Just when I thought if my appetite ennui became any more listless I might have to change lines of work, the greatest thing happened: I ran out of space. I mean, I am fully At Capacity right now with baby, there is literally not another inch of my midsection that this child can annex for his/her condo renovation or whatever it does at night (you hear that, darling? mama even ceded her belly button!) and this has shifted my appetite one final time, yet at last for the better. Meat is out, starchy carbs are out, I just can’t, they’re too heavy, and in their place are heaps of vegetables with a side order of All The Watermelon. For once, my timing is impeccable as this coincides with the full swing of local farmers markets, with freshly picked piles of summer everywhere you turn. I’ve been angling for as many all-vegetable meals as I can pull off — mixtures of our summer go-tos like this zucchini saute, caprese, quick-cooked corn, roasted baby potatoes with herbs, and pretty much anything green, roasted to a blistering crisp with lemon juice — with just enough chicken or sausage on the side to please the 2/3 of my family not currently repulsed by such things.
Green beans, pole beans, string beans, whatever you know them as, have been a longtime favorite vegetable of mine. [I’m even trying to grow my favorite skinny and delicate variety, haricot vert, although at the rate things are coming along, I expect the first harvest sometime around the first frost.] I love this salad with fried almonds, celery and pickled onions most of all, but also in a pesto potato salad and even in an old-school Thanksgiving casserole with crispy onions. But, as of this week, each of those preparations have been cast aside for my new favorite, and the way it came about is the best/weirdest part. I spied this photo on Ottolenghi’s Instagram last week and guys, I had no idea how he made these or what recipe of his this might be but (I mean this warmly) I also didn’t care. I knew what I wanted them to taste like — the photo had me dreaming of a nutty and loud sauce that clung to every string of bean — and made it so, dusting off the almond pesto from the cookbook and applying it to a rainbow of beans, cooked until just crisp-tender.
And then I ate all of them. My son claims he ate three, but we found them under his chair. My husband claims I only had half, but he’s being polite. Sometimes the baby demands burnt marshmallows, sometimes it needs ribs, and apparently sometimes it needs vegetables too. I’m too large and spent to be more than merely a vessel for its whims these days, and realistically the next 18 years. Even if I were to summon an ounce of protest, it would be absurd to waste it fighting these off. They’re too good.
One year ago: Blue and Red Berry Ricotta Galettes and Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings
Two years ago: Slow and Low Dry Rub Oven Chicken
Three years ago: Flag Cake and Blackberry Gin Fizz
Four years ago: Skirt Steak with Bloody Mary Tomato Salad
Five years ago: Zucchini and Ricotta Galette and Sour Cherry Pie with Almond Crumble
Six years ago: Chocolate Yogurt Snack Cakes, Mediterranean Pepper Salad and Cherry Brown Butter Bars
Seven years ago: Zucchini Strand Spaghetti and Project Wedding Cake: Ta-Da!
Eight years ago: Strawberry Chiffon Shortcake
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Popcorn Party Mix and My Ultimate Chicken Noodle Soup
1.5 Years Ago: Parmesan Broth with Kale and White Beans
2.5 Years Ago: Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze and Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame
3.5 Years Ago: Carrot Soup with Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas and Ethereally Smooth Hummus
Green Beans with Almond Pesto
This makes a great heap of green beans (double what you see in my photos), which could easily serve 6 to 8 non-pregnant people. You might find it easier to make the full amount of pesto and keep it in the fridge (it will keep for a week, if not longer), and use it with portions of green beans as needed.
2 pounds green beans
1 cup (5 ounces or 140 grams) almonds, toasted and cooled
1 1/4 ounces (about 1/3 cup grated) parmesan or aged pecorino cheese, but no need to grate if using a food processor
1 small garlic clove, peeled and crushed
Leaves from a sprig or two of thyme
Pinches of red pepper flakes, to taste
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
2 to 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Trim green beans — I find using kitchen shears the quickest way — and cook beans in boiling water until crisp tender, about 3 to 4 minutes for regular green beans or 2 to 3 minutes for the skinnier “haricot vert” variety. Plunge in an ice water bath to fully cool. Drain and pat dry. (If you have no patience for the precision of ice water baths, take the green beans out a full minute early as they will continue cooking as they cool.)
In food processor, grind almonds, cheese, garlic, thyme, pepper and salt to a coarse paste. Add vinegar, and pulse again. Stir in oil and adjust seasonings to taste.
Toss cooled green beans with almond pesto. Drizzling with extra olive oil for a fresh glisten. Dig in.
Serving suggestions: a mix of cherry tomatoes, grilled bread drizzled with olive oil and rubbed with a halved garlic clove or even grilled sausages.
Yay I have everything I need for this at home. Dinner tonight!
This looks great and delicious! And what a good way to get nuts, which are a good snack and keep you full, and vegetables in my lunch (when I make this). Good job, Deb!
So excited for green beans!
