Easy Garlic Green Beans Amandine

Garlic green beans with almonds or amandine is a classic, easy and delicious side dish that cooks in under 20 minutes.

Rich with butter and heady with garlic, and an almond garnish that is often called almondine in the US.

Garlic French Beans with Almonds

Sauteed garlic green beans in plenty of butter with a crunchy, crisp almond topping, c'mon, what's not to love?

Whilst this may seem a little odd to some, the almond garnish is a classic French technique, and it is simply glorious.

It is called amandine, and in American cookbooks, it is often referred to as almondine.

It is a super quick and simple recipe to cook, I do like to blanch the beans first and quench in cold water. I find that it helps retain the colour and gives the beans the best texture.

Even then, this whole dish comes together in 20 minutes at most, which means you can pull it together whilst resting a roasted piece of meat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this be prepared in advance?

Yes, I serve this dish most often alongside roasted meat. As a result, I need it to come together in the 5-20 minutes that it takes to rest a steak or a joint of meat.

To make this happen, I prepare the beans in advance and then quench them in ice-cold water. You can do this a couple of hours in advance.

I also toast my almonds and slice the garlic in advance, again, anywhere up to a couple of hours.

Then all you have to do is saute the garlic and green beans for two or three minutes in butter.

Can I use frozen green beans?

Yes, but I have had mixed results; some frozen green beans can be a bit "soggy".

I avoid blanching frozen green beans and just run them under cold water to defrost them, and then head straight into sauteeing in butter and garlic.

Are there any variations?

Oh yes! Adding different seasonings to tailor this side dish to your main is a great idea!

So if I am serving it with these pan-fried sea bream fillets, I would add a squeeze of lemon juice.

But if I were serving them alongside my veal scallopini then I would add some Parmesan cheese.

Other additions that work well are chilli flakes and thyme, you can even add bacon or some smoked sausage!

Serving Suggestions

These garlic green beans amandine are the perfect side dish for roasted joints of meat like my perfect roast chicken, my garlic lemon chicken breast, chicken breast in tomato sauce or crispy pork belly.

But it works great with smaller sliced meats too. I often serve them with pork chops with blackberry sauce, pork chops with bbq sauce (pictured above) and my pork belly slices.

It also works just as well with fish. They would be great served with a perfectly pan-seared salmon fillet, bacon wrapped monkfish, my roasted hake recipe with cherry tomatoes and capers, and it is pictured below with my baked cod in tomato sauce recipe and also features alongside my orange salmon recipe.

Sticking with the tomato theme, they are also awesome with my chicken in tomato sauce recipe.

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 28cm or 11" skillet or frying pan.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Colander.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups, and spoons.