Flavorful and healthy Green Beans Almondine is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any meal of the year! Fresh crisp string beans are sautéed with olive oil, seasoning, garlic, and balsamic vinegar, & topped with toasted almond chips.
Enjoy this easy 20-minute recipe in your Instant Pot or stove!
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This String Bean Almondine recipe is a great low-calorie, low-carb side dish that will compliment your dinner spread, without sending you into a food coma.
And it makes for a delicious Thanksgiving side dish that's quick and easy to make.
I use olive oil and a touch of butter to saute steamed green beans. That combination gives me the same buttery-rich taste with half the calories.
And the toasted almonds on top just add so much flavor and richness to the dish, you'll never have to feel guilty about going for seconds... or thirds for this one 🙂
What is Green Beans Almondine?
Almondine, pronounced as Amandine in French, is a classic cooking method of sautéing in butter and seasoning and garnishing with toasted almond chips.
Basically, it's a fancier name for a delicious sautéed veggie side. This recipe is a great way to jazz up fresh green beans for Thanksgiving, any holiday meal, or even for weeknights.
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
- Green Beans: String beans are my first choice for this recipe. However, you can also use french beans if you like.
- Seasoning: salt and pepper is all we need to season the beans.
- Butter and Oil: A combination of these adds the perfect amount of richness with flavor.
- Balsamic Vinegar: The acid cuts the richness from butter and adds a sweet flavor.
- Almonds: Thinly sliced almond chips add a final crunch and the grand finale.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Green Beans Almondine
This delicious side dish comes together in 2 simple steps- steam the green beans, then saute them. Let's take a look at the steps more closely:
Step 1: Steam Instant Pot Green Beans:
- Add 1 cup water in the Instant Pot inner pot (add 2 cups if using the 8 qt). Place the washed and trimmed green beans on the steamer basket. Place the basket in the Instant Pot. (pic 1 & 2)
- Close the lid. Press 'Steam' or 'Pressure Cook' for '0' mins. '0' minute is perfect when you want the green beans to have a little crunch after cooking. For softer beans, increase the time to 1 or 2 minutes. (pic 3)
- As soon as the cooker beeps, manually release pressure (QR), by turning the vent to 'Venting' position in the DUO, and pressing down the pressure release button in the ULTRA. Remove the beans and discard the water. (pic 4)
Step 2: Saute & Finish
- Turn on Saute mode in Instant Pot, medium heat. When it displays 'hot', add a teaspoon of olive oil and roast almond chips for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Remove the almonds on a plate immediately to prevent over-toasting. (pic 5)
- Add the remaining olive oil, butter, and garlic and saute for 3--45 seconds. (pic 6)
- Add the steamed green beans along with seasoning and saute for 1 minute. Cancel Saute. Add a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar and toss till all beans get coated. Serve on a platter. Top with roasted almond chips. (pic 7 & 8)
15-Minute Stovetop Recipe
- Heat a wide skillet on medium heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and roast almond chips or slivered almonds for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Add olive oil and chopped garlic. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the beans, and seasoning and saute for one minute.
- Add ¼-1/2 cup water and cover the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or till the green beans cook to your desired texture.
- Remove the lid. If the water hasn't evaporated till now, continue to saute a bit more. Add a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar and toss all the beans till they get coated in it. Turn off the heat. Serve the green beans hot, and top them with the toasted almond chips.
Serving Suggestion
These green beans pair great with all kinds of proteins and entrees. Here are some of my favorites:
Storage and Reheating
Store the leftover green beans in any airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, microwave leftover for 30-45 seconds until warmed through.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Use fresh green beans: Fresh beans retain a nice crispness even after sauteing, which is hard to replicate in frozen beans.
- To reheat green beans and almondine, simply microwave leftover for 30-45 seconds until warmed through.
- If you don't have balsamic vinegar, replace that with fresh lemon juice.
More Instant Pot Side-Dishes for your Table
- Garlic Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
- Honey-Glazed Carrots
- Parmesan Roasted Potatoes
- Cranberry Sauce
- Spicy Bombay Potatoes
- Spicy mac and Cheese
- Cranberry Orange Cornbread
- Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
- Pumpkin Spice Cornbread
- Find more recipes for must-have Thanksgiving side dishes
📖 Recipe
Green Beans Almondine - Instant Pot & stovetop
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Ingredients
Steam Green Beans
- 1 lb. green beans washed and trimmed
- 1 cup water (Instant Pot method) ¼-1/2 cup (Skillet Method)
Saute Beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon butter (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Add water in the Instant Pot inner pot. Place the washed and trimmed green beans on the steamer basket. Place the steamer basket in the Instant Pot. Close the lid. Press 'Steam' or 'Pressure Cook' for '0' mins. When the time is up, manually release pressure (QR), remove the beans, and discard the water.
- Turn on Saute mode in Instant Pot, medium heat. When it displays 'hot', add a teaspoon of olive oil and roast almond chips or slivered almonds for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. Remove the almonds on a plate. You can skip the oil and dry roast them too.
- Add olive oil, butter, garlic, green beans, and seasoning. Saute for 1 minute. Turn off SAUTE. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and toss till all beans get coated.
- Serve on a platter. Top with roasted almond chips.
Stovetop Recipe
- Heat a wide skillet on medium heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and roast almond chips or slivered almonds for 30 seconds, stirring continuously. You can skip the oil and dry roast them too. Remove the almonds on a plate.
- Add olive oil and chopped garlic. Saute the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the beans, seasoning and saute for one minute.
- Add ¼-½ cup water and cover the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or till the green beans cook to your desired texture.
- Remove the lid. If the water hasn't evaporated till now, continue to saute a bit more. Add a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar and toss all the beans till they get coated in it. Turn off the heat. Serve the green beans hot, and top them with the toasted almond chips.
Notes
- Use fresh green beans: Fresh beans retain a nice crispness even after sauteing, which is hard to replicate in frozen beans.
- To reheat green beans and almondine, simply microwave leftover for 30-45 seconds until warmed through.
- If you don't have balsamic vinegar, replace that with fresh lemon juice.
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated in 2020 with detailed instructions and process shots for each instruction.
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