(And this is one of my favorite of your posts ever!)
Whoa — thank you! Working on the menu for our 30th anniversary family party this Saturday. Porcetta-style pork shoulder and THIS on the side for the main course. Problem solved.
I was so bummed the first time I cooked those purple beans that they turned into a dark green. So bummed. This is just a beautiful dish and I can’t wait to make it. Didn’t have a garden this year (drought in CA) so I’ll have to buy the beans.
fwiw…today is my birthday and I was hoping I’d find a birth announcement here!
Going to visit my (pregnant with #2) sister this weekend and green beans are one of the only vegetables she likes – the toddler eats a wider range than she does. Hoping this might tempt – it certainly looks perfect to me!!
These look and sound amazing, Deb! If using for a large family cookout (about 25 people), would you double both the green beans and the pesto? Also, do you recommend assembling just before serving, or could they sit assembled in the fridge for a few hours? Thanks in advance!
I love green beans simply blistered in a cast iron skillet with a little butter, but these look even better! That almond pesto looks amazing. It reminds me a little of the zucchini salad with almond pesto from your book.
And what isn’t improved with a little cheese? I say nothing.
Dinner. Tonight.
Thank you (and your current co-pilot) for this recipe–it’s everything I love about summer, all in one dish.
I can’t wait to make tis with the gazillions of green beans I seem to have! But more importantly, I am in love with this-so funny! ” I ran out of space. I mean, I am fully At Capacity right now with baby, there is literally not another inch of my midsection that this child can annex for his/her condo renovation or whatever it does at night (you hear that, darling? mama even ceded her belly button!)”
:))
Yeah Deb! This looks amazing!! Keep up the veggie kick, it’s fabulous and gorgeous just like you!
I’m making this tonight!! Looks DE-LIST! :)
That’s a lovely combination and a really stunning mixture of beans. Gosh, Deb, you are soo unbelievably lucky but may the baby stop this home makeover, extension-work at night. N xx
I notice the Aleppo pepper in the picture. Did you use Aleppo pepper for the red pepper flakes? I just bought some Aleppo pepper and am eager to find more recipes for it!
Deb, you speak my love language. I’ve been cooking nothing but your recipes for the last six days. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
Gorgeous recipe! I’ve always been a green bean lover myself, and I love this almond pesto recipe! This combo sounds delicious!
Happy Summer!
xx Lane
These look fabulous. I’m going to make the almond pesto for the asparagus my hubby brought home yesterday. Thank you!
This side looks super tasty! Great post!
MK — Yes, I did. My husband and I love stronger red pepper flakes but these are a great accommodation to the palate of a 5 year-old, or at least the one I have. Just a subtle heat.
Nicole — Thank you, I feel very lucky these days indeed.
Susan — I know! They’re such teases and I forget every year. Last night, I actually looked at the pot of boiling beans and thought, “Huh, I wonder why the purple ones sunk to the bottom…” (Because I couldn’t see them. Because they’d turned green.)
Any recommendations for opting out of the almonds? I don’t want to miss out on the crunch but I am allergic to all nuts and peanuts.
Kathryn — Could you try sunflower seeds? They’re my favorite nut replacement these days.
On the way to the store for whole almonds
While out. YUM! Glad to see you’re letting baby
cook till done! Thinking of you!!
Great idea, Deb. Thank you! As always, you are brilliant. Just threw a whole father’s day brunch based on your recipes. I have deemed you a brunch goddess since so much is done the day before.
LOVE all of your versions of “pesto”, showcasing and that it can go well beyond the traditional basil version! Can’t wait to try this as soon as beans show their face at farmers markets in Chicago!
wspaniała propozycja!
1. This looks amazing!
2. How have I not been following Ottolenghi on Instagram? You’ve just made my day.
3. If you haven’t been, if you’re ever in London you have to (x a million) stop in to one of the Ottolenghi shops. It is quite an experience! The food is all amazing. I’m partial to the one in Kensington, mostly because it’s closeish to the mammoth Whole Foods (3 stories?? A bulk section as large as a convenience store?? Give me all the things). If they opened one in DC, I would surely go broke within a week.
Great baby beans have arrived will pick soon (only one color though.)
Oh, YUM! A great side dish or veggie main course! Now I need to head back to the market for beans!
What is it with watermelon and pregnancy? All I wanted to eat during both of mine, but especially the one that lasted all summer, was watermelon, watermelon, and watermelon…and occasionally other fruit and cheetos (oh, okay, I’ll just go ahead and admit that I wanted to eat cheetos all the time, as a side to the watermelon). Still love watermelon, actually…
Oh man, these look awesome. I’ve mostly been doing this spicy green bean and chick pea salad for my string bean fix, but I’m just doing a mental checklist and realize I have everything for this at home.
Re: “a side order of All The Watermelon,” my mother claims that when pregnant (with me) she once ate an entire watermelon in one day. And this was before you could get those little ones, so it must be a thing.
what a lovely, light side dish! I love it. Now, if only I can find the multi-colored beans!
