Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic and Almonds
Did I ever get a chance to tell you about my love affair with cooked/sautéed/roasted garlic? No? Wonderful. Let me tell you all about it.
Actually, now that it comes down to it, I'm realizing that there's not very much for me to tell other than the fact that I seriously love garlic. Lots of it. I love the flavor it imparts. And the taste of garlic on its own. Which is why I especially love slices of garlic (or even whole cloves - read about it here) that I can chow down on.
Which, I'll admit, is the main reason I love this sautéed green beans with garlic and almonds dish. Because it has slices of garlic in it. And also slivered almonds. And also green beans. And olive oil and soy sauce and a dash of pepper. And that's it.
Now, you can very well just steam your green beans and get your daily portion of veggies covered that way. But why would you? Why would you eat some tasteless, boring green beans when you can enjoy green beans that are covered in flavorful, juicy goodness and packed with sautéed garlic and almonds?
What can I say, I have a gift for asking the important questions.
These sautéed green beans are so very simple to prepare:
- rinse your green beans (and trim the edges if they irk you - personally, I'm on a journey to train myself to stop being bothered by green bean edges)
- heat some olive oil in a large skillet
- add in your green beans and sauté them for a couple of minutes
- add in your sliced garlic, slivered almonds, and some soy sauce and sauté until the green beans take on your preferred texture (almost raw and very crunchy, slightly crunchy, super soft and mushy - whatever floats your boat)
- garnish the green beans with some more slivered almonds and a sprinkling of black pepper
- devour
Yes, these sautéed green beans with garlic and almonds make a delicious side dish.
Yes, these green beans are great eaten hot right away, or cold from the fridge the next day.
Yes, this dish uses a minimal amount of ingredients, takes minutes to prepare, a few more minutes to cook, and serves a crowd.
Yes, I ate half of the green beans before I even had a chance to photograph them and the other half right after I finished taking these photos. (Okay, I exaggerated; I left over a few green beans for my family.)
This is your last-minute dinner side dish. But nobody would ever guess. Because it tastes like hours of work went into making something so flavorful.
And if you're looking for some tips on how to eat these green beans, here's how I do it:
- pick out all the sliced garlic first
- pick out all the slivered almonds second
- eat the green beans last
Or eat in whichever order coincides with your preferences. Eat the almonds first and the garlic second. Or the green beans first and the almonds second. Or all three in one forkful. Knock your socks off.
Sautéed Green Beans with garlic and almonds
Yield: One Large Bowl
About 2 lbs fresh green beans (trim edges if desired)
5 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
6-8 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
Pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a very large skillet. Add in the green beans and saute on low flame for a few minutes until just slightly softened. Stir frequently.
Add in soy sauce, garlic, and almonds and saute for a few more minutes, or until green beans take on desired texture. Cook for less time if you like your green beans crunchy and for more time if you like them softer.
Season green beans with pepper, garnish with a sprinkling of sliced almonds, and serve.
