Green Beans with Cranberries and Almonds

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These Green Beans with Cranberries and Almonds are a delicious side dish made with green beans sautéed in garlic butter, tossed with dried cranberries and toasted almonds. This is the perfect side dish for your holiday table or to accompany a roast, along with your other favourite sides. The recipe gives a dairy free option by using olive oil instead of butter.

Contents:

This is about to become your go-to recipe for thanksgiving dinner. Serve these sautéed green beans along with our Kale, Apple and Cranberry Salad, mashed potatoes and your favourite proteins for the perfect feast to share with family and friends. I would highly recommend finishing the meal with our Gluten Free Apple Crumble for a well rounded, yet gut friendly meal.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

• this green beans recipe is the perfect holiday side dish, sure to impress your guests!
• this recipe is made using healthy, wholesome ingredients.
• a dairy free option is provided for those who are intolerant.
• this lovely side dish is so delicious, with a nutty crunch, you’ll keep going back for more!

Ingredients Notes & Substitutions

This recipe is made using just 5 ingredients! You will need:

• fresh green beans – because green beans are the key ingredient in this recipe, it is best to use fresh beans as they are crispy and full of flavour.
• butter – use salted or unsalted butter depending on your individual dietary requirements. Swap for extra virgin olive oil if you are dairy intolerant (quantities are provided in the recipe card).
• garlic cloves – minced fresh garlic cloves are definitely best in this recipe.
• dried cranberries – I prefer to use dried cranberries that are preservative free and have been sweetened with fruit juice instead of sugar. Some of the dried cranberries from the grocery store can be far too sweet, however this is a personal preference. I find fruit juice sweetened dried cranberries from my organic grocer and bulk foods store.
• toasted almonds – toasted flaked almonds can be swapped for sliced almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans if desired. If making nut free, using toasted pepitas and sunflower seeds instead.
• sea salt flakes

See ingredient quantities as well as nutritional information on the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How to Make Green Beans with Cranberries and Almonds

I love how quick and easy it is to make a delicious and show-stopping side dish. Gone are the days of serving plain steamed beans. Why would you when you can so easily add mouthwatering flavour (not to mention this green bean recipe will have your kitchen smelling AMAZING!). I’ve outlined the cooking process for you below so you can see just how easy this recipe is. Out with the traditional green bean casserole and in with buttery, garlicky, green beans with toasted almonds and pops of sweet cranberries.

Step 1: Toast the almonds. Start by turning a large frypan or large saute pan onto a medium heat. Add the almonds, tossing them in the pan every few minutes to toast them evenly and prevent from burning. Keep a close eye on them as they can burn quickly! Pop the toasted almonds into a dish and set aside and return the pan to the heat.

Step 2: Melt butter. Increase the temperature to a medium-high heat and add the butter to the pan. Swirl the butter around the pan until it’s completely melted. Once it is melted, add the minced garlic and salt. Stir and saute until fragrant.

Step 3: Saute green beans. Add the beans to the pan and toss them through the garlic butter. Continue tossing them while they saute, until the beans are a vibrant green. Don’t overcook them! The more vibrant green they are, the more nutrients that have been preserved. When the beans start losing their vibrant colour they are starting to overcook. This process is quite quick, especially if you are cooking on a gas stovetop. Once cooked, remove from the heat.

Step 4. Add cranberries and almonds. Finally, add the cranberries and almonds to the green beans and toss to combine. Serve in your favourite serving dish (warm) alongside other sides and proteins.

Variations

There are so many ways to get creative with this recipe! Here are some delicious variations that you can make.

• dairy free – swap the butter for 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• crispy bacon – add diced crispy bacon to the beans along with the dried cranberries and almonds.
• lemon – add lemon zest and lemon juice to the melted butter before adding the green beans.
• goat cheese – crumble soft goats cheese over the green beans before serving.

Tips

Here are some tips to help you make this recipe perfect, first time.

• Prepare all of your ingredients prior to beginning to cook. This dish comes together very quickly and if you leave mincing your garlic until after you’ve melted your butter then your butter may burn. Have everything ready to go before cooking.
• For best results, buy fresh garlic and beans, not jarred or frozen.
• If making ahead of time, store in an airtight container. Beans can be reheated in the microwave, however it is best to serve them freshly made.