These lemon-Dijon green beans almondine are quick, flavorful, and easy to make. Butter—optionally browned—plus garlic, lemon, Dijon, and sliced almonds transform fresh green beans into a simple but elegant side you can make ahead for a holiday meal. Originally published October 29, 2018.
Table of Contents
- Green beans almondine
- Why you’ll love these lemon almond green beans
- Green beans almondine recipe ingredients
- How to make green bean almondine
- Green bean almondine recipe tips
- How to Serve Green Beans with Almonds
- More amazing green beans
- Lemon Dijon Green Beans Almondine Recipe
Before we get into the recipe: a quick family moment — my friend’s little boy recently whispered “Jiminy Crickets” after asking whether he could say a “swear” word. It’s the kind of innocent, funny thing that makes parenting memorable.
We had a busy weekend with Halloween celebrations — costumes, parties, and small wins like a contest for Charlotte’s Marie Antoinette outfit. On the practical side, October marks the run-up to holiday cooking season, which means quick, reliable side dishes are especially welcome.
Costumes aside, this green beans almondine is the kind of side dish that’s both weeknight-friendly and elegant enough for Thanksgiving. It’s fast, stores well if made a day or two in advance, and pairs beautifully with roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, or roasted meats.
Fresh green beans make all the difference. This preparation highlights their crisp-tender texture and bright flavor while adding savory and nutty notes from butter, Dijon, garlic, lemon, and almonds.
Green beans almondine
This lemon-Dijon green beans almondine is an easy, elegant vegetable side. It’s ready for weeknights and holiday tables alike: blanch the beans, finish them in butter with garlic, Dijon, lemon, and sliced almonds, and serve warm. The recipe is straightforward, and you can blanch the beans up to two days ahead for stress-free entertaining.
Why you’ll love these lemon almond green beans
Say goodbye to canned green beans. Fresh beans give a crisp, tender bite and a clean green flavor that holds up to bold finishing flavors. A quick toss with lemon zest and juice, a touch of Dijon for tang and depth, garlic for savory aroma, and toasted sliced almonds for crunch makes a vegetable side that’s both healthy and special. It’s simple enough for everyday dinners and appealing enough for holiday spreads.
Green beans almondine recipe ingredients
At a glance — the essentials you’ll need. Full quantities and directions follow in the recipe card below.
- Fresh green beans
- Salted butter
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic
- Lemon (juice and zest)
- Sliced almonds
How to make green bean almondine
The best texture comes from blanching: boil salted water, cook the beans briefly until crisp-tender, then plunge them into an ice bath to arrest cooking and lock in bright color and crunch. After blanching, melt butter (or brown it for a nutty flavor), sauté garlic briefly with Dijon and almonds, add lemon juice and zest, then toss with the beans to coat.
Drain the beans after the ice bath and pat dry. If making ahead, store them layered with paper towels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, briefly rewarm the beans in the butter-and-almond mixture or simply toss the hot butter mixture over freshly blanched beans.
Finish the dish with fresh lemon zest for brightness and toasted almonds for crunch. The preparation is quick and forgiving—brown the butter if you want a deeper, nutty finish, or keep it simple with melted butter for a classic almondine.
Green bean almondine recipe tips
- Salt the blanching water well — it seasons the beans from the inside and enhances their natural flavor.
- Blanch ahead: you can prepare and store blanched, dried beans in the fridge for up to 2 days. Rewarm briefly in the butter mixture before serving.
- Want extra richness? Brown the butter by melting it over medium heat until it smells nutty and turns golden before adding the other ingredients.
How to Serve Green Beans with Almonds
Serve these green beans warm for best texture and flavor. If you blanched them ahead of time, heat them briefly in the pan with the butter-almond sauce just before serving so they’re warm and glossy. These beans pair exceptionally well with mashed potatoes (the browned-butter sauce is delicious on the potatoes), roasted turkey, or any roasted or braised meat.
More amazing green beans
Try other green bean variations such as garlic-roasted green beans with fried sourdough, lemon green beans with feta and fried pecans, or make-ahead green beans with garlicky breadcrumbs and almonds. All bring different textures and flavors while keeping the vegetable the star.
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Lemon Dijon Green Beans Almondine
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, fresh, trimmed
- water and salt, for blanching
- ice bath
- 1/4 cup salted butter (half stick)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 lemon lemon zest
- 1/2 lemon lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of at least 2 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt — it should taste noticeably salty.
- Wash and trim the green beans, removing stem ends. When the water boils, add the beans and cover.
- For make-ahead beans: boil 3–4 minutes until crisp-tender. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Drain the beans and plunge them into the ice bath until they are no longer warm. Drain, pat dry, layer between paper towels, and store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days.
- To serve immediately: boil covered 5–6 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and transfer to the ice bath for about 30 seconds, drain, and keep warm in a serving bowl.
- While beans cook, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. If desired, cook until butter browns and smells nutty for extra depth.
- Zest the lemon, then juice and set aside.
- When butter is melted or browned, stir in the Dijon mustard and garlic. Add the sliced almonds and cook about 1 minute, then add lemon juice.
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle in the lemon zest.
- If the beans have cooled, add them to the pan to warm and toss to coat. Otherwise, drizzle the butter-almond mixture over the beans on a serving platter and toss before serving.