Green Beans and Almonds with Caramelized Onions

Green Beans and almonds with caramelized onions is a simple side dish that looks elegant yet simple. The dish takes only a few minutes to prepare from start to finish. It is my go-to recipe for the weeknights as a side dish or if I'm asked to bring a dish to a party. It's tasty, flavorful, and healthy and only requires a few ingredients. Check the bottom for Nutrition Facts! If I'm asked to bring a dish to a party. It's tasty, flavorful, and healthy and only requires a few ingredients. 

Fresh green beans are in season in the summer and fall but are largely available all year round. This healthy side dish is made with simple ingredients and will be ready in under 30 minutes and is one of many one pot recipes. They add a great pop of color to your holiday table, making them a perfect side dish. It's a great alternative to the traditional green bean casserole and might be your new favorite way to eat green beans. 

Normally, caramelizing onions can take a bit of time. For this green bean recipe, we're doing a quick onion caramelization to speed up the cooking process. Check out the recipe card below for a printable version.

Things you'll need:

• A large nonstick skillet 
• Chef's knife
• Cutting board

Step by Step Guide to Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

• Cut stems off of fresh green beans and then cut in half. Place in a colander and wash with cold water.
• Cut onions into long slices
• Mince garlic
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and place onion slices inside with some salt. 
• Once onions begin to turn translucent, add sugar and let onions turn golden brown brown, stirring as needed.
• Place green beans and garlic in the pan and cover until cooked, stirring as needed. (Should  take about 5 minutes)
• Add Almonds and let cook for about 1 minute for delicate flavor development.
• Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.

Why Onions Brown?

Sugar reacts with the protein in the onion and heat creates a Maillard reaction, otherwise known as browning. This reaction is fundamental for caramelizing the onions. If you cut the onions into long, thin slices, this will help them cook faster and get more exposure to heat. If you're using sweet onions, you can cut back on the amount of sugar needed. 

You want to be careful not to burn the sugar in the pan, which will cause your onions to burn. Make sure you use medium-high heat and reduce it as needed before your onions burn. 

Some other Food Science Tips:

Use whole green beans, like French green beans and cut them into bite size pieces. When you add them to the onions, cover the green beans to trap the heat and retain moisture. This will also help with flavor development.

Make sure you add kosher salt before, during, and after the cooking time to enhance great flavor. Add Almonds and mix in when the beans are almost done. Almonds have a delicate flavor, and prolonged heat exposure may cause them to burn.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 170 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb Green Beans stems removed
• 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion cut into think slices
• 1/2 cup Almonds slivered
• 2-3 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Sugar or honey
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

 

• Cut stems off of green beans and then cut in half. Place in a colander and wash.
• Cut onions into long slices
• Mince garlic
• Heat oil in a skillet, and place onion slices inside with some salt. Once onions begin to turn translucent, add sugar and let onions brown, stirring as needed.
• Place green beans and garlic in the pan and cover until cooked, stirring as needed. (Should  take about 5 minutes)
• Add Almonds and let cook for about 1 minute for delicate flavor development.
• Salt and Pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy.

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions Nutrition Facts

Green beans come into season in the late summer, which is the perfect time to make them. This recipe is a healthy side dish. Here's a quick overview of the nutrition facts. It has a good source of healthy fats, 4 g of fiber, and 4 g of protein. There are some added sugars from the honey.

Options to Swap out in This Recipe

Maybe you don't like an ingredient or you just realized you're all out. No worries, we have some recommendations for you.

Switch Onion Varieties

Different onions will give you a different flavor and influence your end dish. The red onion will give you a more sour note, while Vidalia onions will add more sweetness to the dish. If you're feeling fancy, you can also use caramelized shallots for great flavor. 

Almonds for Pecans

Depending on your preference, you can swap almonds out for another type of mild nut such as peanuts, walnuts, or pecans. If you have an allergy, you can leave these out and still achieve a great dish.

Sugar for Honey

The iteration of this recipe uses sugar to caramelize the onions. Sugar can be swapped with honey for more depth of flavor and will still contribute to the caramelization. Try to buy local honey from your local farmers market or grocery store. I don't recommend using brown sugar as it might burn faster.

Enhancements to Green Beans & Caramelized Onions 

If you want to go the extra mile and be fancy, there's a few ways you can make these green beans and caramelized onions shine:

• Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the finished delicious side dish 
• On the day of serving, add some balsamic vinegar to the top of the beans round out the flavor
• Place in a beautiful serving dish and share on your Thanksgiving table

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