Little Gem Salad With Crispy Halloumi

By Ali Slagle

Published March 4, 2025

Little Gem Salad With Crispy Halloumi
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(422)
Comments
Read comments

Meet halloumi crumbs, a best-of-all-worlds garnish for salads, pastas and more. They’re crisp like toasted breadcrumbs, salty like Parmesan and still maintain some of halloumi’s signature chew. To make the crumbs, grate the sturdy cheese on the large holes of a box grater, then sizzle the strands in an oiled skillet. Here, pistachios and whole spices, like fennel or coriander seeds, are also added for a boost of flavor and even more textures. Even the simplest salad of crunchy, lemon-dressed lettuces can wow when these crumbs are showered on top. To make it a meal, serve it with roasted root vegetables, lentil soup or a grilled or roasted protein.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 4½tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 to 9ounces halloumi cheese, coarsely grated
  • ¼ cup roasted, salted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • 1tablespoon fennel, cumin or coriander seeds, or a mix
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 4heads Little Gem lettuce or 2 romaine hearts, leaves separated (and torn if large)
  • 1shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1lemon
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

375 calories; 32 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 696 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 2½ tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add the halloumi, pistachios and seeds. Stir to coat in the oil, then spread in an even layer. Cook, occasionally stirring and spreading out, until the halloumi is golden-brown, 4 to 6 minutes. (At first, it will melt, but then it will crisp and brown.) Spread out on a plate to cool and season with pepper.

  2. Step 2

    Add the lettuce and shallot to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Zest and juice the lemon on top and toss to coat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and toss once more. Arrange the lettuces on a platter or serving plates; try to arrange the leaves cup side up so they catch the crumbs. Sprinkle with the halloumi crumbs, season with salt and pepper and eat right away.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
422 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Ida

This was excellent! I plan to make it again soon but be warned of the splatter factor. I grated the halloumi into the non stick pan with plenty of olive oil and it continuously leaped over a foot out of the pan like popcorn. I covered about 90% of the pan with lid to protect my kitchen and face. Problem solved. Also added some fresh baby corn I charred and the results were so delicious!

Cathie Andersen

Been seeing Halloumi at Costco. Good price.

Nick Danger

@Alicia J go to your local Latin grocery store and look for “queso de freir” - economical substitution with similar flavor provide and exact same fry-ability.

Nancy S

I loved this tasty recipe and thought it quite creative. I sadly didn’t get enough Romaine lettuce, but we used chips and whatever we could find to finish off every bit of leftover crumbles. A wonderful combination of strong flavors.

Lynette

I split the lettuces in half, brushed them with a bit of oil, and put them on our outdoor grill for about 3 minutes on each side. I drizzled them with a vinaigrette made out of the lemon, shallots, and oil, and sprinkled the crispy halloumi mix over it all. So good!

Stacey S

The first time I made this exactly as is - wonderful! The next time I cooked the halloumi without EVOO (it doesn’t need it in my nonstick pan). Instead of using a lemon and olive oil I used Agrumato, which is olive oil that has a lemon flavor because the olives are pressed with lemons. This has become a staple for me for my lunches. Since the first several times of making this I’ve used the crumbs as toppers on other similar salads like butter lettuce with avo, cherry tomatoes and green onions. It works well on a lot of bases!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.