Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters | www.floatingkitchen.net

Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters

This post was originally published here August 6, 2015. I’ve since made some changes to the recipe and I’ve updated the text and images to reflect those changes. I hope you try out this stunning late-Summer salad!

If you haven’t eaten your weight in stone fruits yet, NOW is the time to act. We’re nearing the end of the season for these jewel-toned Summer gems. And I certainly wouldn’t want you to feel like you missed out on all their sweet, juicy goodness once October rolls around.

Just another reason not to start with the pumpkin parade too early!

Today’s salad recipe features plums. I absolutely adore plums. But I often feel like they get overlooked amongst the other stone fruit varieties. Peaches always seem have the spotlight. Which I’m not arguing against. Peaches are freaking delicious. But I just think plums deserve some love, too. Because when plums are good, they are GOOD. Like “eating them while standing over the sink to catch the drips” type of good.

Anyway. That’s my plum PSA for the season. You can use any variety that you like for this salad (red, yellow, black, etc.). Just make sure you hurry up and do so!

Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters | www.floatingkitchen.net

There are two other major players in this Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters. First is the halloumi cheese. If you’re not familiar with halloumi, it’s a semi-hard, unripened cheese that’s made from goat’s and/or sheep’s milk. It has a very high melting point, which combined with its firm texture, makes it ideal for slicing into thick slabs or cubes and either pan frying or grilling. When cooked, the outside of the halloumi gets wonderfully browned and crisped, while the inside get warmed just enough to start to soften. It’s a textural dream!

I decided to pan fry the halloumi for this recipe, mostly because I also needed to use a skillet for the maple-nut clusters. And I’m a firm believer that if I’m going to dirty a dish, I might as well get two uses out of it. But you could certainly grill the halloumi, if you prefer. If you do go that route, I suggest cutting the pieces slightly larger so they don’t fall through your grill grates.

Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters | www.floatingkitchen.net

That segues us nicely into talking about these sticky-sweet maple syrup-flavored nuts. You might remember them from some other recipes I’ve shared here in the past. They are highly addicting, customizable (feel free to change up the combination of nuts/seeds) and they take any salad over the top. The recipe below makes more than you’ll need for these salads, but leftovers are very welcomed in this case. You can store any leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper for several days.

If you’re making this Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters for a main meal, the recipe makes two generous dinner-worthy salads. Or it can be divided into four smaller side salads.

Cheers,

Liz

Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters

Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters

At a Glance:
Yield: Serves 2-4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Maple-Nut Clusters:

  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup pepitas
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 tsp. salt

For the Salad:

  • About 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 ounces halloumi cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • About 6 cups baby red and green lettuce leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 2 plums, pitted and sliced
  • 1 small cucumber, sliced

For the Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds, walnuts and pepitas and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the maple syrup and salt and quickly stir to coat the nuts in the maple syrup. Remove the skillet from the heat and dump the nuts out onto a piece of parchment paper, spreading them out slightly. Set aside to cool.
  2. Carefully wipe out the skillet and return it to your stovetop over medium-high heat. Warm about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the cubed halloumi cheese in a single layer and cook until browned on the first side, about 30-60 seconds. Using a pair of tongs, flip the halloumi cheese over and brown it on the second side. Transfer the halloumi cheese to a clean plate and set aside.
  3. Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
  4. Add the lettuce and basil to a big bowl and drizzle in some of the dressing, tossing gently to coat. Divide between serving plates. Then top with the sliced plums, cucumbers, fried halloumi cheese and some of the maple-nut clusters. Drizzle with additional dressing before serving, if desired.

47 comments on “Plum and Fried Halloumi Salad with Maple-Nut Clusters”

  1. Beautiful salad! Love grilled plums and those maple nut clusters are perfect with it 🙂 Enjoy your trip!

  2. Hope you’re enjoying your trip! This salad looks fantastic, Liz! Love the grilled peaches!

  3. Hope you are looooving CO! Drink allll the beers for me, ok? Also, fruit on the grill is one of my newfound loves, it’s just too dang good. Annnnd you are a genius for putting those clusters up in there, crunchy goodness.

  4. Uncomplicated, but looks fancy? SO up my ally. Beautiful Liz. Have fun CO!

  5. Have a blast in Colorado! Beef and beer sounds deeelish, and I absolutely love that state – so much sunshine and beautiful scenery every which way. This salad….you had me at nut cluster 😉

  6. Those maple nut clusters sound like the perfect crunch in this salad! Loving the grilled plums, too 🙂 Pinned!

  7. Hope you have a TON of fun in Colorado!!! Get a big whiff of that fresh mountain air!

    In the meantime…yum, these grilled plums look SO GOOD!

  8. I’m so jealous! Have a Yeti for me at Great Divide! Grilled fruit is so awesome in a salad and the maple nut clusters are a bangin’ choice!

  9. This looks absolutely fantastic!!!

  10. What a great way to use plums! Love those grill marks too. Have a blast in Colorado, girlfriend!

  11. Have fun in Colorado girl! And this salad? UM YUM. How have I never thought to grill plums before? That sounds bomb! Pinned!

  12. So jealous you are in Colorado! Do it up and have lots of adventures and beer for me! Loving this salad, Liz. I honestly think i spent about 7.895 minutes just staring at the first photo and drooling like a rabid dog before I realized, “oh yeah… more pictures plus words to read”. Those grilled plumps look magnificently delicious and the maple nut clusters sound like an addictive dream of yummy. I have a feeling those clusters are going to become a regular snack around here! Pinned! Cheers and enjoy Colorado! <3

  13. You had me at grilled plums and goat cheese (insert googly eyed emoji here). This looks so good and perfect for this last bit of summer! Enjoy Colorado!!

  14. Gorgeous salad, Liz. Love it. So full of summer goodness!

  15. This salad looks delicious! I have never tried a grilled plum but now I have to!

  16. OMGeee those nut clusters with the plums, goat cheese and that dressing… a perfect amalgam of deliciousness, Liz! The nut clusters alone have me drooling… they also make me think of Fall… just a little! Hope your trip is fabulous and your next adventure!! xx

    • Eeekkk…fall. I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet. Still enjoying the summer heat at the moment and all the gorgeous summer produce!

  17. beautiful, gorgeous salad full of so many great things, I have never had grilled plums, but I am changing that this weekend.

  18. Yummy!! This looks absolutely beautiful and delicious 🙂
    -Liz

  19. This looks fabulous!!

  20. Omg this slalad looks amazing!!!! Grilled plums?? Yasssssssssssssssss.

  21. I hope you are having so much fun in Colorado!! That is one of my favorite states! I love adding fruit and nuts to my salads so this one is a big win and looks delicious!

  22. Pingback: 50 Delicious Maple Recipes

  23. Pumpkin palooza can wait when there’s beauties like these to be had. This is everything I want in a salad main, Liz. Texture, flavor and delicious smoky flavors from the grill! Let’s keep enjoying the summer produce while it lasts!

  24. Just made this salad and it was sooo delicious. Thanks for the recipe

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