Skip to main content
LoginSign Up
Spanish Green Beans with Ham, Almonds and Smoked Paprika

Spanish Green Beans with Ham, Almonds and Smoked Paprika

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    30 minutes
  • Rating

This recipe is our adaptation of the remarkably delicious green beans that we tasted in Extremadura, Spain, home of pimentón, or Spanish smoked paprika. Our method for charring then steaming the vegetables produces a perfectly tender-crisp beans. Serrano ham is a Spanish dry-cured ham; if you cannot find it, Italian prosciutto works equally well. The version we had in Spain was topped with a runny-yolked egg that, when broken into, created a velvety, flavorful sauce that coated the beans. If you like, just before serving top the beans with a poached egg before drizzling with the paprika-infused sauce.

Tip

Don’t stir the beans too often after adding them to the pan. Stirring only a few times allows the beans to take on some char that adds flavor the finished dish.

Ingredients
  • 4

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  • ¼

    cup slivered almonds

  • 2

    ounces thinly sliced serrano ham or prosciutto, sliced into ¼-inch-wide ribbons

  • 2

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • 1

    pound green beans, trimmed and halved

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • ½

    teaspoon smoked paprika

Step 1

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the almonds and cook, stirring often, until lightly golden, about 2 minutes.

Add the ham and garlic and cook, stirring, until the ham crisps and the garlic is fragrant, another 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.

Step 2

To the same skillet over medium-high, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and heat until smoking. Add the beans and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring only a few times, until the beans are lightly charred, about 4 minutes.

Return the ham-almond mixture to the pan and add ¼ cup water. Cover, reduce to low and cook, occasionally shaking the pan, until the beans are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving dish.

Step 3

Set the skillet over medium-high and add ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until the liquid has reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the paprika. Drizzle the sauce over the beans and serve.

Featured in