This Salad with Grilled Halloumi & Blackberry Dressing is showing off in colors and flavors. Salty grilled halloumi, crunchy sour apple and tangy blueberry dressing make for a beautiful contrast.
I can honestly say that Halloumi is one of my favorite cheeses. There is something about this salty cheese with the herbs that makes it very special. I love it most with some lemon juice, just plain Grilled Halloumi. The first time I ate this cheese was on Cyprus; one of my many business trips to this cute little Mediterranean island. Cyprus has a spot in my heart, and not only because of the Halloumi. The people are friendly, there is still something rural about the island (things may have change is 20 years) and the capital Nicosia is very pleasant, nice restaurants and good food.
I am not so crazy about the touristic parts of Cyprus, but that may just be me. I am not crazy about touristic places anywhere. Never have been, never will be. Some tourists just don’t know how to behave and I prefer the more quiet places. That is not to say that I sometimes want to see the touristic places, simply because I want to know what people are talking about. In Cyprus, one of their claim to fame spots is Aphrodite’s mythical birthplace along the rocky coast of Paphos.
One more diversion; another lovely way to eat grilled Halloumi is with a drizzle of honey, as a dessert. Try it, it’s lovely.
Key Ingredients for This Recipe
- Green lettuce – you can us any type of green leaf lettuce you like; I used lollo bionda
- Apple – any type you like, however a sour apple will do better in combination with the cheese. Try a Granny Smith
- Halloumi cheese
- Celery
- Pine nuts
- Blackberries
- Basil
- Olive oil
How to Make Grilled Halloumi & Blackberry Dressing
- Place the pine nuts on a baking sheet and put it in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. When the nuts turn brown, take them out of the oven and allow to cool.
- Add half of the blackberries, yogurt, olive oil, basil to a blender and pulse until you have a smooth purple dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cut the Halloumi in small strips and grill them in a grill pan or in a skillet on high heat until you see grill marks. Turn and grill the other side. Allow to cool.
- Wash the lettuce, apple, celery and cut in strips, thin slices and small pieces and divide over large salad bowl or plate.
- Divide the halloumi strips over the salad and sprinkle with pine nuts.
- Drizzle blackberry dressing over the salad and place remaining blackberries on salad as well.
Salad with Grilled Halloumi & Blackberry Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 3 ounces lettuce
- 2 apples
- 3 stalks celery
- 8 ounces halloumi
- 1 ounce blackberry
Blackberry Dressing
- 5 ounces blackberry
- 9 basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons yogurt
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the pine nuts on a baking sheet and put it in the oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. When the nuts turn brown, take them out of the oven and allow to cool.
- Add 5 oz. of blackberries, yogurt, olive oil, basil to a blender and pulse until you have a smooth purple dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cut the halloumi in small strips and grill them in a grill pan on high heat until you see grill marks. Turn and grill the other side. Allow to cool.
- Was the lettuce, apple, celery and cut in strips, thin slices and small pieces and divide over large salad bowl or plate.
- Divide the halloumi strips over the salad and sprinkle with pine nuts.
- Drizzle blackberry dressing over the salad and place remaining blackberries on salad as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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