Crispy Halloumi Salad With Dates and Arugula
Updated September 5, 2025
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Ready In
- 20 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
For the Dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Fine sea salt and black pepper
For the Halloumi Salad
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch sweet paprika
Pinch ground cinnamon
6 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
3 tablespoons slivered or roughly chopped almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces halloumi, drained and cut into bite-size pieces
5 ounces (about 4 cups) arugula (or a mix of arugula and baby spinach)
½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish if desired
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
37 grams carbs; 66 milligrams cholesterol; 518 calories; 19 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 39 grams fat; 5 grams fiber; 671 milligrams sodium; 12 grams protein; 28 grams sugar
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.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, Dijon, ¼ teaspoon salt and a large pinch of pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired; set aside.
- Step 2
Make the salad: In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add a pinch of paprika and cinnamon, then the dates and almonds. Cook, stirring frequently, until the dates have absorbed the butter and softened and the almonds are lightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Step 3
In the same pan, cook the halloumi: Heat the olive oil over medium. Add the halloumi and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep the halloumi warm.
- Step 4
Assemble the salad: Add the arugula, parsley and scallions to the bowl with the dressing and toss to combine. Transfer to a large serving plate in an even layer. Arrange the halloumi on top of the greens, followed by the buttery dates and almonds. Garnish with more scallions, if desired, and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
First time commenting on a recipe but this one is worth it - absolutely delicious. Added a little quinoa and it was the perfect easy weeknight meal.
Very tasty and substantial enough for dinner! Proportions as written made 2 large dinner salads for us. Used a mix of arugula, kale, and spinach for the greens, finely chopped a crisp apple, and added 400g butternut squash roasted with some cardamom and chili flake. As usual for NYT, you can cut the oil and butter basically in half, but this one was terrific for easing into fall!
Made this as written but wanted a bit more protein so I crisped up 2 cans of chickpeas tossed in the seasoning from Melissa Clark’s ratatouille with crispy chickpeas recipe. What a great meal!
I really liked this but thought it might even nicer with half the amount of Halloumi - love the squeaky cheese but it’s flavour can overwhelm the other ingredients I find. I also pan-fried some shrimp in garlic and a little lemon juice ahead of time and added that in last minute. I also think that with the sweetness from the dates I could have held off with the honey from the dressing. I also like the idea of adding dried cranberries to the mix 🤔 Will try again!
Super delicious! The combo of sweet and sticky (dates) and crunchy creamy (halloumi and almonds) was great with the bitter of the arugula. My husband and I ate the whole salad for dinner on a hot summer night on outdoor deck.
I couldn't find dates that day so used raisins. Really good!