Runner Beans recipes

This is the salad to make when the garden is producing more beans than you know what to do with. Blanched until just tender, the runner beans are dressed while still warm so they absorb every bit of the sharp mustardy vinaigrette. Ripe tomatoes and plenty of fresh herbs turn it into something genuinely special.

A fragrant South-East Asian-inspired curry where thick-cut runner beans simmer in a golden turmeric and coconut milk broth until just tender. Crispy fried shallots on top add crunch and sweetness. This is a proper weeknight vegetable main that asks nothing of you but a good pile of jasmine rice alongside.

This is the Italian approach to a bean soup — honest, filling and built on good stock. Thick slices of runner bean and waxy potato simmer until just tender, then the whole pot gets lifted at the last moment with a generous spoonful of basil pesto swirled through each bowl. It tastes like something that took all day, but comes together in under an hour.

A classic French-style side dish that does justice to the best of the summer harvest. Runner beans are blanched until just tender, then tossed in nutty brown butter with toasted flaked almonds and a squeeze of lemon. It is on the table in under 20 minutes and makes any roast dinner or grilled fish feel rather special.