This elegant halloumi salad, inspired by Cypriot cuisine, layers peppery arugula with sweet griddled peaches, salty halloumi, cooling cucumber, biting red onion, fresh mint, and crunchy pistachios. A citrusy dressing marries the flavors for a colorful summer salad everyone will love!
My love for halloumi began many moons ago when I ate the traditional Cypriot sandwich of halloumi and lountza (smoked pork tenderloin) on repeat while visiting Cyprus on holiday. As soon as I returned home, I scoured the supermarkets trying to find this amazing cheese, with dreams of making my own sandwiches, halloumi salad, and more. Thankfully, thirty years later, you can now find halloumi stocked in most cheese aisles of your local supermarket!
The increase in availability of halloumi outside of the Mediterranean and Middle East has opened the door to so many combinations, from fried halloumi with honey to grilled halloumi with blistered cherry tomatoes, to the griddled version that I make in this peach arugula salad recipe.
When you cook halloumi, this hard and squeaky cheese transforms into a deliciously chewy texture while holding its shape. This halloumi salad recipe embodies the harmonious marriage of sweet and salty by combining this rich cheese with sweet peaches and a bright orange-honey dressing.