Charred Broccolini Salad

This Charred Broccolini Salad is such a delicious dish, featuring charred broccolini, crispy haloumi, and toasted pine nuts. It’s tossed with watercress (or any green you like) and a tangy preserved lemon dressing, creating a perfect balance of smoky, salty, and zesty flavours. Ideal for a light lunch or as a side for grilled meats.

Health benefits

Broccolini is rich in fibre, vitamins C and K, and antioxidants that support immune function and bone health. Haloumi provides protein and calcium, while pine nuts add healthy fats. The watercress brings additional vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A and folate, and the preserved lemon in the dressing boosts vitamin C intake, enhancing the immune-supporting properties of this dish.

Ingredients

This recipe calls for broccolini, haloumi, and watercress, paired with toasted pine nuts and preserved lemon. The dressing combines honey, Dijon mustard, turmeric, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil, adding layers of flavour to the salad.

How to make Broccolini Haloumi Salad

To make this Broccolini Haloumi Salad, start by heating your BBQ grill or griddle pan over a high heat. Toss the bunch broccolini (including the stems) and haloumi in olive oil, then grill them until the broccolini is lightly charred and the haloumi is golden. Toast the pine nuts until brown, and finely slice the skin of the preserved lemon. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl or jar, and shake to mix. Assemble the salad by placing watercress in a bowl, adding the grilled broccolini, haloumi, pine nuts, preserved lemon. Drizzle over the dressing and toss it well.

Serving suggestions and how to store

Serve this salad immediately for best flavour and texture, while the broccolini and haloumi are warm. It’s an excellent side for grilled meats or as a stand-alone light dish. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days, but the haloumi may lose its crispness upon reheating.

Vary this Charred Broccolini Salad to suit your dietary needs

For a dairy-free or vegan version, omit the haloumi and replace it with cashew nut cheese or tofu. If you’re following a nut-free diet, substitute the pine nuts with toasted sunflower seeds. If you can’t find preserved lemon, replace it with the zest of one lemon and a pinch of sea salt. Though preserved lemon adds a unique flavour, this alternative will still provide a fresh citrusy note. If you can’t access broccolini you can sub it with broccoli florets. 

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements (vegan/ nut free).

For more delicious, easy to make healthy salad recipes, click HERE.

Charred Broccolini Salad

Prep 15 minutes minutes

Cook 10 minutes minutes

Total 25 minutes minutes

Serves: 2

I love to char grill broccolini on the BBQ, I think it really brings out the flavour. Combined with the saltiness of the haloumi and the citrus salad dressing, this Charred Broccolini Salad makes for a delicious and very nourishing meal or side. 

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch/s broccolini
• 100 g haloumi
• 30 ml extra virgin olive oil -extra virgin (2 tbsp)
• ¼ cup/s pinenuts -toasted
• 60 g watercress (you could also use rocket or baby spinach if you prefer)
• 1 preserved lemon

Dressing

• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ lemon/s -juice and zest
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil -extra virgin (¼ cup)

Method

• Heat your BBQ grill or griddle pan.
• Toss the broccolini and haloumi in the olive oil and grill until the broccolini begins to just char and the haloumi is golden brown.
• Toast the pine nuts until just brown.
• Remove the flesh from the preserved lemon and finely slice the skin.

Dressing

• Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or shake in a re-cycled jar.

Serve

• Place the watercress in a salad bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, toss through the dressing and enjoy immediately.

Variations

Dairy free

Omit the haloumi and replace with cashew nut cheese. 

Vegan

Omit the haloumi and replace with cashew nut cheese or tofu. Substitute the honey with rice malt or maple syrup. 

Nut-free

Replace the pine nuts with toasted sunflower seeds. 

No preserved lemon

Preserved lemon is available in most supermarkets or gourmet shops. If you can't source it, then replace it with the zest of one lemon and a good pinch of sea salt. But if you can find it, it's so well worth it. You'll keep adding it to salads because it adds such a fabulous flavour. 

 

I'd love to hear how you like this recipe. Post a comment and rate this recipe below.

Course: Salad

Author: Georgia Harding

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