Halloumi Salad for summer

One of the best ways to use a variety of summer produce is to throw everything together into a salad and top it off with some grilled halloumi. It’s a perfect meal, and whilst there isn’t really a recipe, a few ingredient combinations make the whole dish come together.

The halloumi

Use a Greek or Cypriot halloumi cheese and try a few different brands to find the one you like. Rick Stein, in one of his recipes, dusts the halloumi with semolina before frying. That adds a nice crunch and is worth doing for a special dinner. I tend to just fry the halloumi in a heavy frying pan till it gets crusty and golden. Or use a grill pan or bbq and grill it.

It’s important to have the rest of the ingredients for the salad ready, dressed and waiting before you fry the halloumi, as it’s best eaten straight off the pan.

Combinations that work
  1. The saltiness of halloumi works well with contrasting sweet flavours. Figs are classic, but also pears, grapes and dried fruit like raisins & currants add a nice sweet balance.
  2. Alternatively, go the tangy route and pair with ripe flavourful tomatoes, cucumbers and fresh herbs for a modern take on a Greek style salad.
  3. Either way, add crunch by adding nuts or toasted seeds.
  4. Finally to make the dish more substantial, add cooked puy lentils, or canned beans, broad beans or chickpeas.
  5. Dressing-wise anything with a tangy/sweet base works well, and I am partial to both aged balsamic vinegar based dressings and my all time favourite – pomegranate molasses. If using the latter, give the salad a Middle-Eastern twist by adding fresh pomegranate seeds and some mint.

Print Recipe
Halloumi salad for summer
The recipe below is for a salad that I put together recently, but feel free to innovate based on what you have on hand, and use the guidelines above to make an interesting salad.
Cuisine Modern British
Prep Time 15 min
Cook Time 10 min
Servings
Ingredients
Dressing
Cuisine Modern British
Prep Time 15 min
Cook Time 10 min
Servings
Ingredients
Dressing
Instructions
Make the dressing:
  1. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk everything well together with a small wire whisk.
  2. Prepare the kohlrabi by taking off the tough skin and then slicing into matchsticks.
To serve:
  1. Heat a heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Whilst that’s heating, mix the salad ingredients, (excepting the halloumi & olive oil), together with the dressing and portion out into serving plates or bowls.
  2. Slice the halloumi into thick 1/2 “ slices and pat dry. Once the pan is hot, add the oil and fry the halloumi, for 2 minutes or so on each side until it’s golden brown and crusty. Place on top of the prepared salad, drizzle with a little more pomegranate molasses and serve immediately.
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