I love these green beans so much! They’re part salad, part veggie side dish, and 100% delicious flavour bomb. I make them whenever I need something green on the table that I know everyone will enjoy — because there’s nothing worse than having sad vegetables drag down a dinner party. Now, I say they’re part salad because the beans are served cold, or room temperature, after getting blanched and submerged in an ice bath. As a host, this is god-tier because having one less thing to reheat before serving is like having a weight lifted off your shoulders.
Equipment
Here’s everything you need to make lemon-y green beans with gruyère and almonds at home:
- medium pot
- chef’s knife
- cutting board
- medium bowl
- box grater
- small bowl and whisk or small jar
- baking sheet
Get the full ingredients list and instructions below!
Cooking Tips
- If you can’t be bothered with the ice bath (don’t worry I’ve been there!) just cook the beans for 30 seconds less than the recipe outlines and run them under cold water after straining. What the ice bath does is stop the beans from cooking so you maintain that bright green colour and slight crunch with each bite. If that’s not important to you, don’t sweat it!
- If gruyère isn’t in the budget, opt for parmesan or aged cheddar, either will be delicious. Same goes for the almonds, if they’re not the vibe, choose something crunchy and nutty that speaks to you! It’s fun to play around with different flavour combinations and both the cheese and nut portions of this recipe are a great opportunity to do that.
- Serve it with… leek and chorizo brioche stuffing, glazed brussel sprouts with bacon or honey-mustard glazed potatoes.
Lemon-y Green Beans with Gruyère and Almonds
The perfect side dish for any dinner party
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Fill a medium pot with water and season generously with 3 tbsp salt. Bring to a boil.
- While you wait, trim the ends of 1 1/2 lbs green beans. Grate enough gruyère to fill 1 cup (if you haven't already!). And make 1 batch lemon-garlic vinaigrette. Set aside.
- Transfer 1/2 cup raw sliced almonds to a baking sheet and bake until light golden brown and toasted, about 10 minutes. Shake the pan and rotate half-way to ensure even browning.
- While that bakes, add the trimmed green beans to the boiling water and turn off the heat. Let the beans cook for 3-4 minutes, or until bright green. While they cook, fill a medium bowl with cold water and 10 ice cubes. When the beans are cooked, but still have a slight crunch, transfer them to the ice bath. Let sit in the cold water for 1-2 minutes, then strain and place them back in the medium bowl.
- Cover the beans in 1 batch lemon-garlic dressing and toss. Transfer the dressed beans to a serving dish and cover with grated gruyère and roasted almonds.