Halloumi, asparagus and courgette salad
About the recipe
This is a clever salad.
I was inspired by Ottolenghi’s chargrilled asparagus, courgettes and manouri salad. My version is a bit lighter, and the addition of sharp salty halloumi balances beautifully with the sweet fragrance of the basil, the rich sweet sundried tomatoes and the charred spring vegetables.
A hearty lunch which I love to share with friends and family.
Halloumi, asparagus and courgette salad
For the dressing
- 30g basil
- 1 clove garlic
- A good glug of extra virgin olive oil (about 50ml)
- The juice of half a lemon
- Salt and pepper
For the salad
- Half a 300g jar of sundried tomatoes (or you can make your own – use one batch if you do)
- A bundle of asparagus (about 350g)
- 1 courgette
- 225g halloumi
You'll also need
- A food processor
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MAKE THE DRESSING
Start by whizzing the dressing ingredients together in a food processor.
Before you start, pick the basil leaves and discard the stems. And peel and grate the garlic.
Then put all the ingredients in the food processor and blitz until combined. You’ll need just enough oil for it all to come together.
Taste it.
And add more garlic, salt or pepper as required.
Put your dressing into a serving bowl.
MAKE THE SALAD
Prepare your sundried tomatoes and add them to the dressing.
If you made your own dried tomatoes, just throw them in.
If you’re using a jar, you’ll want to drain off the excess oil. Take them out the jar with a fork, and place them between a few sheets kitchen roll. Then gently squeeze the oil out. Chop the sundried tomatoes into slithers, and add to your dressing.
Next, chop your asparagus.
Chop off the woody tips (about 2cm), and cut the rest of your asparagus into chunks, about 3 cm in length. If you’re a bit cheffy, you can peel the ends of the asparagus first – I don’t bother.
Parboil the asparagus.
Basically, just plunge it into salted boiling water for about 3 minutes.
When you take it out, the asparagus should have only just lost its rawness – it should still be quite crispy. Drain and run it under cold water immediately. Cooling it quickly keeps it green and crispy.
Char your vegetables.
Heat a griddle pan or large frying pan on a very high heat.
While you're waiting for the pan to heat, chop your courgette in 1cm rings.
Add your asparagus and courgettes to the pan in batches.
I don’t add any oil – I find that everything chars better without it. But you do need to keep an eye on them.
Flip the courgettes half way through to get a nice char on both sides.
Once your first batch of courgette/asparagus is charred, mix it through the dressing and move onto the next batch.
By dressing your vegetables when they’re hot, you’ll allow them to suck up some of the fragrant oil.
Once all your vegetables are charred, it’s time to move onto the halloumi.
Cut it into slices, and griddle in your dry pan for a few minutes, or until it is also charred.
Stir your halloumi into the salad and serve immediately.
Tip:
Looking for a tasty sandwich filling with these flavours? Start with warm, crusty focaccia, then layer it with a generous spread of the basil dressing, sundried tomatoes and slices of grilled halloumi.
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