PREPARE THE VEGETABLES

First, char the courgettes.

Chop them into rounds about half a centimetre thick.

Place a griddle pan over very high heat.

Once it’s hot, you can add your courgettes in batches.  I don’t add any oil – I find that everything chars better without it. But you do need to keep an eye on them.

Once your first batch of courgette is charred, put it into a bowl and move onto the next batch.

Dress the courgettes with chilli and lemon juice.

While the courgettes are still very hot, stir through the juice of half the lemon and a pinch of salt.

Finely chop the chilli and add it to your courgettes.

Next, boil your green beans.

Top and tail the green beans, and chop them in half.

Add them to salted boiling water for only two minutes. I like them very crispy.

Then run under cold water until they’re completely cool – this stops them from cooking and keeps them nice and green.

Drain the green beans thoroughly and add to the courgettes.

Then prepare your sundried tomatoes.

If you made your own, just add them directly to the salad. 

If you bought them, you might want to drain off the excess oil. Take them out the jar with a fork, and place them between a few sheets of kitchen roll. Then gently squeeze most of the oil out.

Chop the tomatoes into small slithers, and add to your salad.

Drain and rinse your butter beans thoroughly, and add them to your salad.

Leave them to dry – you don’t want to dilute the beautiful dressing with water.

Once everything is cool, tear the mint leaves in, and give it a stir.

Taste and season your salad.

Watch out for the balance of flavours. Does it need any more lemon juice? I normally squeeze in some more at this stage, but do what works for your tastes.

MAKE THE DRESSING

Start by peeling and finely grating the garlic.

Add the garlic to a bowl with all the other ingredients and stir with a spoon.

Tahini sauce has this funny way of seizing up when you start to stir it, so you might find it becomes very thick or separates.

That’s OK – keep stirring and it will eventually loosen again. If it doesn’t, just add a few drops more water.

Taste the dressing as you go – don’t be afraid to add more garlic, lemon, salt or tahini to get the balance just right (you’ll just need to stir until it’s smooth again).

You’re done when you have a smooth creamy consistency.

Serve your salad with the dressing on the side, so everyone can drizzle over as much as they want.