Green bean salad with red and yellow peppers

This lively summer salad scores on looks as well as taste

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 small red pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 small yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tbsp olive oil

200g (7oz) French beans, tops removed and cut into 1.5cm (½in) slices on the diagonal

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

½ tsp brown sugar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

A small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped

1. Put the red and yellow pepper and the garlic cloves on a baking tray and coat them in ½ tbsp of the oil. Put the tray into the oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 20 minutes, or until the pepper has started to char around the edges.

2. Steam the beans until they are just tender, then refresh them under cold running water.

3. Crush the roasted garlic cloves, then mix them with the remaining 1½ tbsp oil, the vinegar, the sugar, a pinch of salt and a generous grinding of black pepper, to make a dressing.

4. Put the peppers into a bowl with the beans, the parsley and the dressing, and mix everything together.