Brown Butter,Sage, and Almond Green Beans

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Green beans kind of get the short end of the stick – or the stalk 🤓 – when it comes to holiday side dishes.

Yes mashed potatoes are great, and stuffing might be one of the most glorious dishes to have ever been invented, but green beans deserve a little love too. Especially when they’re this delicious.

Here we take perfectly steamed green beans and unabashedly smother them with a nutty Brown Butter and Sage sauce, and sprinkle a generous helping of toasted almonds on top for good measure.

Each individual component – vegan butter, sage, almonds, and green beans – is delicious on it’s own but together they make for a “How-is-something-this-simple-SO0o0o-good?” holiday side dish that you and your guests will love 😊

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 12oz of green beans
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 stick of vegan butter
• 8 sage leaves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• pinch of nutmeg
• black pepper taste

First place a large, dry skillet (no oil or spray) on the stove and set to medium heat. Add in the sliced almonds and toast for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.

Transfer the almonds to a plate and set aside.

Wipe the skillet clean, raise the heat to medium high (a 7 out of 10 should do it) and then add the stick of vegan butter. Cook for 2-3 minutes to melt.

Once the butter starts to melt, add the whole sage leaves and cook until the butter turns a very light brown color.

Immediately remove the skillet from the burner and transfer the sage leaves to a paper towel lined plate to crisp up.

Finish with a generous pinch of sea salt and a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper. We’ll add salt to the green beans later so be careful not to go crazy with the seasoning here. Let the butter sauce rest in the warm pan to thicken slightly while you make the green beans.

Next, wash, trim, and steam the green beans just until they turn a bright green color and have softened to your liking. Then drain the water, pat dry, and transfer to a bowl along with the sage infused brown butter sauce, toasted almonds, nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp of sea salt.

Mix well, taste and add more salt, pepper, or nutmeg if needed, and serve warm.

HOLIDAY TIP: Thanksgiving day can be hectic, so save yourself a bit of time by prepping the green beans in advance.

Start the night before by lightly steaming until the beans turn bright green. 3-4 minutes max. Then quickly stop the cooking process (so they don’t get mushy) by rinsing them with very cold water or plunging them into a bowl full of ice water (best method)

Pat dry and store in the fridge until you’re ready to use them for dinner.

Before dinner time, make the Brown Butter Sauce and toast the almonds. Then quickly re-steam the green beans, just to warm them up. Careful not to overcook.

To assemble the dish, start by draining the water, patting the beans dry, and then dressing as directed above.

Happy holidays!