Watermelon is really good for you!
http://blog.designsforhealth.com/patient-blog/watermelon-%E2%80%93-a-summertime-staple?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20269171&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8w-3o3mot2fFGdGz0463Is3gNmLpu18xMtTGlmai1HXe1zupUXJP0dbaC_b0gCxSWIREB5fDjv2UgDHg6znhc33LmrPL6ZimFw6dtq4oTLy7uLjrI&_hsmi=20269171
I’m not usually a fan of green beans, but my husband would like this (it sure is pretty, too). Would dried thyme work instead of fresh?
In regards to watermelon and pregnancy, I’ve heard it really helps with swelling.
Funny post (and great recipe).
My sister was studying medicine when I was in the last months of my first pregnancy. Late one night she was studying the images in her textbook, showing the baby growing larger and larger and relentlessly taking up the space usually occupied by all the major organs. She picked up the phone and called me: ‘Just wanted to check – are you still breathing?’
nothing against Ottolenghi’s shot, but i think your beans look even dreamy’er. (did you ‘5-second-rule’ the 3 under son’s chair, and eat those too?:)
Wow, Deb…you even make vegetables look mouthwatering. P.S. the baby renovating his condo? haha, I love that!
Funny post! Your pesto looks amazing, I’ve been always a fan of a traditional one but now I really want to try your version!
This looks DELICIOUS! I have green beans in my fridge and this looks so much better than boiling them and adding butter!
This looks so delicious! Those purple green beans are such a gorgeous color!
Although I realize that it is different, this sort of reminds me of a recipe from your book- linguine with cauliflower pesto. At least the pesto is similar because both recipes have ground almonds, cheese, oil and vinegar and herbs. My problems with that recipe turned out to be that the pesto sort of fell off the (in that case) linguine and ended up in the bottom of the serving bowl- so it ended up a lot more pesto than pasta. Maybe the problem was more like it did not make a very appealing leftover for the two of us. I bring this up because I wonder if the same thing will happen to the green beans. Lots of pesto in the bottom of the bowl after serving some of the green beans. I will admit, however, that in this version the tomatoes make a very nice visual…particularly if the green beans remain a vibrant green. Nonetheless, thank you for a new recipe when you by all rights should be lazing in a lounge chair sipping lemonade. Looking forward, anyway, to your good news. Be safe and healthy. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
My first son was gestated on watermelon, the 2nd on rare steaks barely broiled (shades of ROSEMARY’S BABY), the 3rd on corn on the cob (4 ears for dinner). Raising them has caused me to lose my appetite quite frequently.
Thanks, Deb. I made these for dinner and nearly ate the pesto with a spoon. To say it elevated my 4 day-old haricot verts from Trader Joe’s is an understatement. Ha! But really, just so damn delicious that I raced across the street to share the remaining half-cup of pesto with my neighbor. No surprise, she loved it too. Boom!
Going to sprinkle that on the kale I just brought home. Looks perfect.
This sounds amazing, thanks for sharing!
This baby has finally used up all the space allotted so it’s no wonder you wanted beans, they would fit lengthwise right into any crevices you may have left in your tummy! Other than raw spaghetti and something mostly liquid like watermelon, what choice do you have at this point of overstuffed-ness?
So cute that Jacob is getting his share-able toys ready, and that he hid his beans… he really is going to seem HUGE to you when you come home with the new little one. Blessings to you all as you head for the finish line, and thank you for these great beans,I got some beautiful ones ( and purple cauliflower too) at the farmers market.
How about almond butter instead of almonds? Probably less need for oil.
And if we’re going there, how about a cashew pesto, peanut pesto, walnut pesto, etc.?
What a beautiful tower of string beans…and that almond pesto looks incredible! Can’t wait to make this dish!! And can’t wait to see pics of the baby!!
This is my dinner tonight. Lovely fresh green beans on sale and roasted almonds to use up. I used basil and garden parsley for the thyme(yuk yuk yuk) in the pesto and combining all this loveliness with some chese tortellini. I highly recommend.
Pinned. This looks delish, and what a great combo with the almond pesto. I’ve always wanted to try making a smoked almond pesto.
Oh no! I’ve got the exact problem JP described! Beans with clumps of pesto at the bottom of the bowl. Any ideas what I could do differently? More oil in the pesto? A different tossing method?
I am a big fan of bundles of beans charred to a crisp on the bbq. The ones in the centre of the bundle taste of char but retain some juiciness whereas the outer ones are like bean chips.
I am going to use the middle ones for this pesto. Out of curiosity!
yummy!! I love pesto so much :) it reminds me of summer
Ah, great minds think alike in the summer! I have green beans already steamed and waiting to be incorporated into a salad with grape tomatoes and arugula. A couple of days ago I made a green pea with mint pesto inspired by listening to April Bloomfield on NPR. I served that on steamed yellow summer squash last night and it really elevated our dinner.
