I have a serious problem.
OK, it’s not a SERIOUS problem (I’m feeling a touch dramatic today)…but it’s a problem nonetheless.
I cannot stop eating watermelon. For real.
I buy, chop up, and consume an entire full-sized watermelon by myself each week. I don’t mean those cute little seedless buggers.
No, I have been HOUSING gigantic, big-as-one-of-my-dogs watermelons weekly. I can’t blame it on my husband because he doesn’t even LIKE watermelon. There’s only one culprit in the house.
While my sweet tooth has definitely been more prominent than ever before during my pregnancy, I don’t know if I can fully blame this one on being knocked up since I’ve always been a huge fan of watermelon in the summer.
But my addiction has gotten out of control.
Once I start eating it, I cannot get enough of its juicy, refreshing sweetness. I basically store my cut up watermelon in a trough-sized plastic container, and I pull it out whenever the craving hits, and just slurp away on its goodness directly over said trough. So attractive. Hah.
In an effort to keep myself from shoveling watermelon into my face by the trough-full, I made this salad with SOME watermelon and lots of other components. And then promptly had a bowl of watermelon for dessert. Sigh. I guess there are worse things I could be eating, right?
Anyway.
All this to say that this salad is pretty darn incredible. Sweet, juicy watermelon (I’ve already proven my affinity for it), and salty, chewy halloumi cheese is a match made in heaven. The combo screams summer.
This salad is light and satisfying and features the lovely combination of sweet and salty. Along with the watermelon and pan-crisped halloumi, we have baby arugula, crunchy cucumber, rich pine nuts, a very light and bright dressing, and my favorite accompaniment to any salad: grilled sourdough!
Is there anything better? I don’t think so.
I like to grill up big slices of sourdough until charred and toasty and then call it croutons. Because croutons sounds cuter than “honkin’ slice of grilled sourdough.” Agreed?
Whatever you decide to call the bread here, it will be delicious.
My watermelon obsession continues. Turns out, eating it with some savory ingredients like crispy halloumi and sourdough only makes me love it more.
Who knew that was possible?
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Watermelon & Halloumi Salad with Grilled Sourdough
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Watermelon & Halloumi Salad with Grilled Sourdough epitomizes summer in every bite! Juicy, sweet watermelon and crispy, slightly chewy halloumi cheese are a match made in heaven. Grilled sourdough and lots of other fresh, crunchy ingredients makes this complete! This is a very special salad.
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar (balsamic works great too)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup olive or avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Halloumi:
- 1 8-oz block of halloumi cheese, sliced into ½-inch thick pieces
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- For the Grilled Sourdough:
- 4 slices of sourdough bread, roughly ¾-inch thick
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Flaky sea salt
For the Salad:
- 6 cups baby arugula (or whatever green you prefer)
- 2 cups cubed watermelon
- 1 cup thinly sliced English cucumber
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- The crispy halloumi
- The dressing
- The grilled sourdough bread
Instructions
For the Dressing:
In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth and well combined.
For the Halloumi:
- Pat the sliced cheese dry on both sides with paper towels. The less moisture on the surface, the better it will crisp up.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the oil.
- Once hot, add the cheese (in batches, if needed) and cook until crispy and golden on both sides, roughly 2-3 minutes per side. Try not to disturb the cheese while it is crisping.
- Place crisped cheese on a plate lined with paper towels.
For the Sourdough:
- Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat.
- Drizzle the bread on both sides with the oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Grill the bread on both sides, roughly 1-2 minutes per side, until charred and toasty.
- Sprinkle the bread with flaky sea salt while it’s still hot.
- Allow to cool some and then tear the sourdough into large croutons or halves for serving.
For the Salad:
- After the cheese and bread have both been prepared, assemble the salad by mixing the arugula, watermelon, cucumber, pine nuts, and crispy halloumi in a large bowl.
- Drizzle over some of the dressing and gently toss to combine. Add as much dressing as you prefer.
- Season the salad with a little more salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve immediately with the grilled sourdough croutons.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: salads
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
that is one awesome flavour combination! you can never go wrong with basil, mint & haloumi – interesting idea to use watermelon too! love it!
Thank you! Let me know if you try it out.
Such a gorgeous summer salad!
Thanks, Marla!