There is nothing tastier than crispy golden brown fried halloumi, except when you create a fried halloumi salad out of it! This salad is packed with flavor, with orange, pistachio, red onion, arugula, and plenty of crispy golden hot honey halloumi. You’ll love the salad dressing too, a tangy, simple vinaigrette that really lets the salad flavors shine.
This is a salad we enjoy all year round, but it has an especially soft spot in my heart in warmer weather. The warmth of the honey and tanginess of the orange are so sunny!
This was inspired by my hot honey halloumi on this site, and is a must for anyone who likes halloumi cheese.
Jump to:
- What’s so good about this halloumi orange salad?
- Ingredients you need for fried halloumi salad:
- Instructions:
- Can I air fry the halloumi?
- Recipe variations:
- Storing leftovers:
- Make ahead instructions:
- Expert tips and tricks:
- Dress those greens!
- Halloumi Orange Salad FAQs:
- If you liked this recipe, you might like:
- Pairing
- Fried Halloumi Salad
What’s so good about this halloumi orange salad?
- Pan fried halloumi transforms into this delightful golden crispy delight, and it’s especially good when it’s cooked in this sticky hot honey sauce.
- Arugula provides such a great bitter contrast to the sticky halloumi and sweet tangy oranges.
- It’s really a special salad! Something a little unique, and so filling and vibrant.
- The dressing is SO good. A dijon vinaigrette lightly sweetened with honey, use this on any salad!
Ingredients you need for fried halloumi salad:
- For the dressing:
- Olive oil:
- Apple cider vinegar: You can use any vinegar you like in place of the apple cider vinegar
- Honey: Can be substituted with maple syrup
- Dijon mustard: Or mustard of choice
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- For the hot honey halloumi:
- Halloumi: a solid, salty cheese that often originates from Cyprus or the Mediterranean region. Halloumi usually comes sealed in a pack with a little water. Pat it dry, and slice it.
- Honey: Use any honey you have on hand
- Lemon or lime juice: Either work great! Just adds a little tang to the sauce.
- Olive oil: Mixing the olive oil in the hot honey marinade means you don’t have to add any oil to the pan.
- For the salad:
- Arugula: I love the bitterness the salad leaves give to this fried halloumi salad. You can instead substitute mixed greens.
- Oranges: Large, juicy oranges to make it easy to segment them
- Pistachios: I like using roasted salted whole pistachios that I roughly chop. You can instead use pistachio slivers or substitute with any nut of your choice, or leave out the nut entirely.
- Avocado: Fairly ripe avocado that’s still firm enough to cube.
- Red onion: Another way of adding a bit of a bite to the salad.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions:
- Step 1: Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl.
- Step 2: Whisk until well combined.
- Step 3: Mix together hot honey sauce ingredients in a shallow plate.
- Step 4: Add sliced halloumi and coat, then flip to the other side.
- Step 5: Pan fry on one side until golden brown.
- Step 6: Then flip and fry on the other side.
- Step 7: Layer arugula in the base of your serving plate, toss with 1/2 the dressing.
- Step 8: Layer on all the salad ingredients.
- Step 9: Top with the fried halloumi.
- Step 10: Drizzle with remaining dressing and enjoy immediately!
Hint: toss the Arugula with some salad dressing, mixing thoroughly to really flavor the greens, then reserve the second half of the salad dressing for drizzling over the top of the finished salad.
Can I air fry the halloumi?
Usually I’d say yes, but you really want to pan fry the halloumi in it’s sticky hot honey marinade to infuse it with flavor, and in most air fryers that marination would just drip down and cause a mess. If you want a simple air fryer halloumi recipe, click here, and you can use that air fryer halloumi in the salad instead.
Recipe variations:
- Arugula – Used mixed greens or baby spinach instead
- Pistachios – use any nut of choice, preferably roasted or toasted, or leave the nuts out entirely
- Salad dressing – You can use any mustard and vinegar of your choice, and substitute maple syrup for honey if desired.
Storing leftovers:
I’d recommend eating the salad right away, it’s definitely best when fresh, especially if the dressing has been added.
