Green Beans With Almonds and Thyme

EASY Green Beans, blanched then sautéed in butter with thyme and toasted almonds, SO GOOD! Perfect holiday side

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Published November 24, 2009
Elise Bauer
Green Beans with Almonds and Thyme
Elise Bauer

Green beans are the labradors of the vegetable world, they just seem to get along with everyone! Which is why you will usually find some incarnation of green beans on a holiday dinner menu.

This simple preparation of green beans, with butter, thyme, and toasted almonds, comes from my friend Heidi in Carlisle Mass, and over the years has become one of my favorites.

More Great Recipes for Green Beans!

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Green Beans With Almonds and Thyme

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of (fresh or frozen) green beans, trimmed
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Method

  1. Boil the green beans:

    Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water (1 1/2 teaspoons of salt for every quart of water) until just crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

  2. Shock the green beans in ice water:

    Drain the beans and transfer them to a large bowl of ice water, cooling them completely. (The ice water will shock the beans into a vibrant green color.)

    Drain the beans well. At this point you can make the beans a day ahead and store in refrigerator.

    Alternatively you can steam the beans for 5 minutes and proceed directly to the skillet.

  3. Sauté beans with butter and thyme:

    Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Whisk in half of the fresh thyme (1 Tbsp), the Dijon mustard and garlic salt into the butter.

    Add the beans to the skillet and toss until heated through, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

  4. Sprinkle with toasted almonds:

    and the remaining 1 Tbsp of thyme.