Balsamic Green Beans with Sliced Almonds

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Tasty and easy side dish for any protein
• Delicious way to serve green beans
• Nice textures make the dish shine
• Slightly tangy flavor along with some sweetness from the balsamic vinegar is perfectly balanced

About Balsamic Green Beans

Balsamic glazed green beans make a great side dish for almost any protein, and we absolutely love the flavor that balsamic vinegar imparts on green beans. A good balsamic vinegar can transform nearly any dish from ordinary to extraordinary. That is especially true with these green beans! With a few more additions, like toasted sliced almonds, you’ll have a new favorite preparation for these delicious vegetables.

There are a few keys in the cooking process for green beans to ensure that they don't turn into a mushy undesirable texture. Overcooked green beans are borderline awful (like canned green beans), but there is an easy way to make sure this never happens, and it involves blanching the green beans before adding them to a hot skillet. The result is crisp green beans with the perfect green vibrant color, texture and fresh flavor!

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this green bean side dish recipe:

• Sliced Almonds: Pre-sliced almonds should be easily found at your local grocery store and with a little dry toasting in a pan, their flavor is amplified.
• Green Beans: We use haricots verts, or the skinniest version of green beans you can find (about the diameter of a pencil). Although you can use regular green beans or whatever you like here.
• Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter allows us to control the salt content and use the salt we desire to taste instead.
• Black Pepper: With so few ingredients, cracked black pepper gets a chance to shine here a bit more than usual
• Kosher Salt
• Balsamic Vinegar: Good quality, real balsamic vinegar (12 year aged or more) is perfect here. To make sure you are buying the real-deal balsamic vinegar, look for the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) from Modena, Italy. Yes, it will be a bit more expensive, but the flavor is so much better that it barely compares to other versions and it's worth the extra price!
• Parmesan Cheese: Optional garnish that can make the dish even more decadent

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Sliced Almonds: Slivered almonds or even pecan or walnut pieces, or pine nuts can be substituted
• Black Pepper: This is delicious with white, pink, green or even Szechuan pepper

How to Make Balsamic Green Beans

This is truly a simple recipe to make and it comes together quickly with only a handful of ingredients. It is the perfect side dish for weeknight dinners! Blanching the green beans takes no time and cooking them afterward in the balsamic sauce brings all the flavors together.

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this dish

• Large pot to blanch the beans
• Large skillet to toast the almonds and cook the beans
• Large bowl ​for the ice bath

Step-by-Step Instructions

Dry toast the almonds

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat add the almonds and toast. Toss and stir the almonds often for 2-3 minutes. The almonds will develop some brown color and the aroma is nutty. Remove and set aside once they are slightly browned.

Blanch the green beans

• Bring a large pot of salted water (about 2 tablespoon of salt) to a boil. Add the green beans to the boiling water for 1-2 minutes depending on the thickness of your green beans and the tenderness you prefer. We like them with a bit of crunch so just a couple minutes of blanching achieves this texture. Once done, remove to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process for about 1 minute, then remove to a paper towel lined plate to remove excess water.

Cook the beans

• In the same skillet used for the almonds, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the green beans then the salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 1 minute, then add the almonds and toss to coat. Taste and add additional salt if needed. If desired, sprinkle with some parmesan cheese. Serve with your favorite main course.

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this balsamic green beans recipe:

• Use other green vegetables in place of the beans, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus or even peas. You could even use other fresh vegetables like cauliflower or carrots if desired.
• If you prefer the beans to be cooked even more, like a stewed green bean texture, simply blanch them longer. If you prefer the beans to be very crunchy and almost raw, skip the blanching altogether.

Storage

How to store leftover green beans:

• Store leftover balsamic green beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days

How to reheat leftover green beans:

• Gently warm them in a covered skillet with a little bit of water over medium-low heat until warmed through.

Can you freeze leftover green beans?

Not recommended. These are best enjoyed freshly made.

Troubleshooting

The only thing that may be an issue is burning the almonds, which is easy to do if you don’t pay attention. There is no going back if they burn, so just start over. It only takes a couple of minutes to get this right.

What to serve with Balsamic Green Beans

These can go well with any protein, from fish to beef, pork, chicken or lamb. 

What Wines To Drink with Balsamic Green Beans

Pair your wine with the main dish, not these green beans. But a crisp acidic white wine, such as a dry riesling, goes well with these if serving them with seafood or chicken. A nice Italian red wine, such as a Barolo, is perfect if enjoying this side dish with red meat.