This rich, emerald-coloured salad combines the familiar luxuriance of ripe avocado with the exotic richness of macadamia nuts and grilled haloumi cheese. The haloumi is actually fried, and reminds me distinctly of the crunchy spillover from grilled cheese sandwiches, which are also actually fried.
Haloumi will brown marvellously in a hot oiled pan, but watch it closely, the line between brown and black is a fine one. Be sure to include something peppery or bitter in your assortment of greens, to ground the richness of the nuts and cheese. We use a mix of baby lettuces, and add wild arugula, mizuna, watercress, or frisée. This recipe is one of many favourites from the Australian Women’s Weekly book of Main Course Salads.
grilled haloumi salad
mixed greens
steamed asparagus
steamed green beans
sliced avocado
toasted and chopped macadamias (pine nuts will do)
haloumi cheese, sliced a ½ inch thick and grilled in an oiled Teflon pan
Two or three slices of cheese will be plenty for one person. Dress the greens with nut oil and sherry vinegar, mixed with an egg yolk and and shaved raw garlic, and a little mustard if you like. Grill the cheese last, after the salad is all dressed, as the cheese will become tough if it’s left to cool.
mmmmmm…Haloumi… I give mine a good dunk in ice-cold water before grilling or baking to remove a little of the saltiness (but not all of it!). This looks delicious…gorgeous pics.
wow the photos are stunning!
This sounds — and looks — wonderful. A must-make!!
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Wow! This salad looks so delicious!! What a great idea
Hi – Hi – Thanks for recommending using a Teflon pan in your salad making process. I represent DuPont and it’s always a pleasure to see people recommending our products in their recipes.
If you are interested in some other recipes or great cookbooks to look at for your blog, drop me an email and I would be glad to help you out! Thanks. Cheers, Ross