Borlotti Beans from the Allotment – and My Favourite Fresh Borlotti Bean Recipe

We’ve grown borlotti beans almost every year since we first got our allotment, with varying levels of success.

In the early years, we started with Turkish borlotti beans, then tried Italian varieties as well. 2022 and 2023 were particularly good years for the Turkish beans. In 2023, we even left the pods on the plants to dry while we were away on holiday in August, harvesting them in September and cooking them as dried beans over the following months.

Then came 2024—a complete disaster. We planted around 60 seedlings, including a few dwarf borlotti beans, but only three survived. I don’t think we harvested a single bean that year. Our neighbour James, however, had an incredible crop and generously gave us a big bunch. We adored them and couldn’t help but envy his weekly harvests.

So, this year, we decided to take James’s advice on when and how to plant, as well as which seeds to choose. We ordered all Italian varieties this time and invested in deep planters called root trainers.

With a little help from the July weather, our plants are looking strong, and pods started forming at the end of the month. We’ll begin harvesting in September when we’re back from holiday, fingers crossed for no surprises and a good crop waiting for us.

But our luck with borlotti beans this year hasn’t just been in the allotment. All through July, I spotted fresh borlotti beans in Waitrose from Natoora. Even though they cost me an arm and a leg, I couldn’t resist and made several batches of my favourite borlotti bean dish. I’ve now updated my recipe to include instructions for using fresh beans.

Fresh Borlotti Beans with Vegetables

Ingredients

500g fresh borlotti beans (shelled)

½ cup olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 tsp pepper paste

5 whole garlic cloves

1 small green pepper or çarliston biber

300ml hot water (more if needed)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp caster sugar

Black pepper, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley, to serve

Method

1. Precook the beans in boiling water for 20 minutes to remove the dark colour they release. This helps keep the final cooking juices clear.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

3. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until soft.

4. Stir in the pepper paste, carrots, tomatoes, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.

5. Add the beans and enough water to cover them by about 1cm.

6. Stir in the salt, sugar, and a good grind of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. The aim is for the carrots and beans to be soft, and for most of the water to have evaporated, leaving the beans in a rich layer of cooking oil. Add a little more water during cooking if needed, but not much.

7. Check the beans after 30 minutes. If they still have bite, cook for another 5 minutes and check again. Avoid overcooking, as they can become mushy.

8. Let the dish rest overnight for the best flavour. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with parsley.