Lemon Garlic Green Beans (Print version)

Bright green beans tossed with garlic, lemon, and toasted almonds for a flavorful side.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
02 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

→ Nuts

03 - 1/4 cup sliced almonds

→ Seasonings & Aromatics

04 - Zest of 1 lemon
05 - 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
06 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

→ Other

08 - 2 tbsp olive oil

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes until bright green and just tender. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to halt cooking. Drain thoroughly.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced almonds and toast for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and fragrant, stirring frequently. Transfer almonds to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
04 - Add the blanched green beans to the skillet. Toss to coat in oil and garlic, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
05 - Incorporate lemon zest, lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Toss thoroughly to combine all flavors.
06 - Remove from heat and sprinkle toasted almonds over the green beans. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in just twenty minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you need something that tastes like you tried harder than you actually did.
  • The combination of bright lemon, nutty almonds, and tender green beans feels elegant enough for company, yet simple enough for a Tuesday night.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and gluten-free, so you'll never feel like you're sacrificing flavor for dietary preferences.
02 -
  • Do not skip the ice water bath after blanching. The residual heat will keep cooking your beans and turn them mushy if you don't. I learned this the hard way with gray-green beans that fell apart on the fork.
  • Toast the almonds before you do anything else with the beans. If you try to multitask, they'll burn in an instant, and there's no recovering from that bitter flavor.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it. It's much harder to zest a juice-squeezed lemon, and you'll waste good zest trying.
  • The entire dish can be prepared up to the point of adding the beans to the skillet hours in advance. This makes it perfect for entertaining because the final steps take less than five minutes.

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