Roasted Green Beans With Almonds

Ingredients For Roasted Green Bean Recipe

• Fresh Green Beans: Start off by purchasing fresh green beans. In the summertime, that’s easy enough, but as we creep into the colder months of the year, green beans can be hit or miss. If they are not looking particularly great, it’s totally okay to stand there in the produce department and pick them bean by bean. Or if you’re in a hurry, buy a little extra in case you end up tossing some when you trim them. If they’re available, feel free to use some yellow wax beans in place of some or all of the green beans. They will cook just the same. 
• Garlic: I buy fresh heads of garlic and always recommend that you dear reader do the same. The taste compared to jarred chopped garlic is not even comparable, and jarred garlic often contains preservatives. 
• Almonds: Because green beans roast pretty quickly, you’ll want to buy sliced almonds. You can also substitute slivered almonds or another type of tree nut, chopped up. Examples of other nuts that would work well are walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans. If you don’t like nuts, or avoid them, you can 100% leave them out and this recipe will still work well. 
• Olive Oil: I use extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe because I like the slightly fruity taste it adds, if subtle, and also the health profile. It is high in monounsaturated fats which are heart-healthy. 
• Thyme: The flavor of the fresh thyme is what takes this recipe from great to really great and it really only takes a small amount to get amazing flavor! I have also made this with fresh half chopped thyme and half rosemary (I grow both in my garden) which is super yummy. If you love a particular herb other than thyme, feel free to sub it in. Remember to stick to woodier herbs such as oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage and thyme. Tender herbs such as dill, cilantro and basil should be added at the end of cooking. 
• Salt: At first I thought this was too much salt, but I found that some of the salt stuck to the bowl and the pan. It ended up that the green beans were nicely seasoned but too much so. If you are salt sensitive, you can start with none or less and then add it in at the end, just to taste. Also, this recipe uses regular table salt and not kosher salt, so make sure you don’t substitute another salt.

How To Make Green Bean And Almonds In Oven

Before You Begin

Preheat your oven first, since that takes a little while. You can work on sorting and trimming the green beans while you wait. Oh, and before you turn it on, make sure that your rack is in the center of the oven. 

You’ll also want to find a half-sheet pan. I use a standard half sheet for pretty much every roasting recipe I ever do. They’re nice and heavy so they cook evenly. They have a lip to hold everything in, and they are not too dark which can cause burning. This is the kind I recommend. ( That’s an affiliate link.)

Sort and Trim Green Beans

• Line the green beans up on the cutting board, stem end together. Chop off just the stem ends. The stem ends are pithy and not palatable. No need to cut off the other end. 
• Discard any withered or mushy green beans. 
• Trim off any broken ends.

Toss Ingredients in a Bowl

Toss the fresh beans with the garlic, thyme, almonds, salt and oil in a big bowl. This is an easy way to ensure that the seasonings evenly coat the green beans. Then spread the mixture out in a single layer on the baking sheet. I like to use a rubber or silicone spatula to scrape out any almonds and seasoning that gets stuck to the bowl. 

Roasting Tips

Roast the beans for 10 minutes or so. Then give the beans a good stir and continue roasting.

It takes about 15 or so minutes for the green beans to become that perfect balance of crisp-tender and browned. So take a peek at them. They should be blistered in spots, you’ll see some wrinkles too! This is normal. Also, some of the almonds will also brown a bit. 

Leftovers, Make Ahead Tips and Reheating

Make Ahead:

1. Sort and trim the beans and seal them into a large resealable bag or glass container. 
2. Chop the garlic and thyme, and combine them with the almonds in a small resealable container. 
3. When you are ready to cook them, toss the beans with the thyme and almond mixture along with the oil and salt to coat them. Then proceed with the recipe. 

Leftovers + Reheating Roasted Green Beans

• Storage: If you do have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for three days.
• Reheat in Microwave: To reheat them, set them in a microwave-safe dish, covered with parchment. Microwave on high for 40 seconds per serving.
• Reheat on Stovetop: Alternatively, reheat the roasted green beans in a small non-stick skillet with a little olive oil or broth over medium heat, stirring often, until heated through and steaming hot, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook as they will become too soft.
• Texture Tip: For best texture, sprinkle a few additional toasted nuts on top before serving.