Arugula & Halloumi Salad & Pomegranate Molasses Dressing Recipe

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.

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)

Step 1

Make dressing: Stir ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Step 2

Make salad: Toss fennel and lemon juice in a small bowl. Put arugula and cherries in a large bowl; set aside.

Step 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

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

*Find at well-stocked supermarkets.

Nutrition Facts

0 servings

Serving size

Amount per serving
Calories383

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25g33%

Saturated Fat 10g50%
Cholesterol 43mg15%
Sodium 874mg38%
Total Carbohydrate 29g11%

Dietary Fiber 7.5g27%
Protein 15g

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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Arugula and Halloumi Salad with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing