Pan-Fried Halloumi & Air-Fried Zucchini Salad

Hi guys! I'm so excited for my first post here on A Dash of Toni. I've come today with a super easy salad recipe that is incredibly delicious! It is quick to make, but I estimate 35 min total to give you some wiggle room ;)

If you're like me, I sometimes have a difficult time getting all of my veggies in each day. I love salads because they are incredibly quick to whip up and can actually be incredibly filling! This particular salad would be perfect as an appetizer or an entrée. I ate it for lunch, but it could easily be eaten for dinner (throw on some grilled chicken and you've got a meal)!

Let's talk about some of the components of this salad.

Halloumi: I first experienced this cheese when I studied abroad in Greece and have been hunting for it ever since! It is a semi-hard cheese that helms from Cyprus. It has an incredibly high melting point (by cheese standards), so it is perfect for frying or grilling (cool, right?!). Taste-wise it packs a salty punch, almost reminiscent of feta! For this reason it goes great with a sweet/acidic dressing like vinaigrette. Texture-wise it can be a bit rubbery if you eat it straight from the packaging. Frying or grilling softens the cheese, giving it a much more desirable mouthfeel! It's also great on a sandwich, but that's a recipe for another day!
Air-Fried Zucchini: As I was thinking up this salad, I knew I wanted something crunchy to balance out the softness of the halloumi and spring mix. I didn't want to add croutons and that's when it hit me--fried zucchini! Not only would it provide the same crunch a crouton would, but it would also help me incorporate more vegetables into the overall salad! Panko or Italian breadcrumbs both work perfectly for these babies (but honestly any breadcrumbs you have will be great, just be sure to season them if they are plain)!

Okay, enough chatting! Let's get to the photos and the recipe.

I used a spring mix from the grocery store for my base. In a spring mix you'll typically find Baby Lettuces (Green Romaine, Red Romaine, Red Oak, Green Oak, Tango, Lolla Rossa, Red Leaf, Green Leaf), Baby Greens (Mizuna, Arugula, Tatsoi, Mache, Red Chard, Green Chard, Baby Spinach, Endive), and Radicchio. If spring mix is unavailable, baby spinach would be a great choice for this salad as well!

*Note: I always chop my greens in order to make them easier (and less messy) to eat.

Here I'm showing my vinaigrette pre-mixing. Vinaigrettes are incredibly versatile and simple to make! Just remember the main components: the base (which in this case is the dijon mustard), the acid (typically red wine vinegar but I used apple cider vinegar), and the emulsifier (olive oil). I also added honey to cut some of the acidity as well as minced garlic. It was refreshing and delicious!