This blood orange panzanella salad is a perfect wintery dish for chilly days! Fried halloumi cheese, pistachios, blood orange vinaigrette, toasty sourdough and all the vegetable make this a super satisfying bowl. It’s beautiful and delicious!
Who else needs a bright salad to warm up their winter days?!
Me, me, me!Â
This halloumi blood orange panzanella is so refreshing, crunchy and satisfying. Drizzle with blood orange vinaigrette, it has pops of pistachios, tart blood oranges, crisp radicchio, savory halloumi cheese and more.
It’s pretty and vibrant but most of all it tastes wonderful.
It tastes like a bright fruity bowl that’s reminiscent of warmer days to come. I love that! It’s like a precursor to the sunshine and spring warmth that we will see in a few months!
It’s no secret how much I adore panzanella salad. I mean, bread in salad? Hello, thank you, yes please.Â
I love how toasty the bread is. How it soaks up the dressing.Â
The way there is crunch, satiety and so much flavor with every bite.Â
The other thing I love so much is halloumi cheese. It gets so toasty and crispy on the outside. And it’s incredibly savory. It’s also a fun unique cheese to use in a salad aside from traditional parm or mozzarella.Â
Also, blood orange season! Just the best season ever. The oranges are tangy and sweet, not to mention gorgeous. I make a blood orange vinaigrette frequently and that is the perfect dressing for this. It’s tangy enough that it almost mimics that classic panzanella dressing with the tomato juice.Â
Fabulous!Â
Some panzanellas that I make don’t even have lettuce. For this wintery version, I like to include some romaine and radicchio, as untraditional as it is. But the amounts below are just guidelines; this is a salad after all! You can add as much or as little of what you like. That’s the beauty of it.Â
Let’s get a rundown of all the goodness in this bowl:
Toasty sourdough bread
Blood orange segments
Fried halloumi cheese
Chopped pistachios
Thinly sliced red onion
Romaine
RadicchioÂ
Radish slicesÂ
Blood orange vinaigrette
Now if that doesn’t sound like a dream together, I don’t know what does!
It’s super filling. Has tons of texture for those of you (like me!) that crave the crunch.Â
But at the same time, it’s light, fresh and a very feel-good meal.Â
The prettiest too!
Definitely should add it to your list!Â
Blood Orange Panzanella with Halloumi
Halloumi and Blood Orange Panzanella Salad
This blood orange salad is a perfect wintery dish for chilly days! Fried halloumi cheese, pistachios, blood orange vinaigrette, toasty sourdough and all the vegetable make this a super satisfying bowl. It’s beautiful and delicious!
- 1 loaf sourdough bread cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 8 ounces halloumi cheese
- 4 cups chopped romaine
- 2 cup torn radicchio lettuce
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 blood oranges, segmented
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup pistachios, chopped
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet. Toss them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are just toasted. Set the cubes aside to cool.
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While the bread toasts, make the halloumi. Slice the halloumi into strips (I like them about ¼ to ½ inch thick) and pat them completely dry with a paper towel.
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Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the halloumi in a single layer and sear until it’s golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then flip and sear the other side. Transfer the halloumi to a plate. You can cut or tear it into pieces here for the salad. Your preference!
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Assemble the salad. In a large bowl or plate, combine the romaine, radicchio, radish, red onion and oranges. Drizzle on some dressing and toss a few times. Add in the halloumi and pistachios, tossing one more.
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Serve with additional dressing as desired. Enjoy!!
blood orange vinaigrette
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Whisk together the juice, vinegar, garlic, dijon and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. This stays great in the fridge for a few days!
Two words: Stun.Ning.