This broad bean salad makes a real change from boring lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber.
It's a really easy recipe that uses peas, broad beans, mint, bacon and salad cheese to make a simple salad that's delicious warm or cold.
Delicious with your barbecue or summer roasts.
Enjoy.

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My grandad spent his whole free time in his vegetable plot and his standard greeting was, 'Do you want any tomato plants?'. We used to have to guess what the Sunday roast was when we visited. The meat was at the bottom of a plate mounded high with vegetables, with absolutely everything coming fresh from the garden.
Broad beans were a favourite of mine and I used to spend ages podding them. Running my fingers in their furry lining to pop out the beans was a complete pleasure to me.
Nowadays, it's difficult to source fresh broad beans, except at markets, so I have to settle for frozen ones. However, this means that I can make this salad quite easily by using frozen beans and peas.
It's a light salad that really goes with any summer dish and it makes a nice change from a bag of limp salad leaves.
It has a light, lemony mint flavour, which is refreshing on a hot day. The smoked bacon and salad cheese has all the salt you need.
Although the feta or salad cheese is creamy and a great tecture contrast, you could easily leave it out if you prefer.
❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Budget friendly ingredients.
- Delicious warm or cold.
- Easily transportable and won't get soggy.
- Simple to make.
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🥘 Ingredients
- Broad beans - frozen broad beans, no need to defrost.
- Peas - any frozen peas, no need to defrost. Canned beans or peas will not taste fresh enough in a salad.
- Cheese - feta cheese, also known as salad cheese. It's salty and creamy and delicious on many slads.
- Bacon - i've used smoked bacon lardons, which are just small cubes of bacon with a little fat on them. They add a lot of flavour.
- Mint - fresh mint. I just but a pot from the supermarket and plant in a pot in the garden. It's great for grabbing a sprig to boil new potatoes in. Unless you want to take over the garden, don't plant it in your borders.
- Pepper - freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Lemon juice - fresh lemon juice is best, but you could use bottled juice in a pinch.
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.
🍽 Equipment
- frying pan or skillet
- saucepan with lid
- colander
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- kitchen paper
- mixing bowl
🔪 Instructions
Put the lardons in a frying pan over a medium heat.
Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lardons are slightly crispy on the outside.
Drain on kitchen paper.
Bring a pan of cold water to the boil then add the frozen peas and broad beans.
⏲️ Cooking Time
Simmer with a lid on for 3 minutes and then drain in a colander.
Immediately, transfer the peas and beans to a bowl and cover with cold water.
This will stop the cooking process and preserve the colour of the vegetables.
Drain the vegetables after 5 minutes.
💭 Top tip
- At this point you can assemble the salad, but I like to slip off the outer pods from the broad beans to reveal the tender, bright green underneath. It is a little time consuming, however, if you pinch one end gently, they pop out.
Remove the mint leaves from the stalk and finely chop.
Put the beans, peas, mint, bacon, lemon juice and pepper in a bowl.
Mix well.
Arrange the broad bean salad in a serving bowl and crumble the feta on top.
💭 Top tip
- The feta is stored in water, so leave it to drain on kitchen paper before using.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
🥗 Serve with
This salad is great for summer eating with barbecues or roasted meats. Try some of these ideas.
- Slow Roast Lamb Shoulder
- Devilled Chicken
- Baked BBQ Chicken Wings
- Simple Roast Gammon
- Roast Venison Haunch
- Pan Seared Sea Bass
- Baked Monkfish Tails
- Baked Salmon
- Vietnamese Grilled Chicken
- Lincolnshire Sausage Skewers
- Spider Steak with Tarragon Butter
- Flanken Short Ribs
- Spatchcock Duck
🥙 Substitutions
- lardons - use any smoked bacon or leftover ham, cut into small pieces.
📖 Variations
Try using these vegetables.
- sweetcorn
- green beans
- edamame beans
- courgettes - finely sliced and raw
Instead of bacon lardons try:
- Chorizo - cut into fine cubes and lightly fry until crisp.
- Pancetta - slice and fry.
🍣Storage
- Refrigerator - cover and chill for up to 3 days.
🍱 Prepare in Advance
- Make in advance and store in the refrigerator. Crumble on the feta just before serving.
🤔FAQs
If you are lucky enough to grow your own broad beans or get hold of some fresh ones, they can be eaten raw if they are picked young.
More salad recipes
- Pear and Rocket Salad
- Courgette Salad
- Tomato and Onion Salad
- Fennel and pear Salad with Blue Cheese
- Raw Mushroom Salad
- Edamame, Broccoli and Asparagus Salad
- Tarragon Potato Salad
- Spicy Crab Salad
📋 Recipe
Broad Bean Salad
Equipment
- Frying pan or skillet
- saucepan with lid
- colander
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Kitchen paper
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 270 g broad beans
- 150 g peas
- 50 g feta or salad cheese
- 155 g bacon smoked bacon lardons
- 2 tablespoon mint fresh, chopped
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Put the lardons in a frying pan over a medium heat.
- Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the lardons are slightly crispy on the outside. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Bring a pan of cold water to the boil then add the frozen peas and broad beans.
- Simmer with a lid on for 3 minutes and then drain in a colander.
- Immediately, transfer the peas and beans to a bowl and cover with cold water.
- Drain the vegetables after 5 minutes.
- Optional: remove the outer pod from the broad beans.
- Remove the mint leaves from the stalk and finely chop.
- Put the beans, peas, mint, bacon, lemon juice and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
- Arrange the broad bean salad in a serving bowl and crumble the feta on top.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article
Salads
- Pear and Rocket Salad15 Minutes
- English Pea Salad20 Minutes
- Spicy Crab Salad10 Minutes
- Old Fashioned Creamy Cucumber Salad10 Minutes
🍲Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Do you have a question or did you make the recipe?
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Beth
This looks absolutely amazing! I love the combo of the beans, peas, and bacon. I'm going to make this and serve it with my baked chicken.
Justine
This is a wonderful salad! Easy to toss together and tastes sooooo fresh, we all loved it!
Jill
Really loved this salad. It's so healthy, fresh and delicious!
Suja md
One of my favorites! These looks absolutely great! can't wait to try!
Tara
Oh yum! Definitely a delicious change. I love that color from the broad beans and peas.
Anjali
This salad was so simple to make but was filling and packed with flavor! We loved it as an easy lunch today!
Alison Saalbach Corey
Thank you for consistently delivering high-quality content that never fails to impress. Your passion for cooking shines through in every recipe you share, and it's truly contagious.
Dina
This was the perfect side dish! Loved the combination!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
This is a great idea for summer lunch! Looks so good!
Whitney
I love the unique flavors of the lemon, mint and bacon! Can't wait to try these!
Stephanie
Another tasty salad from this site! With the addition to the bacon I serve this as a meal. Thanks for the step-by-step instructions - it helps newbie chefs like myself.
Katherine
This salad was such a great way to use up all my broad beans! Loved the bacon in it.
Carrie Robinson
I have never had a salad like this before. Totally want to try it soon. 🙂
Holley
Such an easy and delicious salad choice! A perfect side dish to bring to summer gatherings!