Sometimes you want to add a little extra pizzazz to your vegetables. Sure, they’re great steamed, baked, or sautéed. But, if you want an extra layer of goodness, you really need to try our vegan, gluten-free almond/garlic topping. It adds both tang (due to the addition of lime juice and garlic) and a robust, nutty flavor. This mixture is easy to make in your blender or food processor. Almonds are a great source of protein, and if you’re following a strict vegan diet, you most likely welcome any chance to increase your protein intake.

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups of fresh green beans, with the ends snipped off. Leave them long!
1/2 cup whole almonds
1-2 garlic cloves (We love garlic, so we used two)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (lemon juice works, as well)
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Grease a cookie sheet with a layer of olive oil and arrange the beans on top of it. Make sure they don’t overlap. Sprinkle a bit of extra olive oil across the top of the beans.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Don’t overcook, or they will dry out and shrivel.

Remove the green beans from your oven. Prepare the topping by placing the remainder of the ingredients in your blender or food processor. Give the mixture a whirl. It’s okay if the almonds are slightly chunky. You don’t need to grind them into a fine powder. You want some texture!

Sprinkle the topping over your beans. There should be plenty of topping, and you can be as generous with it as you desire. If you have any left over, refrigerate and reuse it later. This topping tastes great on a salad or stir-fry! You can sprinkle it on pretty much anything.

Serves about four guests. You can enjoy these green beans with just about any main dish. Some of our suggestions include tempeh burgers, barbecued jackfruit, vegan sausages (check for gluten), or even tofu (we enjoyed our beans with a hearty helping of our Crispy Peanut Tofu — see our August 12 recipe for inspiration and instructions).

Though you can refrigerate the topping for several days, we don’t recommend saving the green beans for later. They don’t re-heat very well, since they don’t retain much water. So eat this tasty dish right away! Be sure to save room for dessert. Welcome to autumn, and happy eating!

 The Happy Gluten-Free Vegan is always free, always reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated. Receipts will come from ISIPP.

CashApp us

Venmo us

Paypal us

---