I’m generally not a green beans sort of person, but THIS recipe I could get behind :) I bet it would also be delicious with asparagus instead (or addition)!
JMS — Dried thyme should be just fine, but use less, usually 1/3 to 1/4 is the starting point when swapping dried for fresh herbs.
Ellena — I would just keep tossing it. It’s not going to coat the greens perfectly, there’s nothing glue-y in here to make them adhere, but we certainly didn’t mind scooping what fell off with our fork. For the stuff at the bottom of the bowl, I mixed this in one bowl and then piled them on a serving plate. I just sprinkled any remnants from the bowl on top.
JP — I would say the falling off issue is less dramatic here, but with both, you’ll want to toss until all the clumps of pesto break up. And of course, your fork will be scooping a little even as it lifts the main ingredient. That cauliflower pesto and this almond pesto are both really good on olive oil-brushed toasts, if you want to eat them but don’t feel like fighting gravity.
Re: Kathryn and sunflower seeds. I have made pesto with toasted sunflower seeds and it was rather anemic tasting. I added sesame seeds, toasting them both first. Major improvement. If you don’t have sesame seeds, try adding a few drops of sesame oil. Hope this helps.
Love all of your colorful green beans! And the pesto sounds so amazing! I just had a “almond pesto” on clams at Parc during our Philly trip, come take a look, they were amazing!
You are a genius! Why have I never thought of trimming green beans with kitchen shears? Thanks for making my kitchen life a little easier.
I discovered a pistachio pesto recipe that made me so happy that I went from not-really-liking-pesto to a near-addict. Mind you, I skip the cheese, not really being a cheese-lover. I made some for my sister, and she brought some of that to her friends and now I find that she supplies the ingredients and about once every other week, I supply a double-batch of it.
Your writing is so lush that I have taken to skipping the cooking and eating the articles directly. Also the nouns verbs etc. My iPad is proving too crunchy, so I am looking for a largish spoon to melt it in preparation for mainlining all of your oeuvre. Kind of like molten chocolate cake, but more roughage.
Totally yummy, Deb, I could not wait and had the pesto on my snow peas – so now I feel a little lucky too. ;) N xx
Absolutely marvelous. I will be making this again. Tomorrow. Thanks, Deb!
Yea! I just picked a lovely batch of beans! the same colors as in your bowl! This will be a delicious dish.
Have a wonderful baby!
I am so sorry to say I work near the Ottolenghi in Islington, London and I actually ate the very beans from the photo last week, and they were in fact as good as they looked. When I was pregnant with #3 last summer I estimate about 3/4ths of birth weight was made up of a roasted eggplant salad from Ottolenghi that was covered in some sort of black garlic tahini yogurt amazingness with cilantro and pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts and just OMG that I ate at least 3x a week for oh, the whole third trimester. I will be happy to go and sample whatever vegtableness amazingness you need from the big O and report back on specific flavours. You know, for the baby.
Hi Deb,
Also pregnant with my second,and I’m about a week from my due date and this hit the spot. Of course what I’m REALLY craving is your hot fudge, which I will be eating over vanilla ice cream shortly!
Ok, so I am confused. This dish is to be served cold, right? The pesto was quite solid after sitting in the fridge for a while (kind of like peanut butter), so I let it come up to room temp. Still seemed a bit thick. Maybe should have added more oil? Tastes delicious, don’t get me wrong. . .
Deb,
So I have your cookbook, cook from it regularly, got more than a few friends hooked on your recipes and blog, and admire the way you have with a lens and a bowl of batter, but I have to say my very favorite thing you do here is your writing. I love the splashy way you describe things! Self deprecatory and braggy at the same time; specific and evocative.
You help me savor and notice the daily work I forget how much I like doing, for doing it so often.
Good work, and thanks.
I made these beans tonight and they were a huge hit! I had started the beans boiling before I realized that the recipe calls for “roasted” almonds. Drat! I knew I didn’t have that kind of time, so in a stroke of substitution desperation I used smoked, roasted almonds and the result was DIVINE. I loved the subtle complexity they added to a relatively straight forward dish. Happy accidents!
I did omit the salt the recipe called for.
i Do Not Like green beans, but those beautiful colors together are changing my mind! good luck mama, what did pregnant ladies ever do before there was watermelon???
It’s 3am and your green bean recipe might be eaten for breakfast. Thought I’d have a fried egg with it and maybe some crumbled bacon. After all bacon goes with everything. Seriously love your wonderful creations. Can’t wait to hear when your baby arrives. Take good care of yourself.
yummy
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This recipe looks amazing. It’s the best for me!Thanks so much for posting!I want to cook it.