Make ahead instructions:
You can make the salad dressing 4-5 days in advance and store in a jar in the fridge. You can have the oranges segmented, the onions sliced, and the arugula washed and dried and in the fridge tightly covered the day before. I’d recommend chopping the avocado right before adding so it doesn’t start to discolor.
Expert tips and tricks:
- Pat the halloumi thoroughly before frying to get that crispy golden crust, if it’s too moist it’ll just steam when you pan grill it.
- Use a non-stick or cast-iron pan so the halloumi doesn’t stick to the pan and so you get the perfect sear.
- Really thoroughly dry your arugula after washing, there’s nothing worse in a salad than limp greens!
- Try to segment your oranges thoroughly, removing any of the peel and thick membranes. When you get just the juicy insides of the orange, it makes for such a delicious bite.
- Build the salad right before serving, before the halloumi starts to get rubbery.
Dress those greens!
Dress your arugula and toss thoroughly before layering on all the additional parts of the salad. This will ensure every bite you eat has great flavor, not just the bits at the top!
Halloumi Orange Salad FAQs:
I prefer it when it’s still a little bit warm from being fried, or room temperature. That being said, some people don’t mind it cold at all, so if you have leftovers give it a go!
Yes, you don’t need to flour or crumb the halloumi before frying for the salad, so this is a naturally gluten free salad.
You can prepare the marinade for the honey halloumi in advance, and prepare the dressing in advance, plus do the washing and chopping of your ingredients. You should assemble the final salad right before serving though, for the best results.
You don’t need to add any oil to the pan, especially since the halloumi is marinated in that beautiful hot honey sauce. Just make sure the pan has heated through before adding the halloumi, and don’t flip the slices over until properly golden brown and crispy on one side. Space the halloumi out so the slices don’t stick together while cooking.
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Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
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Fried Halloumi Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
For the halloumi:
- 1 pack halloumi 200g , 8 oz
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
To assemble the salad:
- 1 pack arugula or rocket leaves 120g, 4 oz
- 2 avocados, cut into cubes
- 2 oranges, cut into segments (with the white skin removed)
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup roasted pistachios, coarsley chopped
Instructions
For the dressing:
- Whisk together all the dressing ingredients thoroughly with a fork. Set aside, or place in the fridge tightly covered if making ahead.
For the halloumi:
- Pat the block of halloumi cheese dry, then slice into 6 even slices.
- Add the honey, lime or lemon juice, olive oil, and red chili flakes to a shallow bowl or deep plate and whisk with a fork to combine.
- Add the slices of halloumi to the mixture, then turn to coat both sides.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When very hot, use tongs or a fork to transfer the slices of halloumi out of the honey sauce, spacing in between. Reserve the leftover honey sauce.
- Cook for a few minutes until golden brown, anywhere between 3-4 minutes, then flip over and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
- Add any remaining honey sauce from the bowl to the skillet and simmer for 30 seconds or so, then take off the heat.
To assemble the salad:
- In a large, shallow serving plate, layer the arugula leaves, then drizzle with half the salad dressing and toss to combine.
- Add the avocado cubes, orange segments, red onions and pistachios, then layer the grilled halloum slices on top. Right before serving, drizzle generously with the remaining dressing and enjoy immediately!
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar can be replaced with white wine vinegar, balsamic, or any vinegar of your choice.
- Honey: Swap with maple syrup if you prefer.
- Dijon Mustard: Use any mustard variety that you prefer, like whole grain or yellow mustard.
- Arugula: Substitute with baby spinach, mixed greens, or rocket leaves.
- Pistachios: Use slivered almonds, walnuts, pecans, or omit nuts entirely for a nut-free version.
- This salad is best enjoyed freshly assembled, especially after adding the dressing.
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If making ahead, keep components separate:
- Dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Halloumi can be stored in the fridge after frying for 1-2 days, but it will lose its crispiness and become rubbery when cold.
- Avocado may brown—it’s best sliced fresh.
Recipe tips:
- Pat halloumi dry thoroughly before frying to ensure it gets golden and crispy—not steamed, using a nonstick or cast iron pan to prevent sticking, and space apart.
- Thoroughly dry arugula after washing to avoid soggy salad greens.
- Toss greens with half the dressing before assembling the salad—this ensures every bite is flavorful.
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