Roasted Beet & Halloumi Salad

First beets out of the garden! So sweet and tasty and tender when roasted. They shrunk a bit more than I expected but perhaps they are higher in their moisture content now than they would be later in the season.

As so often is the case we ate it all as our meal, but as a side salad it would go further, and unlike a lot of salads with cheese I think it would do well in that role. Note that the only added salt is a pinch in the dressing, because the salad will be plenty salty from the halloumi. I dithered a bit about putting the honey in the dressing, but I have to say it was well worth the sugar. Truly delicious.

 

2 to 6 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 30 minutes prep time 

Roast the Beets & Halloumi:

600 grams (1 1/2 pounds; 6 medium) beets

3 tablespoons olive oil

250 grams (1/2 pound) halloumi cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel the beets and cut them in bite-sized wedges or thick slices. Put them in a shallow roasting pan that will hold them snugly in a single layer, and toss them with the oil. Roast for 40 minutes. 

Cut the halloumi into bite-sized thick slices. When the beets have roasted for 40 minutes, give them a stir and scatter the halloumi over them. Roast for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is soft and browned.

Make the Dressing:

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon rubbed oregano

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 more tablespoon lemon juice

 

Put the garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper into a small food processor bowl and process until finely chopped. Add the oil, a little at a time, processing well between each addition. Add the lemon juice slowly the same way, then add the honey. 

 

Have the parsley washed and finely chopped, then add it to the dressing and process again, until finely minced.

 

When the beets and halloumi come out of the oven, pour this dressing over them. Scrape it out well, use the last tablespoon of lemon juice to swish out the bowl of the food processor, then pour it over the beets and cheese as well. 

 

Mix the dressing gently into the beets and cheese, and let them cool for about 10 minutes.  

 

Finish the Salad:

4 to 6 cups chopped lettuce

   OR mixed salad greens 

Wash and dry the lettuce or greens, and arrange them in a serving salad bowl or individual salad bowls. Arrange the roasted beets and halloumi over them, drizzling with all the dressing and accumulated pan juices. Serve at once. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Raspberry Vinegar Chicken.