Charred Green Beans with Garlic, Almonds, and Balsamic

A quick green bean side that skips blanching and instead uses a hot skillet to blister the beans before finishing them with garlic, toasted almonds, and a small splash of balsamic vinegar. The result is more deeply browned and tangy than a standard garlic-green-bean side, while still staying within a 30-minute home-kitchen workflow.

By Julienne

Cook time: 14 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 10 ml olive oil divided
• 40 g sliced almonds toasted
• 10 ml olive oil divided
• 450 g green beans trimmed
• 4 g fine salt divided
• 500 ml water for creating steam in the skillet
• 3 clove garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 4 g fine salt divided
• 1 g black pepper freshly ground
• 15 ml balsamic vinegar none

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 10 ml olive oil and the sliced almonds, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until the almonds are lightly golden. Transfer them to a plate. Almonds are pale gold and smell nutty.
2. Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the remaining 10 ml olive oil and the green beans with 4 g salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the beans are blistered in spots. Beans have browned spots and are still crisp.
3. Pour in 500 ml water, cover the skillet loosely, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the water evaporates and the beans turn crisp-tender. Water is gone and beans are bright green but tender enough to bite.
4. Uncover the skillet, add the garlic and the remaining 4 g salt, and cook for 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Add the black pepper and balsamic vinegar, then toss to coat. Garlic is fragrant, and the vinegar lightly coats the beans.
5. Return the toasted almonds to the skillet, toss once more, and serve immediately while the beans are hot and crisp-tender. Beans are glossy, sharply seasoned, and evenly topped with almonds.