Halloumi, pea & watercress salad with mint dressing
This light and refreshing salad is packed with in-season spring vegetables like new potatoes (vitamin B to release energy from food), peas (vitamin C for the immune system), watercress (iron for oxygen carrying red blood cells) and spring onions (vitamin A for good vision). We’ve served it with a mint yogurt dressing and toasted pitta breads, or you can serve it for Easter Lunch with roasted lamb.
Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main
Ingredients
500-750g pack of new potatoes, washed and halved
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
250g pack of halloumi, cut into ¾ cm slices
200g frozen or fresh peas
100g pack of watercress or leaves
4 spring onions, outer layer and stalks removed, cut into thin slices
For the dressing:
1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
½ lemon (save some to squeeze on the salad)
125g pot of natural yogurt
Bunch of mint, thinly chopped
Pinch of sea salt and black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. To prepare the new potatoes, give them a good wash and cut in half. Lay them out on a baking tray and give them a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Roast them in the oven for around 30 minutes or until they crisp up.
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To make the dressing, add all the ingredients to a small bowl and give it a good stir, then set aside.
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To prepare the peas, you can steam them or place the frozen peas in a lidded Pyrex dish or a small bowl covered with cling film. Add a tablespoon of water to the dish and cook on full power for 4 minutes (750W).
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Cut the halloumi into ¾ cm slices and dry fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning over when it begins to brown and crisp up. It’s best to serve the halloumi just after it’s been cooked.
- Whilst the halloumi is cooking, assemble the salad. On a large serving dish or individual plates, lay out the watercress leaves, peas and spring onion and give them a good squeeze of lemon juice. Add the new potatoes from the oven, halloumi from the pan, and drizzle over the yogurt dressing. This salad can be enjoyed hot or cold.
