Grilled Halloumi Salad

This salad unashamedly has too many ingredients. A few days back I had an urge to eat halloumi and promised myself I’d get some this weekend. I love the stuff – I love the way it’s rubbery, I love the way it squeaks when you bite into it, I love how salty it is  – and it’s even better when you cook it.
You can take what you like from the rest of the salad. Like I say, it’s full of different ingredients but that’s exactly what I wanted – I wanted new textures and tastes with every bite. The quinoa binds the salad together – if you do make this, try to make sure you include it.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 block of halloumi – sliced
• 1 tablespoon of pine nuts – lightly toasted in a dry pan
• 1/2 cucumber – sliced into thin strips
• A handful of red grapes – sliced
• 1 tablespoon of olives – choose your favourite olives
• 1 cup of quinoa
• 1 pint of vegetable or chicken stock
• A handful of chopped mint and flat leaf parsley
• Natural yoghurt
• A pinch of sumac.

Rinse the quinoa in cold water until it runs clear. Add the quinoa to a pan with the stock and simmer until the quinoa grains have split – this should take 15 minutes or so. Drain and reserve.
The halloumi needs a a minute or so on a hot griddle – keep an eye on it. It wont melt too much but don’t overdo it – you’re looking for those griddle marks on the surface but don’t let it go too far.
Arrange the halloumi and the quinoa on a serving plate and start to add the other ingredients. Finish with the yoghurt and the sumac sprinkled over the top.
This salad is more than enough for a good meal but if you do fancy using it as a base for something a bit more meaty, it works brilliantly with lamb. Try my rack of lamb recipe with it if you want to use it as a side dish.