Arugula and Halloumi Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing
Photo: Maren Caruso; Styling: Nissa Quanstrom
At the Fillmore Street location of Troya Mediterranean Kitchen in San Francisco, featuring Turkish-inspired food, chef Philip Busacco uses halloumi cheese as a canvas for this salad, swapping in other fruits, greens, and kinds of fruit molasses. If your grocery store doesn't carry dried mint in the spice aisle, open a bag of peppermint tea.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Make dressing: Stir ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2
2
Make salad: Toss fennel and lemon juice in a small bowl. Put arugula and cherries in a large bowl; set aside.
Step 3
3
Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add halloumi and oregano to dry pan; cook, turning once, until cheese browns (it will exude brine, then dry out), 4 to 6 minutes total. Remove from heat and discard oregano.
Step 4
4
Toss arugula and cherries with just enough dressing to coat, then toss with fennel. Divide among plates. Top salads with halloumi. Drizzle dressing over cheese.
Step 5
5
*Find at well-stocked supermarkets.
Ingredients
DRESSING
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses*
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon crumbled dried mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
SALAD
1 small fennel bulb, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
5 cups loosely packed baby arugula
1/2 cup pitted tart dried cherries
8 ounces halloumi cheese*, cut into 8 slices
4 small sprigs oregano (4 in. each)
Directions
Step 1
1
Make dressing: Stir ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2
2
Make salad: Toss fennel and lemon juice in a small bowl. Put arugula and cherries in a large bowl; set aside.
Step 3
3
Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add halloumi and oregano to dry pan; cook, turning once, until cheese browns (it will exude brine, then dry out), 4 to 6 minutes total. Remove from heat and discard oregano.
Step 4
4
Toss arugula and cherries with just enough dressing to coat, then toss with fennel. Divide among plates. Top salads with halloumi. Drizzle dressing over cheese.
Step 5
5
*Find at well-stocked supermarkets.
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