Cannellini Bean & Crispy Halloumi Pomegranate Salad

A refreshing salad full of flavour and texture. It’s all about tasting the dressing with this one and making sure the halloumi is golden, crispy and a little bit sticky. A great side of light dinner or lunch.

Serves 4

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 
100g pomegranate seeds
400g cherry tomatoes on the vine, halved
Few generous handfuls spinach, roughly chopped
Handful mint, roughly chopped
Handful coriander, roughly chopped
2 romano red peppers, diced 
1 cucumber, deseeded and diced
Few spring onions, finely sliced 

For the halloumi:
225g block halloumi, cut into 2-3cm cubes
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
50g pumpkin seeds
50g cashews, roughly chopped
Honey for drizzling

For the dressing:
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or 1/2 tbsp honey mixed with 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Sea salt flakes and freshly ground pepper

1. Add all the ingredients for the salad to a large bowl.

2. Preheat the oven to 200C fan/220C. Add the cubed halloumi to a small bowl, add the spices and olive oil and toss so the cubes are well coated in the mixture. Place the halloumi on a parchment lined baking tray so they are spaced out and roast for 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden.

3. Add the seeds, cashews and drizzle over the honey, stir well then roast for a further few minutes in the oven until the nuts and seeds are toasted and the halloumi is slightly sticky and caramelised.

4. Add the halloumi, seeds and nuts to the salad bowl, pour over the dressing and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.