Had it with spinach leaves and tuna? Us too! We’re all for mixing things up every now and then, so why not try this easy peasy salad packed with texture and most importantly–flavour. Haloumi is a crowd favourite, especially due to its salty deliciousness, contrast this with the sweetness of pear and voila! As well as being juicy and delicious, pears are the go-to fruit for digestive health. The unique combination of fibre and naturally occurring sugars in pears helps to keep your digestive system healthy. They are also low GI and a source of vitamin C, which supports muscle, cardiovascular and brain function.
Top tip: To ensure you’re picking the pear-fect pear, a simple press on the neck (near the stem) will tell you if it’s ripe and ready to eat!
Keep scrolling for the recipe by Masterchef contestant and celebrity chef, Justine Schofield in conjunction with Australian Pears:
PEAR & HALOUMI SALAD
Serves: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
2 x 250g haloumi, sliced into 1cm thick pieces
3 Packham or Corella (or a combination of each) pears, cut into quarters and core removed
1 head of radicchio, leaves picked
1 small fennel, finely sliced on a mandoline frond picked for garnish 50g walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar 20ml (1 tablespoon) extra virgin olive oil
80ml of extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper
Method:
1. Heat a grill pan or BBQ over a high heat. Place the pear and haloumi in a bowl and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to gently toss and coat everything in the oil.
2. Place the pears and haloumi on the grill and grill for a 1- 2 minutes on each side to create char marks.
3. To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, honey and salt and pepper and then incorporate the remaining oil.
4. Arrange radicchio leaves and fennel in a large shallow dish. Top with warm pear and haloumi. Drizzle dressing over the top and scatter with walnuts. Garnish with fennel fronds.
