This chorizo salad has some cool elements and I am super excited to share them with you today. Just about anything with chorizo in it is a winner for me. This salad is crunchy, fresh, herby and it involves possibly the best croutons you’ll ever have. The croutons are fried in the fat of the chorizo……..If you haven’t realised by now, I am not a food blogger who likes to get overly proud and ego struck about my recipes. But when that idea popped into my head, I thought it was pretty damn cool.
Speaking of chorizo, here is a question I would love to get some insight on. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered a dish with chorizo in it? Then, when the dish arrives the chorizo isn’t crispy, and you wish it was? I don’t mind, chorizo is great to just cut up and serve as an appetiser. Or when it just simply tossed through something like pasta or risotto. But personally, I think that chorizo is most satisfying to eat when it is all nice and crisped up. Is that just me or do you guys think the same thing? Just a thought that has been lingering in my mind.
Halloumi cheese, the dairy to this dish. I was going to add mozzarella instead. But I wanted something with a bit more meatiness and firmness. Something that wouldn’t break, or absorb so easily. I definitely like halloumi cheese, but it is still just so new to me. And that squeakiness that it has when you chew it. I have never encountered this with any other ingredient. This just makes me want to experiment with it more to find another great use for it.
I hope you all love this chorizo salad just as much as I did. I have said it before and I will continue to say it. You guys are the frikin best! Thank you so much for reading through this post. Have a splendid day, and I will be sending another recipe your way shortly.
Epic Crouton, Walnut, Halloumi and Crispy Chorizo salad
This chorizo salad is crunchy, fresh, herby and it involves possibly the best croutons you'll ever have.
Ingredients
Salad
- 200 g of halloumi cheese
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 375 g of chorizo
- 250 g of cherry tomatoes halved
- 150 g 3 slices of multi grain bread torn into bite size chunks
- 1 bunch of Basil leaves torn
- 2-3 sprigs of oregano leaves picked
- 2-3 sprigs of mint leaves picked
- 50 g baby rocket
- 3-4 radishes washed and thinly sliced
- 150 g of walnuts
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of mustard
- Salt and Pepper for seasoning
Instructions
Salad
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Chorizo usually has an inedible outer skin/casing to protect the meat. Make sure you peel it off, then slice the sausages into chunks.
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Pre-heat a frying pan on medium heat, then add your olive oil. Add your Halloumi cheese and fry for a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl then set aside.
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Now add your chorizo to the pan and fry for about 4-5 minutes tossing/stirring occasionally. Once the chorizo is nice and crispy, use a pair of tongs to transfer in a bowl, but make sure you leave the chorizo fat in the pan as you will need that for the croutons. Add your cherry tomatoes to the bowl with the chorizo and mix together. The hot chorizo will slightly soften the tomatoes but won't fully cook them. This will add a nice element to the salad.
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Add your bread and a good pinch of salt to the pan, and let that bread soak up that olive oil and chorizo fat. Toss/stir the croutons in the pan occasionally until they have gone crunchy and golden brown. Turn the heat off, transfer the croutons to a bowl or container and set aside.
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Use your hands to break up the Halloumi cheese into bite size chunks.
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Mix the chorizo and tomato mixture, halloumi cheese, basil, oregano, mint, baby rocket and radishes in a large bowl until well combined.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
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Put your red wine vinager, olive oil, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Then whisk together until the mixture has thickened and is well incorporated.
Assembly
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When you are ready to serve, add your vinaigrette to the chorizo salad. Use your fairy fingers to dress all of those ingredients. (only dress the ingredients as your about to serve otherwise the leaves in the salad will loose it's freshness and will go bitter).
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Finish the salad off by sprinkling those walnuts on top, crushing them as you sprinkle them.
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You can either serve the croutons separately or sprinkle them on top of the salad as well.
Recipe Notes
- Remember to always dress the salad right before you serve it. Don't dress it in advance otherwise, the leaves in your salad will wilt and go bitter.
Much love to you all (:
Want to see another recipe with Halloumi cheese? Check out Grilled Halloumi Cheese with Roasted Red Peppers
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Sounds like a very tasty salad. Makes me want to go out and pick up a stick or two of Spanish chorizo to fry up.
Epic, indeed. Brilliant!
Thanks A_boleyn, you totally should 😉
Thanks Chef mimi! (:
That’s exactly how I like my chorizo as well! Great post!
Thanks for your insight and your comment! Have a great day (:
The market sells a decent 2 stick package of them but if I GO to the market, I’ll probably buy a lot of things I don’t NEED but WANT. 🙂
Haha, spoil yourself! (;
I do that much too often already. I don’t need more of an excuse. Have you ever made your own fresh (Mexican) chorizo? It’s different from the Spanish version.
No, but would love to try (:
I couldn’t buy fresh Mexican chorizo locally so I found a recipe on line and have made it several times over the years. It’s great for a number of dishes … everything from queso flameado (flaming cheese) to use in a phyllo bake.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/137517.html
a couple of dishes made with it
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/175348.html
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/175797.html
Thanks for sharing! I’ll check it out (:
it looks so good, your blog is amazing!!!
Thank you so much! (:
Brilliant salad!! And the captures are amazing.
Thank you so much for your awesome comments! (:
this looks like a must try. I haven’t used this cheese yet, and I would love to!! I heard it was great for frying!!!!
Thanks Shannon! It is a fantastic cheese in salads and burgers too 😉 I highly recommend it.
Looks delicious. Something I plan to try. 🙂 Lovely blog, by the way.
Thanks so much! hope you enjoy it (: