Halloumi Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad
My easy Halloumi Lentil And Roasted Eggplant Salad only takes 25 minutes to make and is insanely delicious! A great lemony, vegetarian Mediterranean salad that can be eaten warm or cold. Spice-roasted eggplant bites, soft lentils, creamy halloumi, sweet pomegranate, crunchy onion and a tangy, delicious dressing that is slurp-worthy (the only real measure of a good salad!). A dish that goes beautifully with just about any meal.
Ingredients 23
For The Roasted Eggplant
2 Lebanese eggplants, cut in half lengthways, chopped into 1-inch large pieces
1 tsp flakey salt
1⁄2 tsp sumac
1 tsp sweet paprika
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1⁄2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For The Lentil Salad
200 g halloumi, drained and cut into one-inch pieces
1 tsp olive oil
400 g lentils, canned, rinsed, drained
1 red onion, diced
1⁄2 cup parsley, packed, chopped
1⁄3 cup pomegranate seeds
For The Dressing
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt flakes
Pinch black pepper
1 tsp sesame seeds
To Serve
1⁄4 cup mint leaves, packed
sesame seeds, pomegranate seeds, extra
pomegranate molasses, to drizzle, optional
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Method 6
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).
Place , , , , and in a medium bowl. Toss gently to combine. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.
To make the dressing, place the , , , , , , , , and in a lidded mason jar and shake well to combine. Dressing can be made up to a day ahead and stored in the fridge.
Pan-fry the 1-inch halloumi pieces in 1 teaspoon of olive oil on both sides over low-medium heat until golden. (This takes about 4-5 minutes)
Place the (rinsed and drained), , , and in a large bowl.
Add the and . Add the and mix well. Garnish with , extra , and extra . Drizzle with pomegranate molasses if desired.
Sneh Roy / Cook Republic's tips
Fresh pomegranate arils are the best. You can substitute them with frozen arils after thawing them. If you don't have access to pomegranate seeds, substitute with dried cranberries or fresh cherries (if they are in season).
Pomegranate Molasses - This is purely optional, but a light drizzle of pomegranate molasses elevates this salad further. Traditionally, a lot of Middle Eastern recipes have a drizzle of pomegranate molasses. This thick, syrupy, molten liquid is very sour with just a hint of sweetness. You can skip this, or if you prefer your salad to have a bit of sweetness, add a very light drizzle of maple syrup.
Salad can be prepped ahead and can be eaten warm or cold. Prepped and tossed salad can be stored in the fridge in an air-tight glass container for up to 2 days.
