This salad with figs and fried halloumi is a bit of luxury made accessible to all! Crispy grilled halloumi pairs perfectly with sweet fresh figs and pomegranate balsamic dressing to make a heavenly winter salad!
For another satisfying salad try our Quinoa Salad with Lentils and Beets!
This salad with figs and halloumi is so quick, yet it’s perfect for a winter evening because the grilled halloumi adds a bit of warmth.
I adore grilled halloumi with a crispy outside and gooey middle. The saltiness of the halloumi is perfectly balanced out by the sweetness of the fresh figs. It combines to become a perfect winter salad, especially with a light sprinkling of toasted pine nuts!
How to cook halloumi
Halloumi is one of the most satisfying cheeses to eat and adds a perfect saltiness to many dishes. It is also really easy to prepare. Here are tips for making perfect halloumi every time:
- Halloumi cooks beautifully on a non-stick frying pan, but is quite forgiving, so a griddle, cast iron frying pan or even a barbecue can all be used. If using a barbecue, be careful that the grill bars are not too far apart or the halloumi slices will slip through.
- Don’t use any oil on the pan. Halloumi releases its own juices which will keep the cheese from sticking.
- Look for the seam on the cheese block before slicing. If you cut across the seam the halloumi slices will hold their shape better when they are cooking.
- Pay attention to how thick you cut the cheese. I aim for ⅓″ (1 cm) thick. If it is too thick the cheese won’t cook to an even texture, and if it is too thin then there is no room for the soft, melty inside.
- When the halloumi is first added the pan lots of brine will come out. Let this evaporate away completely before turning them over. And avoid moving the halloumi slices before flipping to achieve a perfect golden crust.
- Be careful when adding halloumi to dishes because it is quite salty already. Hold off on adding extra salt until you have tasted the dish so you don’t end up with too much.
How to make fig and halloumi winter salad
This salad comes together in less than 15 minutes, including time to make the dressing. The dressing is a combination of extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate molasses, a pinch of brown sugar and a dash of balsamic vinegar.
Pomegranate molasses brings so much flavour and fragrance to this dressing. Look for it in the international food aisles or Middle Eastern stores.
The dressing is made by combining pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan. Cook over low heat for around 5 minutes. The brown sugar should be completely dissolved and the dressing should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
The pine nuts can be fried over medium heat on a dry pan. Cook them for 3-5 minutes, giving the pan a shake everyone once in a while so each side is browned.
Prepare the halloumi by cutting it into slices about ⅓″ (1 cm) thick. Be careful not to cut them too thick or there won’t be enough space for the soft centre. Fry it on a dry pan over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until they are lovely and golden.
A few more fantastic salads worth trying:
Fig and Halloumi Winter Salad
Salad greens tossed with fresh figs and pomegranate balsamic dressing, served with fried halloumi cheese.
Ingredients
- 220g/3 cups salad greens of your choice
- 4 fresh and ripe figs quartered
- 125 g/4.4 oz halloumi sliced
- 2 tablespoon pine nuts
- 4 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 4 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Toast the pine nuts in a dry, non-stick pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes shaking the pan to ensure even browning until golden and fragrant. Take off the pan and set aside.
- In small saucepan or a small pan combine the ingredients for the dressing and cook over low heat for approximately 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is reduced so it coats a spoon.
- Cut halloumi into slices ⅓" (1 cm) thick and then cut them in half lengthwise. On the same dry pan place slices of halloumi and fry on both sides over medium heat for 3-5 minutes each until golden.
- Toss salad greens and quartered figs with olive oil, add fried halloumi and drizzle lightly with a tablespoon of pomegranate balsamic dressing, bottle the rest and reserve for the later use. Divide among two plates, sprinkle with pine nuts and serve immediately while cheese is still warm.
Notes
Read our tips on how to cook halloumi in this post to get perfect golden slices every time!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 581Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 436mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 49gProtein: 17g
Leave a Reply