How To Make Mixed Bean Salad

This is best made with a mixture of fresh and tinned beans. Add a finely chopped red onion or a couple of spring onions halved and cut into strips for variation, and swap around the type of beans you use according to what you fancy at the time. It doesn't matter what kind of dressing you use either – vinaigrette, Thousand Island, or balsamic vinegar straight from the bottle – but, as with most other salads, this one tastes better with than without.

1. Step 1:

   Trim the green beans at both ends and cook in a saucepan of boiling water, simmering for about 3 minutes once the water starts to bubble. Strain the beans and run them straight under cold water, leaving them to drain for a few minutes before you put them in a large salad bowl.

3. Step 2:

   Drain the tins of beans and rinse well in a sieve or colander then add them to the bowl.

4. Step 3:

   Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes, wash and cut the cucumber and peppers into chunks, making sure you remove all the seeds from the peppers. (Peel the cucumber if you prefer but there’s really no need unless you don’t like the skin.)

5. Step 4:

   Add everything else to the bowl, sprinkle with herbs, mix well, pour over the salad dressing and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.