Halloumi crouton salad recipe
Halloumi croutons – the greatest invention since sliced bread. Crunchy outside, with that beautiful soft halloumi bite on the inside. Leave the halloumi to cook until the breadcrumbs are a deep brown.
Ingredients
- 2 pinches each of salt and pepper
- 2 bell peppers, cut into chunks
- 50 g pine nuts
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 50 g vegetarian parmesan
- 3 courgettes (zucchini), cut into thin strips
- 225 g halloumi, cut into small cubes
- 1 small bowl of plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 small bowl of dried breadcrumbs
- 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 bag of rocket
- 5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 200 ml vegetable oil, or enough to fill a saucepan 2cm/0.75in high
Details
- Cuisine: British
- Recipe Type: Salad
- Difficulty: Easy
- Preparation Time: 15 mins
- Cooking Time: 55 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
- Add the chopped pepper to a roasting tray with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 40 minutes or until charred and soft.
- Make the pesto. First, toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan (skillet). Into a blender add 20g (0.7oz) of the toasted pine nuts (keeping the rest aside for now), basil leaves, lemon juice, garlic clove and parmesan. Add 5 tablespoons of olive oil and blend until smooth.
- Next, drizzle the courgette strips with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add to a hot griddle (ridged stovetop) pan and cook for 5–6 minutes on each side.
- Now make the halloumi croutons. Get out three bowls. Add flour to one, the whisked eggs to another and breadcrumbs to the third. Dip the halloumi cubes in the flour, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs.
- Put a pan on the heat. Fill it up 2cm (¾ inch) high with vegetable oil. Heat the oil then add the croutons to the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the croutons from the heat and place them on some kitchen paper to drain.
- Add all the roasted pepper, halloumi croutons, rocket, leftover pine nuts and tomatoes to a large salad bowl. Pour over your pesto dressing, toss it all together and serve.
This recipe is from MOB Veggie: Feed 4 or more under £10 by Ben Lebus, published by Pavilion Books. Photography by Haarala Hamilton.
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