This is the kind of salad that I regularly prepare in the summer, when the tomatoes are at their peak and the nectarines are so juicy you have to eat them over the sink.
The Malibu farmers’ market is on a different level than I’ve experienced before: piles of heirloom tomatoes in every shade of red and gold, peaches so fragrant you can smell them from two stalls away. Since we’ve been here this summer, I’ve built every meal around whatever seems best to me that morning, and inevitably this approach brings me back to some form of this salad again and again (I swap out the nectarines for any other stone fruit, add grilled corn on the cob, and even make a avocado caprese.)
What makes it more than fair a fruit salad (and definitely dinner-worthy) is halloumi. If you’ve never cooked with it, halloumi is a semi-soft brined cheese from Cyprus that doesn’t melt when you heat it, it just gets beautifully gooey inside (so good in this halloumi avocado saladtoo.) You sear it in a very hot pan until it’s deeply browned on the outside and slightly soft in the center, and it holds its shape beautifully, almost like a protein. The result is this salty, crunchy cube of cheese that plays with the sweet fruit in a truly addictive way. Each bite has so many different flavors and textures.
This salad may seem simple (because it is), but it’s also one of those stand-out dishes to serve at a get-together. The jalapeño adds just enough heat to keep things interesting without overwhelming the sweetness of the fruit, and the lime juice brightens up the whole bowl. I served it as an accompaniment during a dinner and it steals the show. I also just ate it standing up at the kitchen counter for lunch – highly recommend.
How to Sear Halloumi
The most important step is to dry the halloumi well before putting it in the pan. Any surface moisture will create steam and prevent that golden crust from forming – it makes a real difference.
From there, it’s just high heat, hot pan and leave it alone. Resist the urge to move it. Two minutes untouched on the first side, flip, another minute or two, done. You want it to have real color on the outside – that’s where all the flavor is.
One more thing: this salad is best eaten immediately while the halloumi is still warm and slightly melting in the center. Once it cools and firms up, it loses some of that magic. So grab the cheese last, mix it all together and devour.
Make it a meal
On its own, this makes a lovely light dinner for four with some warm pita to enjoy, especially on a warm evening outdoors. But if you want to expand it into something more substantial, serve it over peppery arugula (the bitterness plays well against the sweet fruit). It’s also great next to it grilled chicken or fish, or really anything fresh off the grill.
I would love to know if you do this one. This has become one of my MVP summer recipes, and I have a feeling it’s about to become one of yours too.
Tomato, nectarine and halloumi salad with basil and jalapeño
Total duration: 15 minutes
Yield: 4
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Pin RecipeDescription
This halloumi salad is the summer recipe you’ll repeat: salty pan-fried cheese, peak season stone fruits, a little heat. Ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 9 ounces halloumi, cut into 12.5cm cubes and wiped dry
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 ripe nectarines, cut into quarters
- 1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1 lime, juice
- 1 pinch of flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sear the halloumi. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the halloumi in a single layer and cook until deeply browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until crispy on the outside and tender in the center. Transfer to a plate.
- Build the base. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, nectarines, jalapeño and red onion. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, a generous pinch of salt, and black pepper. Mix gently so everything becomes shiny and lightly dressed.
- Put it together. Add the hot halloumi and most of the basil to the bowl. Mix once or twice, just enough to combine without breaking up the fruit.
- Finish and serve. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the remaining basil and a final pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately while the halloumi is still hot.
- Preparation time: 10
- Cooking time: 5
Keywords : halloumi salad
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