Haricot Vert (haar-ca-vert) is the French term for long, slender green beans. “Haricot” means “bean” and “vert” means green in French. Although you could harvest most other green bean varieties early in an attempt to emulate these skinny green beans, it’s not the best idea. Haricot Verts are not the same as immature green beans. They have a full green bean flavor early in their development and are tender and thin. Common green beans, on the other hand, are much thicker and not as tender until the later stages of growth.

Haricot Vert Almondine – Green Beans with Almonds

This easy to prepare classic can effortlessly accompany most any dish in need of the crisp crunch of tender green beans. Toasted almonds, gently touched by garlic and butter, take this dish to another level.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: French, Northeastern France

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Plastic freezer bags
large frying pan

Ingredients

1 lb Haricots verts (fresh or frozen) or fresh green beans
1 pinch Kosher salt
3 tbsp Unsalted butter
3 oz Slivered almonds
2 Cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 Medium shallot, sliced thin (2 tbsp onion OK)
1½ tbsp Fresh squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare Beans – Fill a large bowl with water and ice in the sink. Put ¼ cup tap water in a ziploc bag along with 1 tbsp salt and the beans. Seal ¾ of the way, put on a plate and microwave for 3-4 minutes. Immediately drain and toss into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and turn bright green.
Prepare Almonds & Sauce – In a medium skillet, cook butter and almonds over medium heat. Stir often until almonds turn golden brown. Stir in garlic and shallot and cook until lightly browned, another 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and 2 tbsp of water. Turn heat to high and stir aggressively for about 30 seconds to emulsify. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper.
Add beans to pan and toss with sauce. Move pan to medium heat and cook to heat through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Notes

Everything but the final reheating – assembly part can be done days in advance. Put beans back in a plastic bag and keep sauce in a small covered bowl. Put both in the refrigerator. To finish, reheat sauce with a tbsp water mixed in until sauce forms again, the continue with directions.