Green Beans with Olive-Almond Tapenade

Green Beans with Olive-Almond Tapenade elevates the veggies to center stage!

Vegetable recipes rarely steal the limelight. Think about it. How many vegetable recipes jump off the screen compared to indulgent desserts or succulent main courses? But here’s the deal. Our bodies thrive when we eat our veggies. Why not let your taste buds sing as well?

This simple, healthy recipe is also delicious and easy to make. Freshly steamed green beans are tossed with a flavorful mixture (aka tapenade) of green olives, almonds, lemon, parsley and olive oil. A food processor makes the Olive-Almond Tapenade a cinch to make. The tapenade can also be made in advance, which means finishing the recipe is super easy. That’s one of the reasons I selected this veggie dish for Thanksgiving to offset my ambitious Turkey Roulade with Mushroom-Pancetta Stuffing.

But you don’t have to wait for a holiday to make vegetables with a little flair! You can upgrade any weekday meal of sauteed chicken breast, roasted fish or grilled burger with this bright and fresh veggie dish.

Tapenade Appetizer & Sauce Idea

I made a double batch of this tapenade to feed the crowd I was serving at Thanksgiving. This left me with more than I needed for my green beans, so I experimented with leftovers.

Here are some fun ideas I came up with:

• Spread a crisp cracker or toasted bread with lemon humus (or your favorite humus flavor) and top with Olive-Almond Tapenade. Yummy!
• Same idea as above, but using a rich triple cream or other spreadable cheese as a base. Another tasty combination!
• Stir a few more tablespoons of olive oil into the tapenade to form a sauce like consistency and spoon over roasted fish or chicken fillet.

One of the things I especially like about this tapenade is that it’s packed with flavor, without using any garlic. I am not opposed to garlic, I just prefer it to be a background flavor vs a dominant flavor. You can easily toss some minced garlic into the food processor when you make the tapenade if you’re a fan.

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Green Beans with Olive-Almond Tapenade

Green Beans with Olive-Almond Tapenade is a simple, healthy, side dish with bright olive, almond & lemon flavor. The tapenade also makes a delicious spread.

4.60 from 5 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Adapted from Good Housekeeping recipe

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. whole almonds toasted
• 1/2 c. large pitted green olives
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 3 tbsp. packed parsley leaves plus more for garnish
• 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. green beans trimmed
• 2 tbsp butter room temperature
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• In food processor, pulse almonds until finely chopped. Add olives, lemon zest and parsley; pulse until finely ground, stopping and scraping occasionally. Add oil and pulse until well blended; season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Heat large covered pot salted water to boiling on high. Add green beans; cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain well; place in serving bowl.
• Add tapenade and butter to beans, tossing until butter is melted and beans are evenly coated. Garnish with parsley and season with additional salt & pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

Notes

Olive-Almond Tapenade is also delicious served as:

• a spread paired with lemon humus or soft spreadable cheese, such as triple cream.
• Served as a topping for fish or chicken (mix in a few more tablespoons of olive oil to create a sauce-like consistency.)