Blistered Green Beans Recipe with Toasted Almonds on Garlic White Bean Purée

This easy blistered green beans recipe with toasted almonds makes a delicious vegetable side dish of fast wok-fried green beans that are only lightly blistered so that they’re still vibrant green and tender but firm. Stir-fried with toasted almonds for a little crunch, the green beans are piled onto a creamy garlic white bean purée for more texture.

Our lightly blistered green beans recipe with toasted almonds will make you one of our best nut recipes and while we love almonds, other nuts would work. It’s a wonderful side and the perfect accompaniment to roasts and braises, such as our juicy braised lemon-garlic chicken recipe, this succulent Spanish style braised chicken with olives and capers, and Italian roast chicken recipe with peppers and leeks.

These blistered green beans are also a brilliant side to pan-roasted brined pork chops, côte de bœuf or chicken cacciatore. If you’re feeding a crowd, add another two or three vegetable side dishes, such as crunchy Hassleback potatoes or creamy mashed potatoes, Italian green beans with a pangrattato of crunchy breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, or roasted broccoli, zucchini and green beans with sesame seeds.

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Looking for more cooking inspiration? We’ve got thousands of recipes in our archives from around the world from places we’ve lived, worked, travelled, and loved. And note that you can save your favourite recipes in a private account by clicking on the heart on the right of the post. Now let me tell you more about this blistered green beans recipe with toasted almonds.

Blistered Green Beans Recipe with Toasted Almonds on Garlic White Bean Purée

Our quick and easy blistered green beans recipe with toasted almonds makes a scrumptious vegetable side dish of fast wok-fried green beans that are just lightly blistered so that they’re still bright green and tender but firm.

Stir-fried with toasted almonds for a little crunch, the green beans are piled onto a creamy garlic white bean purée for even more texture. If you like your vegetables to still taste of vegetables and still be packed with nutrients then this is the technique for you.

If you prefer much softer beans that are olive-coloured or even brown and charred so much that they appear almost burnt, then all you need to do is keep cooking them. If they’re burning too much, keep them moving, and stir-fry continuously.

Tips to Making this Blistered Green Beans Recipe with Toasted Almonds

Just a few tips to making our blistered green beans recipe with toasted almonds for a vegetable side of lightly blistered green beans piled onto garlic white bean purée, as it’s super-easy.

The drained green beans need to be completely dried before you begin, so use a clean cotton tea towel to pat down your washed green beans. If you don’t, they’ll splutter on high heat, which is painful if the oil gets you.

While the beans are drying, make your garlicky butter bean purée. Transfer the drained butter beans, chopped garlic cloves, sea salt, onion powder, and extra virgin olive oil to a blender and blend until you have a fairly smooth consistency. Some lumps are perfectly fine and in my opinion they add texture. Spread it over a large serving plate.

Next you’re going to toast the slivered almonds and for those of you who are new to this, it does not mean that you’re going to literally toast them or even grill them, it means you’re going to brown the slivered almonds in a pan so they’re a little smoky and crunchy.

You’ll use the same large round flat-bottomed wok (or your favourite skillet) that you’re going to use for the green beans, which you’ll set over high heat, pour in a tablespoon of olive oil, and then heat that oil until it’s shimmering.

The second that the oil is shimmering, transfer the almond slivers to the wok, then stir-fry them continuously until the almonds start to change colour, for about a minute or so, more or less. How quickly they brown, depends on whether you’re using a wok or skillet, what they’re made from, and how high your heat is.

Regardless of those factors, as soon as the slivered almonds begin to turn golden brown, make sure to remove the wok (or skillet) from the heat, then slide the almond slivers into a dish. Don’t worry if some slivers of almonds are browner than others, it doesn’t matter. It’s better that they don’t burn.

Next, you’re going to pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into your wok (or skillet) and once it’s shimmering, you’re going to add your green beans. You’ll need to stir-fry the green beans periodically.

Don’t stir-fry the beans continuously, as you do when you normally stir-fry, as you want the beans to remain in one place for a bit so the beans resting on the surface of the wok are there long enough to begin to blister.

I only stir-fry for 2-3 minutes as I’m aiming for bright green tender beans, which are only blistered in parts (as pictured in the images in this post). I don’t like soft beans, and I don’t like beans that are olive-coloured. But that’s just me. If you prefer softer, charred beans that are khaki or brown-coloured beans, continue to stir-fry the beans for 8-10 minutes.

Once the beans are blistered to your liking, remove the wok or skillet from the heat, then season the beans with a pinch of salt (or more if you like), return the slivered almonds to the wok, and stir to combine.

Grab some long tongs and pile the blistered green beans onto the white bean purée to form a little hill, then scrape the remaining slivered almonds from the wok and onto the top of the beans.

Lastly, drizzle on a little extra virgin olive oil, and serve immediately, providing your guests with additional seasonings – sea salt, cracked black pepper, maybe some chilli flakes, perhaps even lemon wedges, or balsamic vinegar. Enjoy!

Blistered Green Beans Recipe with Toasted Almonds on Garlic White Bean Purée

Blistered Green Beans Recipe with Toasted Almonds on Garlic White Bean Purée

AuthorLara Dunston

This speedy blistered green beans recipe with toasted almonds makes a delicious vegetable side dish of fast wok-fried green beans that are only lightly blistered so that they’re still vibrant green and tender but firm. Stir-fried with toasted almonds for a little crunch, the green beans are piled onto a creamy garlic white bean purée for more texture.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Australian, European, Mediterranean

Servings made with recipeServings 4

Calories 248 kcal

Equipment

Flat Bottomed Wok – Carbon Steel

Long Grill Tongs

10 Inch Hybrid Nonstick Frying Pan

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 210 g can butter beans - drained and rinsed
• 3 garlic cloves - roughly chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil - divided
• 3 tbsp almond slivers
• 300 g green beans - trimmed, washed and dried
• 1 pinch of salt - or to taste
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

 

• Use a clean cotton tea towel to pat down your washed and drained green beans so they have completely dried before you begin.
• Make your garlicky butter bean purée first by transferring the drained butter beans, chopped garlic cloves, sea salt, onion powder, and extra virgin olive oil to a blender, blend until you have a fairly smooth consistency, then spread it over a large serving plate.
• To a large wok (or skillet) over high heat, pour in a tablespoon of olive oil and heat the oil until shimmering.
• Add the almond slivers to the wok and continuously stir-fry until they start to change colour, about a minute, more or less. As soon as the almonds turn golden brown, remove the wok from the heat and slide the slivers into a dish. It doesn’t matter if some are browner than others, it’s better that they don’t burn.
• Pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into the wok and when it shimmers add the green beans. Stir-fry the beans periodically, not continuously, as you want the beans to remain in one place long enough to begin to blister.
• Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or so for bright green tender beans, which are only blistered in parts (as pictured). If you prefer softer, charred olive-coloured beans, stir-fry for 8-10 minutes.
• When the beans are blistered to your liking, remove the wok from the heat. Season the beans with a pinch of salt, return the slivered almonds to the wok and stir to combine.
• Use tongs to pile the blistered green beans onto the white bean purée, scrape the remaining almonds onto the top of the beans, drizzle on the extra virgin olive oil, and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.003gSodium: 781mgPotassium: 344mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 518IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 2mg

Please do let us know in the comments below if you make our blistered green beans recipe with toasted almonds as we love hearing how our recipes turn out for you.