Use late summer market produce in this heirloom tomato salad with grilled peaches, grilled halloumi cheese and crisp (gluten-free) croutons. This delicious tomato salad is topped with fresh basil and a simple balsamic dressing. This recipe includes tips for how to grill this tasty Middle Eastern or Greek cheese.
Don't let go of summer before making this grilled halloumi, peach and tomato salad! This summer tomato salad makes a perfect side salad when you're grilling dinner.
Add sliced fresh peaches, sliced halloumi and crusty bread to your grill, and arrange with a few fresh greens and sun-ripened tomatoes. Drizzle with fruity olive oil and balsamic vinegar and you'll have a beautiful peach and tomato salad to go with your dinner. Couldn't be easier!
You might be skeptical about pairing peaches with tomatoes, but this combo really works. Ripe summer tomatoes are naturally sweet. Combining juicy grilled peaches, sweet tomatoes and salty cheese make an unforgettable summertime treat!
We're always overloaded with garden tomatoes at this time of year, but I'm not complaining! Lately I've been making this Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil, Capers and Feta, this Simple Rustic Tomato Salad, and my favourite Broiled Tomatoes with Garlic and Herbs. A simple toasted tomato sandwich is Denis's idea of a great lunch.
But let's make this grilled peach and tomato salad today. It's delicious.
Here's what you'll need.
🛒 Ingredients
Peaches: one or two. Try to find a freestone variety to make slicing easier. There is no need to peel them. In fact, they hold their shape better on the grill if you leave the skins on. No peaches? Substitute nectarines.
Tomatoes: I used a combination of heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Vine-ripened, sun-warmed tomatoes have SO much flavour.
Halloumi cheese: What is Halloumi? It's a Middle Eastern or Greek cheese, originally from Cyprus. You can find it in large supermarkets or gourmet grocery stores. It's mild like mozzarella, salty, but not as salty as feta. It's delicious when grilled and only takes a few minutes on each side to warm and develop crispy edges. Marinate it in a mixture of lemon, garlic and oregano. A small amount adds a lot of flavour to your salad!
Croutons: To keep this salad gluten-free, I brushed cubes of gluten-free bread with olive oil and grilled it alongside the peaches. If you don't need this salad to be gluten-free, choose a rustic crusty bread like ciabatta.
fresh seasonal greens: form the base for this salad
Garnish and dressing: fresh basil leaves, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
🔪 Instructions
Combine lemon juice, minced garlic and fresh or dried oregano in a small bowl.
Slice the halloumi into slabs about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Don't unfold the cheese first. Cover the cheese with the lemon juice mixture and let stand to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
Slice tomatoes and drain on paper towel.
Arrange a few fresh seasonal greens in the bottom of a shallow serving bowl.
Time to grill. You can use either your outdoor grill or an indoor stove-top grill. Once the grill has been pre-heated and well-oiled, add peach slices and bread cubes. I brush the bread and the peaches with a little olive oil first to prevent sticking. Don't turn the peaches until you can see that the undersides have grill marks. Then you'll know that they won't stick.
Halloumi cheese is best when it is hot off the grill. If you let it sit too long, or if you overcook it, it will be tough, stringy and rubbery. Wait until the peaches and croutons are done, then remove them from the grill and add the marinated halloumi cheese slices.
They will only take 2 minutes on each side to develop perfect grill marks.
While they're cooking, arrange the tomatoes, peaches and croutons on the greens. Tuck the halloumi slices in among the peaches, and add fresh basil leaves. Drizzle with a simple balsamic dressing and serve right away.
Possible Variations
- Make this salad with the ingredients that are available to you. You could easily substitute nectarines or even plums for peaches, for example.
- Add a little torn prosciutto or crisp bacon. The halloumi cheese is salty, so limit the amount of prosciutto you add.
- If you can't find halloumi where you live, you could use fresh mozzarella instead. Slice or tear it and add to the salad with a little sprinkle of salt, as it's very mild.
❓Frequently asked questions
The first time I cooked halloumi I overcooked it and decided that I didn't like it. However, since learning how to cook it properly, I'm now a convert. Here are my tips:
Don't cut it too thinly. Leave the slices about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick.
Don't expect it to melt. If you're interested in finding out why, check this article Why Don’t Halloumi and Other Grilling Cheeses Melt?
Once it's cooked (you can pan fry it, too) it becomes amazingly soft and squishy inside (and it squeaks on your teeth.)
Halloumi only needs a couple of minutes on each side to develop beautiful grill marks, to become a little crispy, but still deliciously warm and soft inside.
Grilling peaches makes them smoky and addictively sweet. They're an ideal addition to this Grilled Halloumi Peach and Tomato Salad.
Slice a peach in half, starting and ending at the stem end. Twist the halves to release them from the pit. Slice the halves into 3 or 4 slices, depending on the size of the peach. Brush with a little olive oil, place on the grill, wait until you can see grill marks forming on the underside, then turn and grill on the other side.
I use this stainless steel grill spatula for flipping things on the grill. (It's amazing for pancakes, too.)
You could also use one of these handy (dishwasher-safe!) grill mats and never have to worry about losing food through the grates again!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Serve this grilled halloumi, peach and tomato salad alongside any grilled meat or fish. We like it with Blackberry Glazed Chicken Thighs or Honey Dijon Glazed Salmon in Foil.
Enjoy the flavours of sun-ripened fruit in this healthy summer salad!
Grilled Halloumi, Peach and Tomato Salad with Croutons
Equipment
Ingredients
Halloumi Marinade
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh oregano
Simple Balsamic Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Salad Ingredients
- 3 medium heirloom tomatoes
- 1/2 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 - 2 medium peaches
- 7 oz (200 gm) halloumi cheese
- 2 cups fresh salad greens
- 1/4 cup basil leaves
Instructions
Halloumi Marinade
- Combine lemon juice, minced garlic and fresh or dried oregano in a small bowl. Slice the halloumi into slabs about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Don't unfold the cheese first. Cover the cheese with the lemon juice mixture and let stand to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
Simple Balsamic Dressing
- Whisk the oil, vinegar, honey and salt and pepper together or shake in a small jar with a lid.
Salad
- Slice tomatoes and drain on paper towel.
- Arrange a few fresh seasonal greens in the bottom of a shallow serving bowl. Set aside.
- Brush the bread cubes and peach slices with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Once your indoor or outdoor grill has been pre-heated and well-oiled, add peach slices and bread cubes. Don't turn the peaches until you can see that the undersides have grill marks, about 3 - 4 minutes, depending on the temperature of your grill. Then flip the peaches and the bread cubes and grill until grill marks appear on the other side as well.
- Halloumi cheese is best when it is hot off the grill. If you let it sit too long, or if you overcook it, it will be tough, stringy and rubbery. Wait until the peaches and croutons are done, then remove them from the grill and add the marinated halloumi cheese slices. They will only take 2 minutes on each side to develop perfect grill marks.
- While they're cooking, arrange the tomatoes, peaches and croutons on the greens. Tuck the halloumi slices in among the peaches, and add fresh basil leaves.
- Drizzle with Simple Balsamic Dressing. Serve right away.
Notes
Halloumi only needs to be grilled for a couple of minutes on each side to develop beautiful grill marks and to become a little crispy on the outside and warm and soft inside. How to grill peaches: Slice a peach in half starting and ending at the stem end. Twist the halves to release them from the pit. Slice the halves into 3 or 4 slices, depending on the size of the peach. Brush with a little olive oil, place on the grill, wait until you can see grill marks forming on the underside, then turn and grill on the other side, about 3 - 4 minutes per side.
Nutrition
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