Cooked up in 20 minutes, this lemony sautéed broccolini and green beans is the perfect, easy vegetable side dish. It’s made with 10 simple ingredients, like lemon, garlic, and soaked dried currants for a sweet and tangy bite. You only need one skillet on the stove to pull this together. It’s fresh and lemony with toasty bites of almond. Perfect for when you’re craving green vegetables, similar to my Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Smoky Almond Bits.
Broccolini and beans are great together because their cooking time is about the same. Both vegetables benefit from similar flavor accents as well. I infuse olive oil with lemon peel and smashed garlic cloves on the stove first thing. This gets some of the natural lemon oils going and also provides subtle garlic flavor. There’s a hint of garlic, but it’s not overpowering.
This is such a simple recipe, so definitely use an olive oil that you enjoy the taste of on its own.
To cook broccolini in a pan with green beans, I just give it a quick sauté in the oil, season with salt and pepper, splash with water, and pop a lid on. We let the veg steam and then remove the lid. I like to cook the excess liquid off before hitting with a bit of lemon juice.
I toss the beans and broccolini with some soaked dried currants and toasted almond slices at the end. Every bite is a little sweet, tangy, toasty, and green vegetable-y. Having a simple but still special green veg side in your arsenal is a power move, and this sautéed broccolini really does it for me. Fans of this might also like my Smoky Sautéed Cauliflower with Green Beans, Tahini & Almonds.
Lemony Sautéed Broccolini & Green Beans with Almonds
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried currants
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, strips of peel removed and cut in half
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1 bunch broccolini, tough ends removed (scant ½ lb)
- ¾ lb green beans, tough stem ends removed
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup water
- 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Notes
- If you have particularly thick broccolini stalks, cut them in down the middle lengthwise first!
- I personally prefer the full 3 teaspoons of lemon juice, but I recommend starting at 2 and going from there.
- I use a Y peeler to get the strips of lemon peel. Be careful to not peel off too much of the bitter white pith.
Instructions
- Place the currants in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let them plump up for 10 minutes and then drain. Set aside.
- Set an 11-inch skillet with high sides (and a lid) on the stove. Pour in the olive oil and add the lemon peel strips and smashed garlic cloves. Turn on the heat to medium. Once the oil is sizzling, swirl it a bit. Sizzle the lemon peel and garlic for about a minute or two–you don't want browning on the garlic. Carefully remove lemon peel and garlic with a spoon, reserving the lemon peel for garnish if you like.
- Return the skillet with the infused oil to the stove over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the broccolini and green beans all at once. Give them a stir and season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables begin to turn slightly bright green on the edges, pour in the water (it should sizzle and steam) and place a lid on top.
- Steam the vegetables until crisp-tender, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the lid and let any excess water evaporate. Stir in 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and the soaked currants. Check the vegetables for seasoning (more salt, pepper or lemon) and adjust if necessary.
- Transfer the vegetables to a platter and top with the toasted almonds. Garnish with reserved lemon peels if you wish. Enjoy!
Great recipe and quite easy. Needed to substitute golden raisins for currants and pine nuts for toasted almonds.
I added a bit too much water and my vegetables were ‘boiled’ rather than steamed but still salvageable.
Glad that you were able to make it work for you, Praveen! Thanks for this comment and review.
-L
Thank you Laura,
This was smashing. My husband and I really enjoyed it, including the garlic!