Delia Smith Halloumi Salad Recipe

Delia Smith’s halloumi salad is fried halloumi slices coated in seasoned flour and served with a lime and caper vinaigrette made with grain mustard, white wine vinegar, garlic, and fresh coriander. The recipe is from Delia’s Summer Collection and takes 2 minutes to cook, serving 2 as a light lunch or 4 as a starter.

Delia designed this as a starter, but I pile it onto a big bed of rocket and baby leaves and call it a halloumi salad. Delia’s halloumi dressing is sharp enough to cut through the salty cheese, all lime juice, capers, and grain mustard, and the flour coating gives each slice a golden crust that you do not get from grilling alone.

More Salad Recipes:

• Greek Salad
• Couscous Salad
• Salade Nicoise

Why Fry Instead of Grill?

Grilled halloumi is fine but it dries out quickly and goes rubbery once it cools. Delia coats hers in seasoned flour before frying, which gives a thin crust that stays crisp even after the dressing goes on.

The flour also stops the cheese from sticking to the pan. I skipped it once and spent ten minutes scraping melted halloumi off the bottom.

Halloumi Salad Ingredients

The Halloumi:

• 1 pack of halloumi cheese (approx 250g)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 level tablespoons of well-seasoned plain flour (all-purpose flour)

The Lime and Caper Vinaigrette:

• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 heaped tablespoon of capers, drained
• 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon of grain mustard
• 1 level tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper

To Serve:

• A few handfuls of rocket (arugula) and baby salad leaves
• Fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs, to garnish

How To Make Delia Smith Halloumi Salad

1. Prepare the halloumi: Unwrap the cheese and pat dry with kitchen paper. Using a sharp knife, slice it into 8 slices, including the ends.
2. Make the dressing: Whisk together the lime juice and zest, capers, white wine vinegar, garlic, grain mustard, chopped coriander, and extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Fry the halloumi: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, press each slice of cheese into the seasoned flour to coat both sides, then add to the pan. Cook for 1 minute on each side until a good golden colour.
4. Serve: Arrange the salad leaves on plates. Lay the fried halloumi on top, pour the dressing over, and garnish with coriander sprigs. Serve straight away with toasted pitta bread.

Does Halloumi Go Cold Quickly?

Yes, and cold halloumi turns rubbery, so Delia says to serve straight away. I make the halloumi caper dressing and lay out the leaves first, then fry the cheese last so it goes from pan to plate in seconds.

If you are cooking for more than two, keep the first batch warm in a low oven while you fry the rest. Do not microwave it, it just melts.

What To Serve With Halloumi Salad

Delia suggests toasted pitta bread or Greek bread with sesame seeds. I sometimes serve it next to the couscous salad for a full vegetarian lunch, which gives you grains and cheese in one spread.

For a bigger meal, add a potato salad and some leaves with one of Delia’s other dressings on the side. The lime dressing on the halloumi and the vinaigrette on the leaves give you two different sharp flavours that do not clash.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 420 kcal
• Fat: 34g
• Carbohydrates: 6g
• Fibre: 1g
• Protein: 22g

Nutrition is estimated per serving based on 2 servings as a light lunch.

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• Brown Rice Salad
• Caesar Salad
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