My brother-in-law Thomas has fallen hard – for the green beans I made for Thanksgiving.  When someone declares that they are the best green beans he has ever eaten, you know something’s gone right.

So Thomas – this recipe is for you!

Ingredients

3 lbs. of fresh green beans, stems removed and broken into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
2 large onions, sliced into thin wedges
1 1/2 tsp crushed garlic (add more if you really love garlic)
5 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Butter (I used vegan butter and it was delicious.)
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot and add onions. Saute for at least 8-10 minutes until they are completely softened and starting to brown up. Clear a space in the middle, add a little more oil and let it warm up a bit. Add the garlic and saute it for a minute of so. Blend with the rest of the onions and cook a couple of minutes more.

While the onions are cooking heat a small pan over medium heat and add almonds. Toast and stir them for several minutes until you start to see little brown marks and they smell thoroughly cooked. Pay attention and keep them moving as they can burn easily. Remove from heat to a small bowl.

At the same time, start a large pot of water boiling with a big pinch of salt.

Add green beans and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll want to watch for the beans to start to darken up a bit, and check with a fork to see when they’re just about fork tender. Once they are done, drain them and add them to the onion/garlic mixture. Add in the almonds, butter, salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.

Check seasonings and serve immediately.  Serves a large group.