact portions. Still, what’s proffered below should get you in the ballpark.

I know it seems a bit unneccessary to boil then sauté your beans. All I can tell you is I've tried skipping the boiling step and it's taken longer to cook the beans to the right doneness, and by that time, they're more dried out than I would like. So, I always par-boil. You do you. 

Makes: 1 pound
Chef level: easy

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound fresh yellow or green beans, ends removed
  • 4 Tbsp salted butter
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup almonds
  • Zest of one lemon
How to Make It: 
  1. Set the oven to 325°F
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the almonds in an even layer.
  3. Place the almonds in the oven, shaking and turning the tray occasionally for even toasting, about 8-10 minutes depending on your taste preferences.
  4. Remove from the oven, cool and chop, and set aside.
  5. Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the beans for about a minute to just soften.
  6. Melt the butter in a deep sauté pan until frothy and fragrant.
  7. Add the par-boiled beans, and season gently with salt and pepper, tossing occasionally, allowing to cook until well done and slightly charred in places.
  8. Test for salt and pepper, toss with the chopped almonds, and pour on to a serving plate, along with the melted butter from the pan. Scatter lemon zest on top and serve.

Hear From Real People!

The Wine Sisters are professional and flexible to attend to client needs. They’re able to provide 'one stop shop for events.
I wanted to thank you again for last night. Everyone had a great time, and I received a lot of compliments, on your behalf. You struck a great balance between being informational and entertaining. 10 out of 10.
Great energy, sense of humour and very knowledgeable! Thank you for making it an afternoon to remember!
Everything was perfect and very personalized! We still talk about experience and how nice it was. Definitely memories our family will treasure forever.
You and your team were an absolute pleasure to work with! From the get go, you were very flexible with our needs, communicated in a timely manner, and tailored your services to be exactly what we asked for.
Bravo! You were awesome and I loved the presentation, explanation and selection of wines! I just had to reach out and thank you for a wonderful evening. You two are fabulous – great energy and you really like what you do.  You make tasting wine fun!
The event was a huge success! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the group was quite engaged. The wine was also delicious! Thank you so much! I hope we can work together on another event in the future!
Thank you very much for your services. Everyone had a fantastic time and loved everything! Thank you again for a successful event and making me look oh so good.
Thank you very, very, very much for the outstanding planning and support you gave in making this event an absolute success. People were just having a fantastic time and the set-up and style were absolutely brilliant. I think we got what we exactly wanted. I will reach out again!
I’m really pleased with how the event went. Everyone feels really happy with your incredible hosting skills and experience. We all DEFINITELY want to use The Wine Sisters again! Thank you so much!!

Instagram Feed

Follow on Instagram

For support issues or any questions, please email us at drinkwithus@thewinesisters.com

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to be the first to know about our wine recommendations, cocktail recipes, and great tips for throwing fabulous parties.