I say this every time I comment, but your writing style really just brightens up my day. The wittiness never ceases to entertain :)
Kate — TELL ME EVERYTHING. I know, I said I didn’t “care” what it tasted like but I am truly curious. What kind of sauce was that? Were they cold, as well? Oh, and this: “…roasted eggplant salad from Ottolenghi that was covered in some sort of black garlic tahini yogurt amazingness with cilantro and pomegranate seeds and hazelnuts…” I just got a little teary at the thought of it. I get so excited when restaurants treat vegetables like the finery that they are. I feel like with some practice, anyone can cook a steak to but to really make vegetables a centerpiece, sigh. (P.S. Was saying as much about our new favorite West Village restaurant on IG yesterday…)
SusanB — Yes, cold. If it was very firm, the olive oil might have been the culprit. Some firm up in the fridge. Regardless, some extra stirring over the beans should break it up, and I mentioned using an extra drizzle of olive oil at the end if that helps loosen/glisten things up.
Sherry — Bummed to hear that as I’d wanted to try them soon. I keep bringing home these salted roasted shelled sunflower seeds that are so flavorful, I have a hard time not eating them by the handful. Yours were definitely roasted?
Mo — How did you know? We just finished a jar of it last night, have been making the tiniest hot fudge sundaes after dinner for the last couple weeks (I like to use these tiny glasses from Duralex to keep the portions in check, you know, so we can do it again tomorrow). Anyway, I’ve been playing with a peanut butter chocolate version, but who’d be into that, right?
Libby Jane — Thank you.
That almond pesto looks great, and I read that you said meat is out for you at your current time. If you were using the pesto with meat, what would you suggest?
I have never tried the bagged roasted and salted sunflower seeds in pesto. I buy the raw ones in bulk so that is why I toast them. I store them in the freezer. They last for at least a year. I put them in smoothies, salads etc. I love the ones in the bags also ( years ago when I was quitting smoking I would eat the ones in the shell until my lips were numb from the salt ;). The bagged and processed ones would probably have plenty of flavor built in. The salt might still be a little overwhelming. Anyway would love to hear how yours turns out…. Also re: pesto not sticking to the veggies. I have added a few toasted breadcrumbs to the pesto at the last minute before dressing the veggies. The nuts/seeds seem to stick better and the breadcrumbs become a carrier, if you will.
Love your site. Thanks for the chuckles! And the recipes…..
I’ve made pesto with pumpkin seeds before and it came out very good.
Deb, you write the best pregnancy posts ever. Cracking me up. If only you’d been around 25 years ago when I was hauling around my own load.
But this recipe comes at a great time. I was just contemplating what to do with the approximately 2 cups of unroasted, unsalted peanuts I’ve got to use up (cause I just made Butterscotch Blondie Bars with Peanut-Pretzel Caramel –there’s browned butter there, Deb–and bought all 4 cups of fresh peanuts in bulk as called for in the ingredients list before reading the comments and learning that everyone agrees less is more). Gonna try an all-peanut variation with this recipe, or maybe half almonds and half roasted peanuts. Will let you know how it turns out.
We eat lots of string beans at our house, and are often looking for new ways to try them. Thanks for sharing this recipe! We are growing purple beans for the first summer, and I can’t wait to see them!
It’s funny that you saw a picture of this and knew how you wanted it to taste without even knowing what was in it, because when I saw your photo, I immediately thought it was crispy breadcrumbs on top and knew I had to make it that way. Tonight I roasted green beans in the oven and topped them with the breadcrumb mixture from the spaghetti pangrattato, subbing finely chopped walnuts for half the breadcrumbs. It was delicious, thank you so much for the inspiration!!
Made this last night exactly as written – FANTASTIC! Served with grilled sausages and cauliflower soup. I didn’t bother to bust out my food processor… just bashed the almonds in a mortar and pestle and then mixed in the remainder of the ingredients in a bowl. Thanks for the inspiration as always Deb.
Greetings from Germany. Even my “lots of butter to the beans” husband loved them very much. Went very well with pork chops.
Just made the pesto and blanched the beans for tomorrow’s party, and of course I made myself a small test serving for lunch. Verdict: yum! This will be a side for porcetta-style pork shoulder, preceded by a trio of crostini and followed by good old American pies for dessert. Thanks so much for posting this.
This was great! I dusted off my food processor that I haven’t used in YEARS and it was awesome! The neighbor brought over some fresh sea bass he had caught (I know- rough life) and we had an amazing dinner. Good thoughts on your upcoming eviction!
Tossed the beans with a smidge of dijon before adding the pesto, and it was wonderful! The dijon also helped the pesto adhere to the beans a little better.
These look great. I have a similar recipe which uses green beans, basil pesto and feta or goats cheese sprinkled over the top. I love that I can cook my beans and pesto in advance and toss it all together at the last minute. I have to make sure I don’t overcook the beans as soggy beans in a salad is far from ideal!
Made these and loved them! Used rice wine vinegar because I didn’t have white wine vinegar and they were delish. Next time I might try miso instead of the cheese.
This was the best new thing I have made in a long time. Crazy crazy good. Thank-you.
