This is absolutely the greatest salad recipe in the entire world. Big promise, I know but really and truly, this is the salad you would choose over a burger. Not only is it gluten free, it incorporates halloumi cheese, which absolutely no one in Bermuda knows about … until now.

 

Halloumi is a greek cheese which is much like feta in that it’s super salty and flavorful. The best thing about halloumi  is that when you cook it (either by frying, baking or grilling) it’s taste and texture is so much like chicken you could fool any vegetarian.

So without further ado, I give you my version of halloumi salad.

Ingredients:
I full Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1/2 butternut squash (tomato & feta optional) baked
1 Avocado, chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 tbsp. pesto
The juice from 1 lemon
2 tbsp. olive oil
Ground black pepper
250g halloumi cheese
1/2 cup chickpeas
1/2 red onion, chopped

1. Combine lettuce, avocado. chickpeas and red onion in large salad bowl. Set aside.

2. Either bake your butternut squash yourself or take the shortcut like I did and buy four small pieces from Miles Market. The squash at Miles is covered in feta cheese and tomatoes and is easily the most delicious baked butternut squash in the world. Bonus, you don’t have to stand in front of the oven for an hour. Either way you go about it, cut your squash into smaller pieces and add to your salad mixture.

3. Now comes the fun part: baking the halloumi. Cut your block of halloumi into 1cm thick pieces. Lay pieces out on a tin foil tray (fold sides of tin foil up to create your tray, see picture below). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle black pepper onto each piece. Bake for 15 minutes at 200 degrees F. When baked, cut into smaller pieces and add to salad mixture.

4. Add pesto to salad mixture and give it a good toss, making sure entire mixture is evenly coated.

5. Make dressing by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of black pepper. Pour over salad and give another good toss, making sure entire mixture is evenly coated.

6. Add walnuts and basil to the top of you salad and voila! I’ll wait ’til you stop chewing to thank me.