This halloumi salad features halloumi cheese cooked in hot honey, lettuce, sweet pineapple, creamy avocado, crunchy almond flakes, and tangy dressing. This salad is a wonderful blend of textures and flavors that will delight your taste buds and leave you feeling satisfied and refreshed.
Ingredients
Below you will find information about the ingredients and how to prepare the recipe. For the measurements and detailed instructions scroll down to the printable recipe card.
Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
- Halloumi salad – is a Cypriot cheese traditionally made from goat’s and sheep’s milk, or a mixture of the two. It maintains its shape well after being cooked but its consistency is semi-hard and squeaky. It’s really delicious and if you haven’t tried it already, you must! You can also use herbed halloumi cheese.
- Hot honey – hot honey is simply honey seasoned with chili. I used just cayenne powder but you could use fresh chopped chilies or red pepper flakes. It’s perfect for halloumi cheese – it makes a wonderful spicy sticky glaze on top of soft cheese.
- Fresh pineapple – Halloumi and pineapple are made for each other! If you like it too, also try this halloumi pineapple burger with guacamole – so good! The best for this recipe is fresh pineapple. You could also use canned but it’s very soft and a little bit too sweet for this salad. Use it if this is only what you have on hand.
- Avocado
- Almond flakes – pecans would work well too.
- Lettuce – I used a mix of romaine hearts and coral lettuce.
- Easy 3-ingredient dressing – just olive oil, honey, and apple cider vinegar.
How to make it
STEP 1: Prepare the ingredients:
Wash the lettuce and dry in a salad spinner or using paper towels.
Cut halloumi cheese into 1/3 inch (8mm) slices, pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
Cut pineapple into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
STEP 2: Cook halloumi:
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. When hot add the halloumi slices on one side of the pan and pineapple cubes on the other side (you can also cook them separately).
Cook halloumi until lightly browned on both sides, then drizzle honey over the cheese, sprinkle with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. When it´s well-browned, transfer it to a plate.
STEP 3: Cook pineapple until browned and soft, transfer to a plate. Let cool just a little.
TIP: You can also grill halloumi and pineapple (when grilling cut pineapple into slices) on a grill or in a grill pan.
STEP 4: Cut avocado into slices.
STEP 5: Toast almond flakes: place almonds flakes in a dry pan and cook over low heat for a couple of minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer immediately to a plate. Alternatively, you can toast the almonds in the oven which will produce evenly browned nuts. Bake them at 350°F (180°C) for about 6-8 minutes. Transfer immediately to a plate.
Make the dressing: Add all the ingredients for the dressing into a small/medium jar and shake intensely until well combined.
STEP 6: Assemble: Place lettuce on a large plate, sprinkle lightly with salt.
Top with avocado slices, halloumi slices, and pineapple cubes.
Sprinkle with toasted almonds and pour over the dressing (shake well before pouring).
Enjoy!
Make it ahead
How to make it ahead:
- Wash and dry the lettuce, store in a closed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Cook halloumi and pineapple, store in a closed container for up to 2-3 days, bring to room temperature before using. You can also reheat them in a pan until slightly warm.
- Make the dressing and store in the fridge for up to a week, shake well before using.
- Toast almonds and store in a closed container for up to 2 weeks.
You can prepare all the ingredients ahead and assemble just before serving to avoid the lettuce from becoming wilted. It is also okay to assemble all the salad ingredients except the dressing and add the dressing just before serving.
More delicious salad recipes
- Southwest Quinoa Salad
- Butternut Squash Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Summer Panzanella Salad
- Salmon Niçoise Salad
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Burrata Caprese Salad
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Halloumi Salad
Ingredients
for the salad:
- 1 tablespoon frying oil
- 9 ounces (255g) halloumi cheese
- 2 tablespoons honey
- big pinch of cayenne pepper or to your taste
- 11 ounces (310g) fresh pineapple
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup almond flakes
- 3 handfuls lettuce of your choice I used a mix of romaine hearts and coral lettuce
- salt and pepper to taste
for the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper
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Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients:
- Wash the lettuce and dry in a salad spinner or using paper towels.
- Cut halloumi cheese into 1/3 inch (8mm) slices, pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Cut pineapple into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.
- Cut avocado into slices.
- Add all the ingredients for the dressing into a small/medium jar and shake intensely until well combined.
- Toast almond flakes: place almonds flakes in a dry pan and cook over low heat for a of couple minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer immediately to a plate. Alternatively, you can toast the almonds in the oven which will produce evenly browned nuts. Bake them at 350°F (180°C) for about 6-8 minutes. Transfer immediately to a plate.
- Cook halloumi and pineapple: Heat the oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. When hot add the halloumi slices on one side of the pan and pineapple cubes on the other side (you can also cook them separately). Cook halloumi until lightly browned on both sides, then drizzle honey over the cheese, sprinkle with cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. When it´s well-browned, transfer it to a plate. Cook pineapple until browned and soft, transfer to a plate. Let cool just a little.
- Assemble: Place lettuce on a large plate, sprinkle lightly with salt. Top with avocado slices, halloumi slices, and pineapple cubes. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and pour over the dressing (shake well before pouring).
- Enjoy!
Notes
- It’s important to add the honey only when halloumi cheese is almost ready – honey will burn pretty quickly on a hot pan, so don’t add it at the beginning.
- This salad serves 2 generously or 3 petitly.
- Calories = 1 serving (1/3 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
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