I absolutely love adding halloumi to salads, as it adds a delicious caramelised and slightly salty flavour. It’s beautiful paired with lentils and has a Middle Eastern twist, thanks to the pomegranate and parsley.

Serves: 2 

Ingredients

1 sweet potato, cubed

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper

1 400g (14.1 oz) tin lentils, drained and rinsed

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cup (40g) pomegranate arils

2 handful baby spinach, leaves shredded

¼ bunch parsley, leaves picked & shredded

75 g (3.5 oz) halloumi, sliced

½ avocado, sliced

For the dressing

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 tsp maple syrup

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Sea salt and pepper 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. 

Spread the sweet potato cubes across the lined tray and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until golden and cooked through. 

To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

To make the lentil salad, combine the lentils, cherry tomatoes, pomegranate, baby spinach and parsley leaves in a bowl. Pour over half the dressing and toss to coat. 

Lightly grease a non-stick frying pan with olive oil and heat over a medium high heat. Pat the sliced halloumi with some paper towel to remove excess moisture. Fry the halloumi for 2 minutes on each side or until it’s caramelised and golden.

To assemble, divide the lentil salad and roasted sweet potato chunks across two serving bowls. Top with the halloumi and avocado slices. Finish with a drizzle of the remaining salad dressing. 

Any leftover sweet potato or salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Notes:

For a dairy-free alternative: 

Omit the halloumi or replace it with cashew cheese.