Halloumi, the perfect grilling cheese! The sweet caramelised figs perfectly balance the briny and tangy halloumi that is crispy on the outside and luxuriously melted on the inside, and the toasted hazelnuts in the dressing add a delightful crunch!
See how simple it is to create this great-tasting dish below and don’t forget that you can always print it.
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Halloumi Salad with Figs
Servings: 6 People
Ingredients
- 1 ½ 300g Halloumi, Charalambides Christis, thickly sliced and cut into 2cm cubes
- 8-10 Small Black Figs , not very soft, halved
- 3 Thin and Long Japanese eggplants , sliced into 1cm rounds
- 4 Thin and Small Zucchinis , sliced into 1cm rounds
- 18-20 Cherry Tomatoes
- 14 Black Olives
- 1 tbsp Capers , roughly chopped
- 7 tbsp EVOO , Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Wild Purslane , leaves picked
- 2 Slices Traditional Cypriot Round Loaf Bread , 1cm thickness
- 1 tsp Dry Oregano , ground
- 1 Clove Garlic , peeled and lightly smashed
- Few Basil Flowers
- 1 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
For the vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp Hazelnuts
- 30 ml Apple Cider Vinegar , or a mild white vinegar
- 50 ml EVOO , Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Grain Mustard
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbsp Honey
- ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- We start with the vinaigrette by toasting the hazelnuts in a pan until their oils are released and they are slighltly browned. Once cooled, we roughly chop them and add them back into the pan at low heat along with the oil.
- Then add the apple cider vinegar and season with the salt and pepper. Add both mustards and whisk well. Add the honey, mix well and keep aside in the pan.
- Then we make the croutons by removing the edges of the bread slices and cutting them into 1cm cubes. We use a frying pan on medium heat and we pour 2 tbsp of olive oil along with the smashed garlic. A minute later we drop in the cut bread and we stir fry until nicely crisped. Half way through we add the dry oregano. We discard the garlic and we remove the croutons to a plate.
- We use an oven proof dish and we add the cut eggplants and zucchinis. We drizzle with about 3 tbsp of olive oil, we season with some salt and pepper and we toss well. We place the dish into a fully preheat oven, max degrees, broiler/griller on and rack set at the very top near the elements of the grill. We cook for 2-3’ and then we flip the vegetables cooking for further 2-3’. We remove from the oven into a plate and keep aside.
- In the same dish we add the halloumi cubes and we return the dish to the oven, grilling them for a total of about 5’, tossing them couple of times until browned lightly. We remove from the oven into a plate and keep aside.
- We place our frying pan on medium heat and once it heats up we pour 1 tbsp of olive oil. A minute late we drop in the cherry tomatoes, we sprinkle some salt and we cook until they blister. Remove from the pan into a plate and keep aside.
- In the same pan we add another tbsp of olive and a minute late we add the figs, cut side facing down, cooking them for 2-3’ until softened and caramelised. Remove from the pan into a plate and keep aside.
- We add into a large bowl the eggplants, zucchini, halloumi, cherry tomatoes along with the figs, olives, capers and 2/3 of the croutons and we toss gently.
- We take a deep serving plate and we place the purslane leaves. We add on top the above mixture and drizzle all-over the vinaigrette, then sprinkle the remaining croutons, scatter the basil flowers and serve immediately.
Video
Start with the vinaigrette by toasting the hazelnuts,
Once cooled, roughly chop them,
and add them back into the pan at low heat along with the oil.
Then add the apple cider vinegar and
season with the salt and pepper.
Add both mustards and
whisk well.
Add the honey,
mix well and keep aside.
Make the croutons by pouring the oil along with the smashed garlic.
In the meantime, remove the edges of the bread slices and
and cut them into 1cm cubes.
Drop in the cut bread and
add the oregano and
stir fry until nicely crisped.
Cut the zucchinis and
the eggplants,
drizzle with olive oil,
season with salt and pepper and toss well.
After grilling them add them in a bowl.
Cut the halloumi in cubes,
and add them in the oven proof dish.
After grilling them for 5′ add them in the bowl with the vegetables.
Pour olive oil,
and drop in the cherry tomatoes.
Cooking until they blister and adding them into the bowl.
In the same pan lightly fry in some oil the cut figs and add them into the bowl.
Add the olives,
the capers,
most of the croutons,
and toss gently.
Place the purslane leaves and add on top the above mixture,
drizzle all-over the vinaigrette,
sprinkle the remaining croutons,
scatter the basil flowers and serve immediately.
