If you are feeling a little bit fancy, this unusual salad comes together in minutes with just a few ingredients. It couldn’t be easier. Warm, jammy, grilled grapes harmonize with salty Halloumi cheese to add a touch of Mediterranean flair to your salad plate. This salad is substantial enough to stand on its own as a light meal, but would also pair nicely with grilled chicken or fish.
Halloumi is a Greek cheese. I discovered it at my favorite local natural foods store. I had no idea how it tasted, but I haven’t met a cheese I didn’t love, so I bought it in good faith. As it turns out, it’s a very versatile cheese. In flavor, it reminds me a little of mozzarella. It’s salty, with a fairly sturdy texture which makes it perfect for grilling or pan-frying. It gives a nice bit of heft to this salad and provides a salty contrast to the sweetness of the grilled grapes.
- 2 cups salad greens
- ¼ lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 small bunch of grapes - equivalent to about one cup
- 2 tsp olive oil - separated
- 4 ounces of Halloumi cheese cut into ¼ inch slices
- Squeeze the juice from the lemon quarter over the salad greens.
- Sprinkle with the salt, toss and set the greens aside.
- Gently massage the grape bunch with one teaspoon of olive oil,
- Grill the grapes over medium high heat for five minutes or until they are slightly charred, turning once.
- Remove the grapes from the grill, pull them off of the bunch and onto the salad greens.
- Heat the remaining one teaspoon of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the Halloumi slices to the pan and cook until browned, about 1 minute per side.
- Place the cheese onto the salad alongside the grapes and serve.