Lattice Salad with Avocado Dressing and Halloumi
Crisp lettuce salad topped with pan-fried halloumi cheese and toasted bread cubes, served with a creamy avocado dressing made from fresh lime, almond milk, garlic, and basil. Colorful peppers and red onion add crunch and brightness to this composed salad.
Ingredients
- 11 oz small lettuce, trimmed
- 2 ¼ cups halloumi cheese, whole
- 3 ½ oz day-old white bread, wholestale ciabatta1:1bread
similar texture when crisped
- 4 EL olive oil, divided
- ½ TL salt, for cooking
- 11 oz colored bell peppers, yellow and red
- 1 whole red onion, whole
- 1 whole lime, whole
- 1 whole ripe avocado, whole
- 0.0 cups almond milk, whole
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- ½ TL sugar, whole
- 1 whole garlic clove, small
- 3 sprigs fresh basil, whole
Instructions
- 1
Squeeze the lime juice.
- 2
Halve the avocado, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh into a blender.
- 3
Add lime juice, almond milk, salt, pepper, sugar, garlic clove, and basil leaves to the avocado.
- 4
Puree until creamy, adding more milk as needed to reach desired consistency.
- 5
Taste and adjust seasoning.
- 6
Remove the core from the lettuce and separate into individual leaves.
- 7
Cut halloumi into slices and bread into bite-sized pieces.
- 8
Pan-fry the cheese and bread in a small amount of oil until golden brown, lightly salting the bread.
- 9
Cut peppers into bite-sized pieces and slice the red onion into thin rings.
- 10
Arrange all salad ingredients in an organized pattern on a large serving platter.
- 11
Serve the dressing on the side.
Good to Know
Dressing keeps refrigerated up to 2 days. Assemble salad just before serving to prevent sogginess.
Make dressing up to 2 hours ahead. Prepare all components but do not assemble until serving.
Arrange components on a large platter with dressing on the side for guests to dress their own portions.
Common Mistakes
Do not over-puree the dressing to avoid gluey texture; pulse briefly after adding milk
Do not fry halloumi at too high heat to avoid burning the exterior before the interior softens
Do not dress the salad in advance to avoid wilting the lettuce
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
similar texture when crisped