By: Jill Mills Posted: Aug 31, 2026

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These Green Beans Almondine are a quick and easy side dish made with tender crisp green beans, buttery shallots, and toasted almonds. Finished with fresh lemon and garlic, they’re light, flavorful, and perfect for any weeknight or holiday meal.

Almondine (or amandine in French) simply means almond garnish, so green beans almondine is just a fancy way to say “green beans with almonds”. It’s a French side dish and sometimes appears on fancy restaurant menus, but it’s truly so simple to make.

While the simplest versions are just green beans and almonds sauteed in butter, my version is slightly fancier with shallots, garlic, and lemon juice. The light, earthy flavor of the shallots and the tender texture pair so nicely with the crisp green beans, and that final squeeze of lemon juice truly makes all of the flavors pop. Fresh green beans are a must here, so I love making this during the summer when I can grab them at the local farmer’s market.

Green beans almondine are a great alternative to green bean casserole on the holiday dinner table, but we love them for casual dinners, too. It’s currently a three-way tie between these, Chinese green beans, and sauteed green beans as my family’s favorite green bean side.

Why Green Beans Almondine Make Such A Great Side

Simple yet elegant. Green beans almondine are one of those side dishes that appear fancy and elegant yet are truly so easy and simple to make. It’s a great way to dress up any dinner and works just as well for special occasions as busy weeknights.
Fresh ingredients. The primary ingredients in this recipe are fresh green beans and shallots, plus the almonds and a bit of garlic and lemon juice. I love that it uses fresh ingredients that I can find year-round, though it’s extra perfect in the summer months.
Ready in 20 minutes. From start to finish, including the time needed to blanch the green beans, this recipe takes less than 20 minutes. That’s part of the reason I make them so frequently for weeknights!
Vegan & vegetarian. While no one in my immediate family is vegetarian or vegan, some of our friends are, and this is one of the dishes I like to prepare when they come over. As written, this recipe is vegetarian, but swapping the butter for vegan butter would make it completely vegan with no change to the flavor.

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make green beans almondine

What You’ll Need

This French side dish is made with just a handful of fresh ingredients. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the exact measurements.

Fresh green beans – French green beans are ideal as they aren’t as chewy as other types of string beans. You can often find them already trimmed at the grocery store. During the summer, I love to grab beans at the local farmer’s market instead. Just trim the ends off when washing them.
Salt – The water for blanching the green beans is heavily salted, making them even more flavorful, and a small amount is added later as well.
Shallots – Shallots are preferred to onions here because they have a softer, more subtle flavor that doesn’t over-power the taste of the beans. Be sure to slice them as thinly as possible.
Salted butter – The shallots are sauteed in salted butter for richness and flavor.
Sliced almonds – Use regular unsalted almonds that aren’t toasted.
Garlic – Freshly minced garlic adds even more flavor to the beans.
Lemon juice – Even though it’s just a small amount, I highly recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice. It brightens and elevates the dish with a pop of citrus flavor.

How To Make Green Beans Almondine

Though it looks and sounds fancy, these green beans are incredibly easy to make. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Blanch the green beans. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes, until tender crisp. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Saute the shallots. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots. Cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.

Fresh green beans and shallots in a skillet

Overhead view of green beans almondine in a skillet

Add the beans. Increase the heat a bit. Add the blanched and drained green beans, almonds, salt, and pepper. Toss with tongs for about 2 minutes, until the green beans are blistered.
Finish with lemon and garlic. Add the lemon juice and garlic to the pan. Toss for an additional minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Tricks

With a recipe as simple as this green beans almondine recipe, the little things matter. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Don’t skip blanching. This will cook the green beans about halfway and help them keep their vibrant green color.
Use salted water. Generously salting the water before blanching the beans ensures they are super flavorful inside and out. Don’t skip it!
Do not overcook the beans. Boil them until just crisp tender. You should be able to bite through them, but they should squeak a bit between your teeth. It’s better to undercook them a bit than to overcook them, as they can turn mushy in the pan.
Drain very well. When draining the beans, give them a good rinse with very cold water to stop the cooking process. Then, drain them very well. Let them sit in the colander for a few minutes or use a paper towel if needed.
Wait to add the garlic. Add the garlic just in the last minute or so of cooking. If it’s added sooner, it will burn and ruin the entire dish.

What To Serve Them With

Green beans almondine is one of those side dishes that works for fancier special occasion dinners, holidays, and casual family dinners because, while it looks elegant, it’s so simple to make.

For special occasions, it pairs beautifully with a rack of lamb, beef tenderloin, or sous vide salmon. It also makes a great alternative to green bean casserole when served with Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham.

But, truly, I whip this recipe out more for casual weeknight dinners than anything else, especially to balance richer dishes like smothered pork chops and ham casserole.

Proper Storage