Make a simple summer salad of massaged kale and a buttery addition of grilled halloumi cheese.
Simple salads and grilling is how I like to enjoy my summer meals.
I have spoken about my obsession for massaged kale before and basically it’s the only way other than sautéed I eat it. Having it totally raw without breaking it down a bit is tough to chew and also to digest for some. If you haven’t tried it, all you need is a bowl, knife/scissors and some delicious extra virgin olive oil. I take the kale, strip off the leafy parts (tossing the stems out) and roll up the leaves tightly. Then either using a chef’s knife or scissors, I cut up the pieces almost into ribbons. The smaller, the better for chewing.
Throw that in a bowl, add a bit of olive oil (you can start with a little at first and always increase… No exact science here) and then roll up your sleeves, wash your hands, and start massaging that kale like it had a hard day!! I do this for maybe 3-5 mins until I see the leaves are coated well in the oil and it’s much softer. Give a piece a taste and see if you like it, if not keep going until you do. Voila! This stores perfectly for lunches by the way, I usually do a big bunch on Sunday’s to have on hand for the week and keep it in my fridge. Just add some lemon juice or vinegar of choice and you’ve got a salad.
In this case, I also added thinly sliced red cabbage, sea salt and lemon juice. Let it marinate for a few minutes because it just gets better and better!
HALLOUMI. If you eat cheese- do not skip this. Halloumi is a Cyprian cheese that is thick, salty and holds up amazingly when grilled. It’s the ultimate “grilled cheese”, people. I normally could only find it at European/Mediterranean markets but it’s becoming more popular and mainstream now. So go find some.
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Grilled Halloumi and Kale Salad
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Make a simple summer salad of massaged kale and a buttery addition of grilled halloumi cheese.
Ingredients
- 6 cups Lacinto or curly kale
- 1/2 cup raw red cabbage
- 2 tsp olive oil+
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 1 package of Halloumi Cheese (8 oz.)
- sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and dry kale and strip leaves off the stems, slice or cut using kitchen shears into small pieces (almost like ribbons). Add to a large salad bowl.
- Pour olive oil over the kale and massage with hands for approx. 5 minutes.
- Add in thinly sliced cabbage, lemon zest and juice from half the lemon.
- Top with a little pinch of sea salt and set aside to marinate.
- Fire up your grill, using a cast iron grill pan or actual grill on medium-high. No oil needed.
- While that’s heating up, slice your Halloumi if it’s not already – you want the slices to be pretty thick so they hold up nicely, I usually slice one 8oz. package into no more than 6 slices.
- Once the pan is nice and hot, add slices of Halloumi and just watch, it’ll take just a few minutes each side, just check the grill marks to make sure you like them before you flip.
- Some corners might melt more than others, but overall it should be fairly intact. Next you simply pull them off the grill with tongs and place along side your salad.
- Squeeze the rest of your lemon allover the cheese. Optionally add black pepper and any other toppings and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Salad, Side
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Greek
