Green beans need very little: salted boiling water, a short cook, and something good to toss them in. Here that is garlic, butter, toasted almonds and a squeeze of lemon.

Cook the beans until they are bright green and just tender, with a little bite left. They soften further in the hot butter, so drain them early rather than late.

The recipe

Garlic butter green beans with almonds

4 side servings · 20 minutes total · Metric measurements

Ingredients

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Method

  1. Toast the almondsPut the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan often, until golden. Tip out immediately so they do not keep browning.
  2. Cook the beansBring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook for 3-4 minutes until bright green and just tender. Drain well.
  3. Make the garlic butterMelt the butter in the same frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
  4. Toss togetherAdd the drained beans to the pan and toss for 1 minute to coat. Take off the heat, add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and most of the almonds, and toss again.
  5. ServeTip into a serving dish and scatter over the remaining almonds and the lemon zest if using.

Small details that help

  • Flaked almonds go from golden to burnt in seconds. Tip them out of the pan as soon as they colour.
  • If the garlic starts to brown, take the pan off the heat; bitter garlic will carry through the dish.
  • For a dinner party, boil the beans a few hours ahead and cool them. Reheat for a minute in the garlic butter just before serving.

Swaps and variations

Frozen green beans work well; cook them for 1-2 minutes longer straight from frozen. Swap almonds for toasted hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds, and add a pinch of chilli flakes with the garlic for gentle heat.

What to serve with it

Serve next to roast chicken, salmon or a traybake, with buttery potatoes or rice.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F) and use within 2 days. Reheat in a pan until steaming at 74°C / 165°F throughout; the almonds soften on reheating, so keep a few back to scatter fresh.

Food-safety reference: safe cooking and reheating temperatures. Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 4°C / 40°F or below.

Common questions

Fresh or frozen beans?

Both are good. Fresh beans keep a little more bite; frozen beans are already trimmed and cook straight from the freezer.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Yes. Use olive oil instead of butter and add a little extra lemon zest for richness.

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