Blistered Green Beans with Toasted Almonds

Serves 4

“Blistering” simply means you’re cooking a vegetable in hot oil until brown spots begin to appear. It’s a sign that the natural sugars in the vegetable are concentrating and caramelizing. Don’t be tempted to stir the beans before about 2 minutes—they need a little time to char.

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 8 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed (see Tip below)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Tip below)

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green beans and cook, without stirring, until the beans begin to blister, about 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and blistered in spots, 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve.

TIPS To trim green beans, cut or snap off the stem end.

To toast sliced almonds, place in a skillet and heat until fragrant and lightly browned, about 1 minute.