Some salads are clearly side dishes. This one is not. It has the freshness you want in warm weather, but it also has enough texture, richness and depth to work as lunch or a light dinner without leaving you looking for something else half an hour later.

The idea is simple: green beans are cooked until blistered, then mixed with edamame and peas before being coated in a warm dressing built from sesame oil, garlic, sambal oelek, soy sauce, agave and miso.

Fresh mint keeps everything bright, while torn mozzarella softens the heat and makes the whole plate feel more generous.

<b>The real appeal is the balance between hot and cool, crisp and creamy, spicy and fresh.</b>

<h3>What You’ll Need</h3>

½ tbsp light agave syrup

½ tsp brown or red miso

Serves 2.

Preparation takes about 10 minutes, with around 20 minutes of cooking.

<h3>1. Blister the Green Beans</h3>

Heat the rapeseed oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. A useful way to test the temperature is to touch the base of a wooden spoon to the oil; small bubbles forming around it mean the pan is ready.

Add the green beans in a single layer as much as possible. Leave them untouched for about 2 minutes, then turn and cook for another 2 minutes before turning once more. After roughly 6 minutes in total, they should be tender but still firm, with dark blistered patches across the surface. Transfer them to a large bowl and add the defrosted edamame and peas.

<b>Tip:</b> do not move the beans constantly. Leaving them alone against the hot pan is what creates those slightly smoky, charred edges.

<h3>2. Build the Warm Dressing</h3>

Lower the heat and add the toasted sesame oil to the same frying pan. Once warm, stir in the minced garlic and cook gently for around 1 minute. The aim is to soften the garlic and release its aroma without letting it become dark or bitter.

Add the sambal oelek, soy sauce, agave syrup and miso. Stir until everything combines into a glossy dressing, then cook for no more than another minute before removing the pan from the heat.

The miso gives the dressing depth, the soy sauce adds saltiness and the agave rounds off the chilli without making the salad noticeably sweet. Sambal oelek provides warmth rather than overwhelming heat, so the final result should feel lively rather than aggressive.

<h3>3. Dress While Warm</h3>

Pour the warm dressing over the beans, edamame and peas. Toss thoroughly so every piece gets a thin coating, then fold in the chopped mint.

<b>Why it works:</b> adding the dressing while the beans are still warm helps them absorb more flavour, while the mint added at the end stays fresh and fragrant.

At this stage, the salad should already taste balanced enough to eat on its own: savoury, slightly spicy and fresh, with three different green vegetables bringing their own textures.

<h3>4. Add the Mozzarella</h3>

Use tongs or two forks to transfer the dressed greens onto a serving platter, leaving any remaining dressing in the bottom of the bowl for a moment.

Tear the mozzarella into large, irregular pieces and arrange them over the top. Avoid cutting it into neat cubes. Torn mozzarella creates softer edges and pockets that catch the warm dressing more effectively.

Pour the remaining dressing over everything, making sure some lands directly on the cheese. The contrast is what makes the dish memorable. The beans are warm and lightly charred, the mozzarella stays cool and milky, and the sesame-chilli dressing connects the two.

<h3>Make It a Meal</h3>

Serve the salad as soon as it is assembled. On its own, it works well as a substantial lunch for two. For dinner, add steamed rice, flatbread or a simple bowl of noodles alongside it if you want something more filling. If you prefer less cheese, use one 125 g mozzarella ball rather than two. The salad will still work because the edamame already provides plenty of substance.

<b>This is the kind of summer recipe that earns repeat status: fast enough for a weekday, colourful enough for guests and interesting enough that “salad for dinner” does not sound like a compromise.</b>