Mary Berry's pan-fried halloumi and vegetable salad with herb dressing is a quick and delicious summer meal that requires minimal time in the kitchen. The recipe, featured in her Foolproof Dinners cookbook, combines roasted Mediterranean vegetables with halloumi cheese and a mustard-herb dressing.
Recipe praised by home cooks
One satisfied home cook commented: "It was delicious, perfect instructions, clear and simple. Loved it." The recipe is described as "a halloumi lover's dream" and is packed with flavour.
Ingredients
For the salad: 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 courgettes (sliced into long thin strips), 2 red peppers (deseeded and cut into thick slices), 4 large tomatoes, 1 large cos lettuce (sliced widthways), 115g pitted soft black olives, 2 tbsp each of freshly chopped mint, dill, chives and parsley, 250g halloumi cheese (sliced horizontally).
For the herb dressing: 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 8 tbsp sunflower oil, 2 tbsp runny honey, lemon juice.
Method
Measure 1 tbsp olive oil into a large bowl. Add courgettes, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Heat a large griddle or frying pan over high heat. Fry courgettes in a single layer until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside. Add pepper slices to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes until browned but still crunchy. Remove and set aside with courgettes.
Bring a pan of water to the boil. Score a cross in the base of each tomato and place in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and set aside to cool. Peel and slice into pieces. On a serving plate, lay out lettuce leaves and arrange cooked vegetables, tomatoes, and olives on top. Season generously and sprinkle with half the herbs.
Mix all dressing ingredients in a jug and combine well. Stir remaining herbs into dressing and season thoroughly. Heat the griddle or frying pan again over high heat until very hot. Add halloumi and cook for about 2 minutes on each side until golden and tender. Position halloumi on top of vegetables and pour over herb dressing to serve.
