Featured in our Holiday 2021 Food + Entertaining article, Festa Italiana, this peppery arugula salad with mixed citrus and jewel-toned roasted beets gets elevated to holiday status courtesy of crispy halloumi croutons.
Citrus, Beet, and Arugula Salad with Halloumi Croutons
Course: Salads8
servingsResplendent with mixed citrus and jewel-toned roasted beets, this peppery arugula salad
gets elevated to holiday status courtesy of crispy halloumi croutons.
Ingredients
1 small red beet (about 5 ounces), trimmed and scrubbed
1 small golden beet (about 5 ounces), trimmed and scrubbed
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
12 ounces assorted citrus fruits (such as pink grapefruit, Cara Cara oranges, navel oranges, and lemons)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable oil
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 (8-ounce) package halloumi cheese, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 tablespoon water
1 large bunch arugula (about 7 ounces), leaves separated and stems trimmed; or 1 (5-ounce) package baby arugula
½ cup pomegranate arils
1⁄3 cup toasted pine nuts
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Place each beet on a separate 12-inch square of aluminum foil. Drizzle beets with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Fold foil sheets around each beet, and crimp tightly to form 2 airtight packets. Place packets on a small baking sheet, and roast in preheated oven until beets are tender but not mushy, 1 hour to 1½ hours. Remove from oven. Let beets cool in sealed packets 30 minutes. Unwrap cooled beets and peel. Cut beets into ½-inch wedges. Set aside.
- While beets roast, trim ¼ inch from top and bottom of each citrus fruit. Stand each citrus fruit upright on trimmed bottom; using a sharp knife and following the curve of the fruit, cut and remove the rind and white pith. Slice citrus crosswise into ¼-inch rounds and halve each round into a half-moon. Alternatively, slice in between membranes to cut into supremes. Set aside.
- Squeeze juice from citrus rinds into a small bowl to yield 1 tablespoon juice. Add lime juice, honey, mustard, pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1½ inches in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium-high until oil reaches 400°. Stir together flour and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Toss halloumi cubes and 1 tablespoon water in a separate medium bowl; drain. Add halloumi to flour mixture and toss well to coat; shake off excess flour mixture. Working in batches, fry halloumi, stirring occasionally, until crispy and dark golden brown, 1 minute and 30 seconds to 2 minutes and 30 seconds per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer halloumi to a paper towel–lined plate.
- Arrange arugula, beets, and citrus on a large platter; drizzle with ¼ cup dressing. Top salad with halloumi croutons, pomegranate arils, and pine nuts. Serve with remaining dressing.
Notes
- Recipe from Food & Wine, November 2021
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Beets can be roasted up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated in separate airtight containers.