Orecchiette Salad With Halloumi Croutons

Name: Orecchiette Salad With Halloumi Croutons
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved; 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more as needed; Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper; 8 ounces orecchiette or other small pasta; 8 ounces halloumi cheese, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces; 3 Persian cucumbers, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces; 2 cups baby arugula (optional); 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint; 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

By Yossy Arefi

Updated Oct. 12, 2023

Orecchiette Salad With Halloumi Croutons — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 45 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(1,788)
Notes: Read community notes

Crispy, salty, chewy cubes of sautéed halloumi add great texture and heartiness to this bright pasta salad filled with veggies, herbs and tomatoes. The tomatoes are marinated with red wine vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, which infuses them with flavor and helps them release their juices for the punchy dressing. Crunchy cucumbers, lots of fresh herbs and some optional arugula round out this hearty salad. When seasoning the pasta and vegetables, keep in mind that the halloumi is quite salty. This salad is best enjoyed the day it’s made, while the halloumi cubes are still warm.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

1pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
4tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
2tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8ounces orecchiette or other small pasta
8ounces halloumi cheese, chopped into ½-inch pieces
3Persian cucumbers, chopped into ½-inch pieces
2cups baby arugula (optional)
½cup chopped fresh cilantro
½cup chopped fresh mint
¼cup finely chopped red onion

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta well and add it to the tomato mixture while still warm. Stir gently to combine, then let the mixture cool slightly.
Step 3
While the mixture cools, in a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Pat the halloumi dry with paper towels, then cook it until golden-brown, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add the cucumbers, arugula (if using), cilantro, mint and red onion to the pasta; stir to combine. Top with the halloumi, then add more salt, pepper, olive oil and vinegar to taste. Serve immediately.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,788 user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Cristie1 year ago

NYTimes recipe increasingly call for halloumi, which I can't find in my Manhattan neighborhood and which is not listed in the substitutions guide either. What do you suggest?

Mariana O.2 months ago

- 1 pint cherry tomatoes = 350 grs.; - 8 oz orecchiete = 240 grs. And it takes 14-16 mins to cook; - Marinated the onion together with the tomatoes; - Peeled and seeded a whole large cucumber (didn't find persian ones); - Rendered about four main dish servings; - Next time, remember to make halloumi cubes smaller (like the recipe says); - And don't skip the arugula! The dish was PERFECT!! We loved it, thanks!!

Kelly B1 year ago

To those asking for subs for Halloumi- Panela works well- has the same properties of crisping up but not melting plus it’s way cheaper

Hannah1 year ago

I agree with using Queso fresco as a substitute. It's easier to find, reasonably priced and is delicious when browned.

MG Lane1 year ago

This was excellent! Highly recommend scrunching the tomatoes in the oil & vinegar before adding the pasta, it makes the dressing really pleasantly saucy and marries the flavours so well. Also added basil which was lovely.

Anna1 year ago

Trader Joe's has it now. It's a seasonal item

Kristina1 year ago

Love the Halloumi croutons and am imagining other applications for them. Croutons tasted good even after the prepared salad had sat for 30 minutes or so. Rest of the salad is solid, but definitely needs more acidic punch from additional vinegar, or lemon juice would be nice.

Tommy Weir2 months ago

Recommend a short marination of the halloumi in lemon juice, it takes the salt level down a tad and adds a nice note. You can also dust the halloumi in oregano and paprika prior to adding to the pan.

Jessica Aulakh1 year ago

You could try paneer - just heavily salt before searing as it isn't usually salty like halloumi. Paneer similarly doesn't melt and sears beautifully.

stephanie1 year ago

Very tasty! The recipe says this is best served the day it’s made. I wanted to eat leftovers, so I kept some halloumi uncooked and fried it right before I ate my leftovers cold. Even better the next day! I also added diced peach to the mix, which added a sweet note to the sour and salty tastes.

Julia1 year ago

Maybe radishes to get that crunch?

KT3 months ago

Unfortunately this is so good that my fiancé and I ate the entire recipe in one sitting. Made as-is and added some fresh basil at the end.

lauren shan2 months ago

rinse the halloumi cheese very well in cool water to reduce the salt.

maggie1 year ago

I prepared exactly as written and the mint overwhelmed the whole dish. My suspicion is that my garden mint is much more potent than mint from the grocery. I will skip the mint next time or reduce by half. I also like the idea of adding fresh basil next time. I pared this with the Cumin Lamb Meatballs by Melissa Clark. They went quite well together.

ellebake1 year ago

You can cube queso fresco and grill it similarly, it does not get quite as crispy, but great alternative

Bernie5 days ago

I just made this but made it as a warm pasta dish. I put everything back in the hot pasta pot and it’s delish! I also added shrimp. I cooked it after the cheese and then through everything back in the pasta pot!

Jean2 weeks ago

Made this for a second time and it was just as delicious as I remembered. Definitely benefits from a drizzle of more vinegar and olive oil on each individual serving. I added pine nuts as well which really makes this next level!

Lily2 weeks ago

Excellent recipe! I would recommend adding crispy prosciutto and toasted pine nuts on top if you are serving this as a main dish— it added texture, saltiness and depth to the recipe and rounded it out beautifully.

KHoek2 weeks ago

A little extra vinegar. Add sweet corn, maybe leavhes

Mariel3 weeks ago

Family loved this! Can replace all herbs with basil.

T4 weeks ago

I found this to be quite a bit of work for a so-so result. If I were to make it again, I would purée the herbs and the arugula together for more of a pesto-like sauce. For those having trouble finding halloumi, I used queso de freir.

Erica1 month ago

This salad has become part of my summer rotation. Even better when increasing all the ingredients besides the pasta and marinating the herbs AND tomatoes with the oil and vinegar. Comes together like a dream and also works with added protein like shredded rotisserie chicken or pan-fried tofu.

Hannah1 month ago

I made a variation of this for a big dinner as a cold salad, about double the proportions: 5oz arugula, two pints rainbow cherry tomatoes, about 2 English cucumbers peeled and seeded, and since one of the guests is vegan, I used cannellini beans instead of the halloumi. Personally i don't love pasta in salads so also subbed cooked farro (from about 1c raw), and added garlic to the dressing. It was a HUGE hit--even the teenagers loved it.

Ric1 month ago

This was great as written, but next time I think I’ll increase the Halloumi by 25%. Every bite with a piece of Halloumi was better than any bite without. Yes, I really like Halloumi.

Lisa from Vancouver Island1 month ago

Made this with basil instead of cilantro as that's what I had in my garden (along with the mint, tomatoes, cucumber, and arugula) and it was fabulous. Had doubled for a dinner party and there were no leftovers.

FrannieB1 month ago

Love this summer salad! So many ways to riff. Added the red onion to the tomato mixture to tamp down the bite. I also threw in a diced zucchini and corn cut fresh from the cob along with the pasta. Halloumi croutons—so so good! Like others added the halloumi only to what we ate tonight so that I can savor leftovers tomorrow! 💗

Cathy Jewett1 month ago

Any tips on getting the Haloumi like the photo? I ended up putting it under the broiler. Still not as brown though.

lori1 month ago

Loved the halloumi but found the rest of the recipe lacking sadly a Even smushing the tomatoes as recommended and adding xtra acid lemon and lime juice juice and heat- red Chile

Kelly1 month ago

Delicious! I swapped out red onion for shallot (for my own preference), and also added basil. Great for a potluck

CityGoneCountry1 month ago

Queso de freír is a great substitute for halloumi since it is made for frying and is ubiquitous in Latino neighborhoods and markets with a good selection of Latino foods. I usually use the Tropical brand.

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