I’m always looking for something BETTER to do with green beans! This hits the spot! Looks delicious!
This was delicious! I overlooked the green beans by a smidge but the flavor of the almonds and herbs with the beans and tomatoes almost made that a non-issue. I think I would add more olive oil next time to make the pesto a bit more liquid so it would cling to veges rather than clump up and fall off. However, the leftover pesto was wonderful on sliced apples the next day! thanks for another winner.
Hi- Kate from London here. I stopped by Ottolenghi and sure enough the beans are on the menu this week as well- The beans in the picture were covered in roasted tomatoes, garlic confit, cumin and coriander seeds, definitely toasted, (and loads of olive oil and I suspect a touch of lemon for lift). They were served room temperature, and if they had been blanched at all, it was for two nanoseconds because they were some of the crunchiest beans I have ever eaten. They also had tossed in some very very baby chard or mizuna type green with a bit of a peppery bite. Bliss.
The roasted aubergine salad this week had tahini yogurt, pomegranate seeds, coriander, and candied walnuts.
xx Congrats on the little one. :)
First time ever commenting on your site, but I HAD to … this dish was so fabulously flavorful that I’m still thinking of it the day after I made it. The crunch of the almonds, saltiness of the parmigiano and that little hit of pepper – divine! I also found adding a little more olive oil at the end, helped the pesto cling a bit better. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
Amazing. Was my dinner tonight. The allepo pepper elevated this marvelously. Would never have thought to do this with green beans on my own. Thank you for all your inspired sharing. Congrats on your newest family member ;-)
Wow this pesto is amazing. It’s good with just about anything, too. We had some pork chops with a red wine and cherry pan sauce, some couscous, and these beans, and the pesto really went with everything on the plate. I expect to put the leftover pesto – we didn’t make as much green beans as this recipe called for – on just about everything for the next couple of days.
I made it for dinner yesterday.
Thank you for this recipe ;)
I love this almond pesto recipe!
Love this recipe. I know there’s a little vinegar mixed in but next time I’m going to squeeze some fresh lemon juice over just before serving. I served it with roasted cherry tomatoes, olive oil, salt, roasted 3 hours at 250F. They pop in your mouth!
Nice recipe. Thanks for sharing the process. I will try to cook the recipe at next weekend. But I don’t think. I will be able to make like you.
Penzeys is completely out of aleppo pepper, which makes what little I have left so precious I’m in danger of not using it at all, which seems silly.
We made this a few days ago for dinner, and it was delicious! Even though I didn’t have as many green beans, I went ahead and made the full pesto recipe (good decision!). We used the leftover pesto the following evening on top of crackers with a little charcuterie plate – the pesto is so good, I could just eat it with a spoon! Thanks for a great recipe.
Made this a few days ago and it was delicious, light and flavorful! I didn’t have thyme so I used fresh basil and it was still really good!
Made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious! I love the vinegar in the pesto–it brightens everything up nicely. When I first mixed the beans and the pesto together, I had the large clumps that other commenters mentioned, but a little additional mixing (I tossed them by hand) took care of the issue. These are definitely going to be a regular in our summertime rotation.
It’s been brought to my attention that while I’ve been off in Newborn Land, guess who published the recipe for the green beans that set off this dish? Ottolenghi, via Bon Appetit! You can see it right here. And oh, did I imagine something wildly different or what? It uses lemongrass, peanuts, kaffir lime leaves, ginger and coriander. It sounds amazing.
I made the almond pesto and it was great with broccoli. I then swirled a tablespoon through my bowl of cauliflower soup (it’s winter here in NZ) and it was divine! I am keeping a jar of this in my fridge from now on!
I love that this was inspired by the photo and not by what was actually in the recipe.
So I made this last night with sungold cherry tomatoes mixed in, and it pretty much eclipsed the homegrown brandywine BLT main course, which is saying a lot! Yes, the pesto doesn’t stick super great, but I didn’t mind, it was delicious, and I couldn’t stop eating it, and just ate the leftovers (what little there were) for breakfast at work. I might try doing this with roasted beans, and maybe tossing them with the pesto while a little warm? I think it would totally work in the winter too with frozen beans (we freeze a lot of summer produce around here).
Looks superb! Definitely cataloging this on Pinterest so I remember to make it! This will go really well with fresh fish! Love it! Cheers to our health! :)
Sara–I tried it with frozen beans last week, and they were really wet. It got the pesto all soggy, and while it was okay, it wasn’t nearly as transcendent as it was with blanched or sauteed green beans (we are mildly obsessed with this dish around here). I’m not giving up on the frozen beans just yet, though–I’m going to try thawing them far ahead of time and giving them a run through the salad spinner before mixing in the pesto.
Wow! Today I will cook green beans for my family. I’m sure that they will enjoy it. Thank youuu!
