Panzanella Salad with Grilled Haloumi
What to do with all the ripe tomatoes!
It seems like just yesterday I was impatiently waiting for those first tomatoes of the season to be ready. Fast forward a couple weeks and, we can almost not eat them fast enough to keep up!
For those 1st tomatoes out of the garden my go-to salad is always a simple, delicious caprese salad with lots of fresh basil and soft and creamy buffalo mozzarella!
Unfortunately, this week it seems like everyone must have had the same idea as both my local cheese shop and deli were sold out of buffalo mozzarella. No worries, I switched to plan B and picked up some haloumi cheese for grilling instead.
Inspired by a classic Italian bread and tomato salad, my Panzanella Salad with Grilled Haloumi is made with juicy ripe tomatoes, crisp bread cubes, and lots of fresh basil all tossed in a light vinaigrette. Some capers, black olives and a little finely sliced red onion round out the ingredients.
Serve the panzanella over slices of grilled haloumi cheese and some mixed greens for a salad that is fresh and summery, perfect for lunch, but still hearty enough to eat as a light dinner.
Panzanella is traditionally made with stale, or dried bread. The dried bread is cut into cubes and tossed together with the chopped tomatoes and a simple vinegar and olive oil dressing. While the mixture sits, the bread has a chance to absorb some of the flavourful liquid from the juice of the tomatoes, vinegar and olive oil.
I like the bread to have a more crispy, toasted texture, more like croutons in a Caesar salad. The toasted crispness of the bread makes a nice contrast to the juicy tomatoes and soft creaminess of the grilled haloumi.
I’ve used some leftover baguette that I cut up into about 1-inch cubes then sautéed them in garlic flavoured olive oil until they are brown and nice and crispy. The bread cubes are added to the salad just before serving so they absorb a bit of the juices from the tomatoes, but still retain some crunch.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 200 grams Haloumi Cheese cut into 8 slices
- 400-450 grams medium sized tomatoes (or substitute cherry tomatoes)
- 16-20 black olives, pitted
- ¼ thinly sliced red onion
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp dijon mustard
- freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups ciabatta or baguette, preferably stale, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup torn basil leaves
- 4 cups mixed greens
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add the capers, thinly slices red onion and olives and season with salt. Tip: if you don't like the bite of raw onion, place the slices in ice water for 15-20 minutes, then drain and add to the tomato mixture.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Pour over the tomato mixture and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Pre-heat an outdoor grill to medium, about 400°F.Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron pan on the grill. Thinly slice the garlic and add to the pan. Allow the garlic to cook and flavour the oil, for about 1 minute, stirring or tossing frequently.Add the bread cubes and cook, tossing frequently until nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to the tomato mixture and toss well. Ser aside while you grill the haloumi.
- Brush the haloumi slices with olive oil and place onto the hot grill. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side, or until marked.
To Serve
- Just before serving add the torn basil to the panzanella salad and season with freshly cracked black pepper, toss well. Arrange the grilled haloumi on a bed of mixed greens and spoon the panzenella salad overtop. Drizzle with the dressing and tomato juice from the bowl.