My Big Fat Halloumi Salad
Sohla El-Waylly
Photo by JULIA GARTLAND. PROP STYLIST: MEGAN HEDGPETH. FOOD STYLIST: SAM SENEVIRATNE.
- Serves
- 1 big salad
- Prep Time
- 10 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 Minutes
This salad reminds me of a Middle Eastern meze spread in the best way. There’s crunch from the roasted almonds, chewy and sweet dates, tender roasted eggplant, crispy chickpeas, and hunks of seared Halloumi. After tossing the peppery arugula and bitter radicchio in a bright sumac dressing, I pile it all onto a large plate and garnish with the hot and cold toppings. This allows me to choose a different adventure with every bite, but if you’re the type that likes to fully commit, toss the whole thing in a big bowl and dig in. If you want another big salad (of course you do), check out my Italian Combo Salad and read more about how to make your own big salad creation here.
Ingredients
Halloumi salad
- 1 small eggplant (about 7 ounces), halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2-inch half-moons
- 4 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cooked and drained chickpeas
- 3 ounce Halloumi, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup arugula, lightly packed
- 1/2 small head radicchio (about 5 ounces), cored and torn into bite-size pieces
- 1/3 cup parsley leaves and tender stems, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup sliced or chopped almonds, toasted
- 3 medjool dates, pitted and torn into pieces
- 1 tangerine, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds, seeds removed
Honey dressing
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sumac
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or another mild chile flake)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Featured Video
My Big Fat Halloumi Salad
Directions
Instructions
- Step 1
Place a sheet pan in the oven and heat to 450°F.
- Step 2
In a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 2 teaspoons of oil to coat. Sprinkle with the salt and sugar, toss to coat, and spread onto the heated sheet pan. Roast until the bottom of the eggplant is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
- Step 3
In the same bowl (no need to wash it out), toss the chickpeas with 1 teaspoon of oil to coat and season lightly with salt.
- Step 4
Remove the sheet pan from the oven, flip over the eggplant, and scooch to one side of the pan. Spread the chickpeas alongside the eggplant. Drizzle the remaining teaspoon of oil onto the now bare side of the pan and add the Halloumi. Return to the oven and cook until the eggplant is brown and tender, the chickpeas are crunchy, and the underside of the Halloumi is crisp, about 10 minutes.
- Step 5
Meanwhile, in the same large bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients until well combined. Transfer 1 tablespoon of this dressing to a small bowl or glass.
- Step 6
Add the arugula, radicchio, and parsley to the large bowl and toss. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice, or honey as needed.
- Step 7
Place the dressed arugula mixture onto a large plate. Arrange the eggplant, Halloumi, chickpeas, almonds, dates, and tangerine slices on top of the greens. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve right away.