Summery Halloumi & Roasted Carrot Salad
Filling salads with roasted vegetables are my favourites! Especially during summer those fresh but tasty salads are all I need for lunch and they can be topped with all kind of greens, veggies, fruits and even berries. I’ve been waiting for the small organic carrots to arrive in the grocery stores and now finally I could make this lunch I’ve been dreaming about. Roasted carrot & halloumi salad with spinach and vinegary green basil sauce. The fresh greens, tart basil vinaigrette, sweet and roasted carrots, salty halloumi and crunchy sunflower seeds create the perfect combination.
Summery Halloumi & Roasted Carrot Salad
Active: 15 min, Passive: 40 min
Serves 3–4 as a side
- 12–15 small (organic) carrots
- 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) extra virgin olive oil + 3 tbsp for carrots and halloumi
- salt for seasoning
- 1 big bunch of basil
- 1 garlic clove
- 3/4–1 1/4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (also white vinegar works)
- about 70 g fresh spinach
- 2–3 springs of flat leaf parsley
- about 200 g halloumi cheese
- sunflower seeds
(For garnishing: fennel fronds)
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Clean the carrots and cut the green top off. (You don’t need to peel or cut small organic carrots into pieces.) Spread the whole carrots on a baking paper, on a baking tray and sprinkle 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1-2 pinches of salt on top. Roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots. They should be roasted on top and soft and tender inside!
While the carrots are in the oven, make the green sauce. Blend 1.25 dl (0.5 cup) olive oil, 3/4 of the basil, garlic clove and 0.75 tbsp of apple cider vinegar into a sauce. Taste and add more vinegar if needed. I like my green sauce pretty vinegary and sour! Season with salt. (If you have excess green carrot tops, you can also use them with the basil and store the extra sauce in the fridge).
Wash the spinach and spread on a big serving plate. Add the rest of the basil and flat leaf parsley on top.
Place the carrots on the salad.
Sprinkle half of the green basil dressing on top.
Heat up 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan and slice the halloumi into thin but wide slices. Place it on the hot pan and fry until browned well. Turn and fry the other side as well.
Add the fried halloumi on top of the salad and pour the rest of the green basil sauce on top! Sprinkle some sunflower seeds on top of the salad.
(I had some green fennel fronds left in my fridge so I finished my salad with them too!)