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Every summer I get hooked on a salad that is my go-to and I serve it up on repeat throughout the season. M brought some peaches home from the market, and they were so juicy and sweet, I thought these must be a key ingredient in the start of this year’s summer salad.
My inspiration also came from a tomato and peach salad I had tasted in a restaurant in Portland and a grilled halloumi and tomato salad I had tasted in Spain.
This salad is very addictive because of the combination of fresh tomatoes, sweet peaches, spicy jalapeño, and creamy halloumi. The jalapeño, basil and red onion take the salad over the top, but what makes it for me is the combination of the grilled halloumi and peaches. I have tried it with a variety of heirloom tomatoes, and I have to say a combination of yellow and red ones are really delicious.
A note about Halloumi Cheese: It does not melt when cooked because of its high melting point and low acidity, it keeps its shape while getting a warm, soft centre.
Last year I had my tomato, corn, avocado on repeat and this year it’s all about the peaches!
I hope you love it as much as I do!
Summer Tomato, Peach, Halloumi Salad
Ingredients
- 160 grams halloumi cheese cut into 1-inch cubes and patted dry
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for halloumi
- 3 heirloom tomatoes sliced into wedges
- 3 ripe peaches sliced into wedges
- 1/2 red onion thinly sliced or chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves chiffonade style (thin strips)
- 1 pinch flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 small jalapeño chopped finely
Instructions
Dressing
- In a small bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lime juice (juice of a lime), salt and pepper, and finely chopped jalapeño. Set aside.
Prepare Halloumi
- Chop the halloumi into small rectangles.
- In a skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat. Add the halloumi in a single layer and cook on both sides until golden on the outside and soft in the middle. Approximately 2 minutes per side. Set aside.
Prepare the fruit and vegetables
- Chop the tomatoes and peaches into wedges.
- Chiffonade the basil.
- Chop the red onion.
Putting the Salad together
- In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, peaches, and red onion. Add the dressing with a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Toss gently so everything gets glossy and lightly dressed.
- Add the warm halloumi and some of the basil to the bowl. Toss gently being careful to combine everything without breaking up the fruit.
- Transfer the salad to a serving platter or to individual salad plates. I like to lay the peach and tomato wedges alternately on the plate. Garnish with the remaining basil. Serve immediately while the halloumi is still warm.
- Note: I like to lay the peach and tomato wedges alternately on the plate. (one peach wedge, one tomato wedge, one peach wedge, one tomato wedge and so on in a half circle design.
