Recipe: Summer Bean Salad with Basil Aioli

This delicious recipe creates a colourful salad that's a feast for the eyes and bursting with summer flavours 

INGREDIENTS 

100ml extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced 

1 tsp fennel seeds1⁄2 tsp chilli flakes

300g cherry tomatoes, halved

700g queen butter beans 

100g green beans, trimmed

Zest and juice of 1 lemon 

3 mixed colour beefsteak tomatoes, thickly sliced 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Fresh basil

Crusty bread

For the aioli:

200g mayonnaise

Small bunch of basil

1 small clove of garlic

Juice of 1⁄2 lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste 

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a wide, deep pan on a medium heat. Once hot add the garlic and let sizzle for a minute. Add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes and cherry tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes until breaking down a little and releasing their juices. 

2. Add the butter beans with a little of their stock, the trimmed green beans and some salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir, then place a lid on the pan and turn down the heat to low. Leave for 5 minutes for the green beans to steam a little. Finish with the lemon zest and juice. 

3. Meanwhile, blitz all of the aioli ingredients in a blender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. 

4. Arrange the beefsteak tomato slices on a large platter, top with the bean mixture, dollops of the basil aioli and basil leaves. Serve with crusty bread.