It finally is beginning to feel a little like spring as we make these Green Beans with Almonds. ” Green Bean Almondine ” was also one of the first things we tried during our visit to Paris a few years back and also a first, where Dad said ‘if Green Beans are cooked like this, I can have them everyday’ (lol..he didn’t know it would be a reality soon)
What is Green Beans with Almonds or Green Beans Almondine?
It’s fresh French Green Beans, blanched and then cooked in a buttery – lemony almond mix along with caramelized onions and garlic. They can also be made using Canned Green Beans or Frozen Green Beans but then we don’t blanch them as they are already cooked and tender. In other words, this recipe is Fingerlicking Addicting !!
Now, we have all cooked Green Beans before and If like me, you also wondered ‘Why can’t they look as green and tender as in Restaurants’? The answer is a cooking process/technique called ‘Blanching’ and also the first step of our recipe.
Blanching the Green Beans
Blanching means cooking something in boiling hot water for a few minutes and then transferring the cooked ingredient to a bowl of chilled water/ice to completely stop the cooking process. This not only cooks the ingredient but also retains the color + tenderness. I’m using French Green Beans (with ends off), also known as ‘Haricots Vert’, they are thin and tender. Hence, I’m only going to boil it for 2 minutes (if using regular green beans, you can boil it for 3 minutes max)
Once the beans are cooked for 2 minutes, then I transfer them in a large bowl filled with ice+water. This immediately stops the cooking process and helps green beans retain their bright green color.
Then you transfer the blanched beans to a separate bowl or kitchen towel for later use. And, we are halfway through our recipe 🙂
Caramelized Onion and Buttery Almonds
Once the green beans are blanched, we are ready for the next and final step, caramelizing the onions in a buttery – lemony mix along with garlic. Then sauteing the blanched green beans, adding toasted almonds and simply sauteeing everything one last time for that buttery luscious taste.
Serving the Green Beans with Almonds
The Green Beans with Almonds recipe or Green Beans Almondine recipe takes 15 minutes and makes a perfect side or even an entree. We usually like to make a big bowl of these beans and serve with toasted baguette or even sourdough bread. I even like to serve it as a side to any pasta dish or meaty recipes
Storing the Green Beans in the Fridge:
These can be stored in an air-tight container and kept in the fridge for upto 2 days. Since they are already tender and buttery, I would not store them longer.
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Blanch The Beans:
If you are using French Beans / Haricots Verts, you need to boil them for 2 minutes as they are already tender. If using regular Green Beans, boil for 3 minutes to make them tender. If using Canned / Frozen Beans, DONOT Boil as they are already cooked and tender.