My husband flipped for this. It was incredibly delicious and unexpected. I roasted my grape tomatoes because I don’t like them raw. I served it with another Ottolenghi dish, roasted sweet potatoes with figs, green onions, and a balsamic reduction drizzle. It was all pretty fast and made a good Tuesday night dinner. Thanks for helping me make dinner exciting.
LOVED these. Thank you so much — the five of us ate the whole 2 pounds of beans!
These were delicious! Can’t wait to use the leftover pesto again tonight!
Hi Deb
Congratulations on your baby.
I have been very happy eating your end of summer recipes, (peach cobbler,sesame noodles, these green beans) Being a new grandmother makes me remember the portableness (ha) of infants. Stay by that pool.
I have one veg. tip that I discovered this summer. I have been using the ice maker in my fridge to cool things down, ice cream custards, potato salad ,these green beans.
I just sit them in the ice container for 10 minutes, freezer shut tight.
Enjoy your family
Tried this yesterday! Looked just as delicious!
I love all the suggestions! I’ve also made it with roasted pecans (no almonds?!) and it was absolutely DELICIOUS, too! My girls ate all their green beans!
Holy moly this was good! Made me actually like green beans ;-)
This was so good! I love green beans but don’t cook them too often. I had a craving for them (and not pregnant as far as I know) and I always check out your site first when looking for a recipe. This did not disappoint! This recipe was simple and delicious and forgiving. Oops I cooked the green beans a little too long…still delicious! I didn’t have whole almonds but scrounged up some sliced and slivered ones that I keep around for oatmeal toppings. It was late in the dinner cooking process so I didn’t toast them. Tasted amazing! Wish I had seen the tip about spreading the pesto on toast so I could have saved some but I’ll just have to make some more…I could eat it with a spoon it was that good.
I have made this recipe two times. The pesto is delicious, but I can’t get it to stick to the green beans. I have experimented with temperature. What am I not doing right? Any tips?
Lila — Dry beans help, but also you can just dollop any that falls off over. We definitely had a lot on the plate, and scooped it up.
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I am currently on Whole30 and made this almond pesto without the cheese and with red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar (I did not have organic white wine vinegar, and the diet prohibits added sulfites that are found in nonorganic grape-based vinegars) and it was still *just* as fantastic as when I have made it as written!
I have no idea why I waited a full year and change after this was posted to finally make it, because OMG. Maybe it’s because I’m pregnant with a tiny vegan (meat? Ew. Why did I ever eat meat? Why would anyone ever eat meat? for the past 30 weeks) but my poor husband got maybe a quarter of the batch I made before I ate all the rest. Had to bump it on my CSA Facebook group, too because it is such a winner. Now to devise what veggie to use up the other half of the pesto on…
I just made this for a dinner party we’re going to tonight…..and it might not make it there. This is so good. The pesto is delicious — I used some fire cider I made instead of the white wine vinegar which added a delicious punch to the pesto. Mmmmm. Thanks Deb!!
I made this a couple days ago–so delicious! I didn’t have quite enough parmesean so I used less than called for, and also subbed red wine vinegar (didn’t have white), and it was fantastic. Now need to find additional uses besides green beans! I think it would be really good on fish, too.
Wonderful for a picnic or BBQ! I blitzed my almonds a little too long in the food processor, so they turned out pastier than I would’ve liked, but the finished product was still perfectly delicious.
I grow Maxibel filet beans, and they’re just starting to bloom. It’s too soon to make the pesto – the plants need more than a week to produce – but I will be prepared! This looks and reads delicious!
You’re my go-to-first-thing site every day. I can’t count the times I say, reading ‘one year ago, two years ago, three, four’ … “Oh! I made that!” And the great thing is, I’m still making! Thank you!!
I freaking love this. It is my go-to for when I’m feeling like the dinner I’m serving doesn’t have enough green stuff. I almost always just add a bunch of cherry tomatoes and call it a day. Wonderful.
I make it as written. Except for usually just with a pinch of dried thyme.
Bummer. Your first recipe that failed me. Was like clumps of almond butter that didn’t cling to the beans. So sad. It said pulse to a coarse paste – but maybe I was supposed to let it stay crumbly??
You prob pulsed too much. Leave it a bit chunky.
Today I went to my fave Mrs Edwards fruit stand, trolling for green beans, and there they were! Looking forward to dinner, served with some cherry tomato/fresh cuke salad.
Your almond pesto beans is one of my top summers to recipes!
I’ve made this several times and it is SO GOOD. My toddler asks to eat the almond pesto just by itself…but he’ll accept it with green beans too.
Made this yet again tonight. Of course I added 4 cloves of garlic and three large pinched of red pepper flakes to the pesto because Dear Husband loves things spicy. Served it with cherry tomatoes scattered over it. Dear Husband thought the pesto would be good on sliced tomatoes put under the broiler for just a bit.
Of course there were just the two of us and we inhaled half the recipe.
Is this meant to be served cold, or at room temperature? Thanks!
