Halloumi Blood Orange Fattoush Salad (Printable Format)

Golden halloumi meets juicy blood oranges and crispy croutons in this vibrant Middle Eastern salad with zesty sumac dressing.

# What's Needed:

→ Salad

01 - 7 oz halloumi cheese, sliced into 0.4 inch thick pieces
02 - 2 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
03 - 5.3 oz mixed salad greens (romaine, arugula, parsley, mint)
04 - 1 small cucumber, diced
05 - 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 0.5 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 2 radishes, thinly sliced

→ Croutons

08 - 2 thick slices sourdough bread, cut into cubes
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - Pinch of sea salt

→ Dressing

11 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
12 - 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
14 - 1 tsp sumac
15 - 0.25 tsp ground black pepper
16 - 0.25 tsp sea salt

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss sourdough cubes in olive oil and sea salt. Spread on a baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove and cool completely.
02 - Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Fry halloumi slices for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly.
03 - In a large salad bowl, combine salad greens, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, radishes, and blood orange segments.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, sumac, black pepper, and sea salt until emulsified.
05 - Add fried halloumi and cooled sourdough croutons to the salad bowl. Drizzle dressing over top and gently toss to combine all ingredients.
06 - Transfer to serving plates immediately while halloumi is still warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The warm halloumi against cold citrus is genuinely thrilling, like a small surprise that happens in your mouth.
  • You can have this ready in 30 minutes flat, which means weeknight dinners suddenly feel exciting again.
  • It's the kind of salad that works equally well as a light lunch or the main event at a casual dinner.
02 -
  • Don't make the dressing until the last possible moment, because whisking it ahead makes the sumac taste somehow duller, less vibrant. Fresh is genuinely better here.
  • The halloumi will toughen up if it sits around after frying, so time this so the cheese hits the salad bowl still warm; that's where the actual magic lives.
03 -
  • Slice your halloumi ahead of time if you want, but fry it only when you're ready to eat; those first few minutes of warmth are non-negotiable.
  • Make extra croutons because they somehow disappear faster than you'd think, and honestly, they're good enough to eat with nothing but a pinch of salt and your fingers.
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