Green Beans with Almonds and Bacon

Green Beans with Almonds and Bacon or, in French culinary terms, haricots verts amandine aux lardons.

This is one of those side dishes I could happily eat as a meal on its own. It starts with thin French-style green beans, often sold in the U.S. as haricots verts. While the name simply means “green beans” in French, it usually refers to beans that are longer, thinner, and more tender than the canned green beans many of us grew up with.

The beans are cut into bite-sized pieces and sautéed with onions until soft, then finished in the same pan with garlic, bacon, and sliced almonds cooked until golden. The result is a savory, textured side dish that pairs especially well with roast turkey, prime rib or other holiday mains, but is simple enough to make any time of year.

Estimated Nutritional Information

Allergen note: Almonds are a tree nut and a common allergen. This dish can be made without the almonds by simply omitting them, resulting in a straightforward green bean sauté with onions and bacon. Additionally, this recipe uses all ingredients that happen to be naturally gluten free with no added fillers or thickeners that contain gluten. 

The provided nutritional information has been compiled from various online sources and should be regarded as an estimate. Actual nutritional values may vary based on factors such as specific ingredients used, variations in portion sizes, and individual preparation methods. It is advisable to consider these numbers as general guidelines rather than precise measurements. For accurate nutritional information, it is recommended to consult with a registered dietitian or utilize specialized nutritional analysis tools based on the exact ingredients and quantities used in your preparation.

• Serving Size: Makes approximately 6 servings

• Calories: 262

• Protein: 8 g

• Fat: 21 g

• Net Carbohydrates: 9 g

  
  

Ingredients

• 1 lb Green Beans (Haricots Verts preferred)

• 1 Medium onion, sliced

• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1/2 lb of bacon, cut into small pieces

• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds

• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

• Cooking oil, to prevent sticking in the pan

Instructions- Green Beans with Almonds and Bacon

A note on cooking fats:

Traditionally, this dish starts by rendering bacon in the pan and using the bacon fat to cook the vegetables. The bacon is removed partway through and added back at the end. In this version, leftover cooked bacon is used instead, so olive oil and butter are used to sauté the onions and green beans, with the bacon added at the end to warm through. Both approaches produce the same finished dish, with this version offering a practical way to utilize leftovers.

Preparation: 

Green beans are the main vegetable in this dish. It is designed for fresh green beans, which are sautéed and cooked down in the pan. If you are using canned green beans, keep in mind that they are already fully cooked and packed in liquid, so they only need to be warmed through at the end rather than cooked from raw. 

To prep the beans, start by gathering a small handful and lining them up so the ends are even on one side. Slice off the tips to remove any stems or tough ends. Flip the bundle around, line up the opposite ends, and trim again. Once trimmed, cut the beans into manageable bite-sized pieces. Repeat until the entire package is processed, or you have about 1 pound of prepared green beans.

This recipe uses one medium onion. Start by trimming off the stem and root ends, then cut the onion in half and peel away the skin. Place each half flat-side down on the cutting board and slice into thin strips.

How you slice the onion is a matter of preference. Cutting along the natural ribs will help the slices hold their shape and texture as they cook. Slicing across the grain will cause the onion to break down more, resulting in a softer, more jammy texture. Either approach works well in this dish.

Trim the hard root ends from the garlic cloves. Place each clove on the cutting board and use the flat side of a knife to gently smash it, which loosens the skin and makes it easy to remove. Once peeled, finely mince the garlic.

If you prefer, a garlic press can be used instead. Simply trim and peel the cloves, then press the garlic directly into the pan when called for in the recipe.

This recipe uses pre-cooked bacon. To prepare it, simply chop the slices into small, bite-sized pieces. The bacon will be added at the end of cooking to warm through and distribute evenly throughout the dish. If starting with raw bacon instead, see the note at the beginning of the method.

Cooking:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a generous drizzle of olive oil and a knob of butter. When the fat is hot, add the green beans and sliced onions to the pan, they should make a sizzling sound when they hit the oil.

Season with a generous pinch of salt and toss to coat the vegetables evenly in the oil and butter. For this dish, we use a roasted black garlic sea salt, but any salt that you have should work.

Once the green beans and onions have reached this stage, add the sliced almonds. Toss to combine, making sure the almonds are lightly coated in fat. If they look dry, add a bit more olive oil or butter to the pan.

Continue cooking until the almond slices begin to show color. They will gradually darken and take on the same golden, caramelized tones as the onions and green beans.

To finish the dish, add the minced or pressed garlic along with the chopped bacon. Toss everything together to distribute the ingredients evenly. The garlic will cook very quickly, and since the bacon is already cooked, it only needs to be heated through.

After a minute or two, the garlic will become very fragrant, this is known as blooming. Once the garlic has bloomed, remove the pan from the heat to prevent it from burning. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Depending on the saltiness of the bacon, additional salt may not be necessary, although we finished this specific dish with another sprinkle of roasted black garlic sea salt.

These green beans with almonds and bacon are best served immediately while still hot, but leftovers will keep well refrigerated for a couple of days. They pair especially well with autumn and winter meals, making them a natural fit alongside roasted turkey, ham, or rib roast on a holiday table.

For more vegetable-forward sides suited to holiday meals and cold-weather cooking, you might also enjoy our Air Fryer Roasted Beets with Lemon & Thyme or Braised Pearl Onions.