I've found the perfect grilled zucchini salad for summer barbecues

You simply cannot beat grilled zucchini as a summer salad ingredient. Griddling or barbecuing is a lovely way to cook ribbons of summer zucchini, giving them that delightful charred look and taste. And it means that vegetarians can also enjoy those smoky grilled flavors. Whole beans – Runner, Helda, or any similarly shaped and sized whole bean – add extra texture and crunch, while the tahini and lemon sauce (make up to four days in advance) brings a zesty creaminess.

Zucchini responds beautifully to grilling – blistering and softening in minutes. Pile the vegetables over the sauce on a platter, like this Chambray tile stoneware serving platter from Pottery Barn, for an easy summer salad with big impact.

Ingredients

• Serves six, takes 10 minutes to cook, 20 minutes to prepare
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 tbsp [light] tahini paste, well stirred
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
• 2 tbsp warm water
• 4 medium zucchinis, trimmed
• 18 oz runner beans or other bean varieties of similar shape and size, stalks trimmed
• ½ lemon, juice only, to drizzle
• A handful of summer salad and herb leaves, to serve

The Homes & Gardens method

1. The tahini sauce can be made up to four days ahead of time and chilled. To make it, combine the garlic with the tahini, lemon juice and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Loosen just before you're ready to serve with a little warm water until it has the consistency of thick cream as it will thicken up in the fridge. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Either have a griddle pan ready or a barbecue with white-hot coals and a metal grid in place. Ideally using a mandolin with a hand guard (OXO Good Grips at Amazon is our tried-and-trusted mandolin), slice the zucchini into long ribbons, about a tenth of an inch thick. Alternatively, use a sharp knife – a vegetable peeler tends to produce slices that are too delicate and burn easily. Toss the whole beans and zucchini ribbons with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and season well. Griddle in a smoking-hot pan set over a high heat, or over the coals, turning with tongs every couple of minutes, or when the vegetables are slightly charred all over.
3. Spread the tahini sauce on a platter and arrange the vegetables on top, drizzling with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil and scattering with summer salad and herb leaves to finish.

This grilled zucchini salad is an easy side for summer barbecues. If you're looking to grill out this summer, our guide to the best grills is a great place to start to get yourself kitted out.