Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese that originates from the country of Cypress. It has a high melting point, which makes it a perfect cheese for frying or grilling. It’s tangy and briny and absolutely delicious paired with meats and vegetables. In this recipe, it’s grilled until warm and soft, then layered over peppery arugula and topped with a sweet and herbal vinaigrette made from fresh blueberries and thyme. My Grilled Halloumi and Blueberry Salad is fresh, but hearty. The perfect dinner to compliment a perfect warm summer evening.
Start by making the blueberry-thyme vinaigrette. In a pint-sized glass mason jar, add ½ cup of fresh blueberries, ½ cup of thinly sliced onions, a few sprigs of fresh thyme, ⅓ cup of red wine vinegar, ¼ cup of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt and 1½ tablespoons of honey. Muddle the berries, thyme and onion until most of the berries have burst. Seal the glass jar and shake to fully blend the salad dressing. Set aside.
Next, wash and dry 6 cups (or a 5 ounce container) of baby arugula and scatter onto a platter. Set aside. Chop ¼ cup of pistachios and set aside. Slice an 8.8 ounce block of halloumi cheese into quarter inch slices. Place on a plate. Heat a grill to 400°F and grill the cheese on each side for about 60 – 75 seconds or until nice grill marks form on the cheese. Remove the cheese from the grill using a spatula being careful that the cheese does not fall apart when removed. It will be soft.
Layer the grilled cheese over the arugula. Remove the sprigs of thyme from the jar of dressing, give the dressing one more shake and then spoon the dressing, onions and blueberries over top of the cheese and arugula. Sprinkle the salad with chops pistachios and a handful of fresh blueberries. Serve immediately. This recipe serves 4 people as a main dish or 6 people as a side dish.
Grilled Halloumi and Blueberry Salad
Ingredients
Blueberry-Thyme Vinaigrette
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- ½ cup thinly sliced onion
- few springs of fresh thyme
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp honey
For the Salad
- 6 cups baby arugula
- ¼ cup pistachios, chopped
- 1, 8.8 ounce package of halloumi cheese
- handful of fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Add salad dressing ingredients to a pint-sized glass mason jar. Muddle the blueberries, onion and thyme until most of the berries have burst, then seal the jar. Vigorously shake the jar of dressing until fully combine. Set aside.
- Wash and dry arugula and scatter onto a large platter.
- Chop pistachios and set aside.
- Slice the block of halloumi cheese into 1/4" thick slices. Heat a grill to 400°F and grill the cheese on each side for 60-75 seconds or until nice grill marks form. Remove the cheese from the grill with a spatula.
- Layer the grilled cheese over the platter of arugula. Remove the springs of thyme from the dressing, give the dressing one more shake, then spoon the dressing and marinated onions and blueberries over the cheese and greens. Top the salad with the chopped pistachios and a handful of fresh blueberries. Serve immediately.
- This salad serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish.