Thanks for sharing this recipe here. It seems pretty delicious and rich in green vegetables making it one of the best choices for a healthy family. This site has been offering a lot of such recipes and I am lucky to find this blog.
This recipe is so easy yet delicious – my wife and kids loved it
This is not only my favorite recipe on your site, but it is also one of my favorite recipes anywhere. I had to get my food processor blade replaced due to the Cuisinart recall, and this is the first thing I’m going to make now that I finally have my new blade. I’ve missed it!!
This is a really cool website
I made one big mistake: only making 1/2 the recipe since I am a single. This was delicious! I could put that pesto on EVERYTHING! Cooked the regular sized green beans for less than 2 mins. Thank you!
This is really good website with some really nice recipes.
Made zucchini ribbons with almond pesto from your book last night and everyone loved it! Since my almonds were already toasted and ground, I didn’t bother with the food processor and just mixed everything well in a bowl. I loved the way the zucchini ribbons looked with the pesto atop them. Never would have thought of doing zucchini this way. What a delicious surprise.
I’d hesitate to call this a pesto, but like everyone else we LOVED it. First timers might want to scrape the bottom of the processor at least once to keep those ingredients in the mix. And consider using fresh marjoram (a highly under appreciated herb IMO) instead of thyme. The flavor is indescribable.
That dish is absolutely stunning and It looks like ordered from a five-star hotel.
Your photo look much more appetizing than Ottolenghi’s. I will try this!
I just made the pesto and it is very very thick. I “diluted” it with additional olive oil and then a splash of vinegar to balance the flavor but is is still a paste. Is it supposed to be thick? I will toss it with the green beans tonight at dinner and maybe the heat will help liquify it a bit?
Thanks!
I made this and it’s fantastic and the whole family loved it. It came together perfectly as written. Thanks for an easy and tasty recipe! I often make green beans as a side, so it’s nice to jazz them up and change it up a bit.
I made these last night. Another super-easy and delicious recipe from SK. The almond pesto was so good!
Don’t sleep on this pesto. It’s so incredibly good. We grilled our green beans and served them with brown rice and pesto, then used leftover pesto on grilled salmon, and in orzo with zucchini and mozzarella. The game has been changed, y’all
I made this recipe it’s taste awesome. And also include huge nutritions thus, taste & health intogether.
This recipe is A-MAZING! I’ve made it many times, including once years ago for someone who “doesn’t like vegetables” and he loved it! It’s a go-to recipe for me, great on its own or with some cauli mash or as part of a large meal, it’s just perfect. Thank you so much for this one!
I haven’t made the green beans yet, but I made the almond pesto this morning. I can eat it by the spoonful, it’s so good. I cut it in half, and that worked fine. I’m trying to think about what else I can use it for. Because I will. Thank you, Deb, for another delicious recipe.
I made a cheat version of this where I just grated the cheese directly over the beans, tossed in roughly chopped almonds, and then squeezed in lemon juice (didn’t have the white wine vinegar), other seasonings, and gave a drizzle of olive oil before mixing everything together. It came together even better than the original, I think, because the cheese and olive oil helped the almonds to stick to the green beans so I got more of everything in one bite!
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Really enjoyed making this dish at home. It was delicious
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Would this work just as well with walnuts?
Absolutely.
Have made this a couple of times and it’s freaking delish! If you’ve got any FRESH marjoram, try that instead of thyme. I would also add for first timers to be careful not to process the nuts too much or the mixture starts to take on the consistency of a nut butter.
everyone loved this! the almonds make for a wonderful flavour. i ended up with a smoother paste because the cheese took a while to blend in. next time i will grate or make smaller pieces. there will be a next time.
Very nice dish! I didn’t have enough cheese, so I added some old bread and some lime peel to the processor. It came out wonderful and fresh.
I have to tell you that the pesto is great in soup! I was making beans cooked with kale and I usually add Parmesan but had some leftover almond pesto. So good!
Made these tonight – the pesto is so easy and so delicious! Great way to serve/eat beans!
Oh my goodness this was so delicious! I had three helpings and they only reason I did not eat them all is because my daughter was not home for dinner and she loves green beans! Thank you for this deliciousness.
Absolutely divine and unusual. Buy the freshest beans possible. The almond pesto was easy to make and tasted so good. Everyone who had it raved about it. This is a keeper.
My green beans and almond pesto wound up on top of brown rice and under quickly sauteed cod with butter and lemon sauce. Ten minutes in a 400° oven. Delicious.
Hi Deb, thanks for another amazing recipe!
Can I serve these warm and skip the ice bath?
Yes
I made these for Thanksgiving (and served them warm) and they were wonderful! Thanks for the recipe.
Made one-and-a-half recipe for Thanksgiving (13 adults) and it was yummy. I chose to steam the beans, mostly because it was easier. Trimmed them just a few hours before hand and made the “pesto” the day before. Excellent addition to the meal. Thank you Deb!