Fresh, Healthy Haloumi Salad With Chimichurri Dressing Recipe

After last week's awesome salad recipe, here we are again with one that is still perfect for the season. But this is not your average salad. The delicious salad has been dressed with chimichurri to add a bit of kick and spice. It is filled with herbs and green vegetables to add nutrition.
And the main ingredient, haloumi.

What is Haloumi?

Haloumi is a semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, but sometimes also cow's milk. It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled.

Haloumi is naturally high in both fat and salt, the fat being the saturated kind. One portion of haloumi can provide around 2.4g of salt which is 40% of the recommended daily allowance for adults. But haloumi is very high in protein, with the same serving providing 19g per portion, making it a good vegetarian option if eaten in moderation.

Halloumi is also a great source of calcium, providing 70% of the adult recommended daily allowance in one portion. It also contains zinc, selenium, magnesium, vitamin A and many of the B vitamins.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch parsley
• 1/4 brown onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 lime
• 1 long green chilli (this can be optional if you prefer your dressing not to be spicy)
• 1 loaf Lebanese bread
• 1 zucchini
• 1 slab haloumi
• 1 green apple
• 1/2 bag mixed salad leaves
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs red wine vinegar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. To prepare the ingredients, roughly chop the parsley, finely chop the brown onion, crush the garlic, zest and juice the lime, deseed and finely chop the long green chilli, using a peeler, cut the zucchini into ribbons, cut the haloumi into 5 mm thick slices, thinly slice the apple and wash the mixed salad leaves.
2. In a blender or food processor blend the parsley, onion, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, deseeded long green chilli, olive oil and red wine vinegar until well combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Place the Lebanese bread in the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes or until crispy. Break into shards and set aside.
4. Grill the haloumi. To grill the haloumi, heat a large chargrill pan over a medium-high heat. Lightly spray with olive oil and cook the zucchini for 2 minutes on each side or until chargrilled. Remove and set aside. Add the haloumi slices and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden.
5. In a large salad bowl, combine the apple, mixed salad leaves, zucchini, and Lebanese bread shards. Gently fold through the haloumi slices.
6. Divide the salad between plates and drizzle with the chimmichurri dressing. If you have remaining chimmichurri dressing, you can keep it in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 days to be enjoyed again.

For more healthy and delicious food, check out our recipe section.