Roasted Tomato Green Bean and Farro Salad with Halloumi Croutons and Balsamic Vinaigrette

If there’s one salad that captures the sweet spot of late summer, it’s this Roasted Tomato Green Bean and Farro Salad. This is the moment when tomatoes are coming in faster than you can possibly use them, green beans are at their absolute peak, and you’re just starting to crave something besides another grilled dinner. Also we’re mentally shifting toward back to school season, so turning on the oven doesn’t feel like a crime, but more like a dress rehearsal for fall. Best of all roasting summer tomatoes that are too soft to eat raw, transforms them into something so sweet and deeply flavorful, that you almost feel like forgetting about them on the counter was a strategic move.

What makes this salad so satisfying is the texture. You have crisp, snappy green beans, tender little grains of chewy farro, and soft, jammy roasted tomatoes that coat every bite with their sweet acidity. Then you add golden halloumi croutons, which bring that salty, squeaky, chewy contrast that makes you keep going back for “just one more bite.” This is exactly the kind of balance I’m always chasing as a chef: different textures, bold flavors, and vegetables that aren’t playing a supporting role. They’re the entire point.

This salad is everything a great lettuce-free salad should be: meal prep friendly enough to keep you excited about lunch all week, but sophisticated enough that you’d happily serve it to guests. It’s also the perfect vehicle for my summer favorite balsamic vinaigrette, the one we keep a quart of in the fridge at all times. This salad is the kind you crave while it’s in front of you and genuinely miss when it’s gone, which is really the only measure of a salad worth making again and again.

Roasted Tomato Green Bean and Farro Salad with Halloumi Croutons and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Recipe by thesal28_wp

Servings

4

servings

Ingredients

• 1 quart cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried

• 2-3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt (I make my own seasoned salt by combining in a small jar: 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, 2 tablespoons of granulated onion, 2 tablespoons of granulated garlic, 1 tablespoon of paprika and 1 tablespoon of sugar.) If using store-bought, you may need to adjust the quantity.

• 2-3 tbsp grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese (the kind that looks like sand, not freshly grated using a microplane)

• kosher salt

• 1 lb. green beans

• 3 oz. halloumi cheese

• 1 1/2 cups cooked farro, room temperature or cold

• 1/2 cup sliced Castelvetrano olives

• 12-15 basil leaves, sliced

• black pepper

• Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1 peeled garlic clove

• 1 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard 

• 4 oz. Balsamic vinegar (not aged- look for a supermarket variety w/ no more than 3g of sugar per tbsp)

• 8 oz. extra virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

• pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 °F. Toss the tomatoes in olive oil, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, and Pecorino, then place on a half sheet pan (18×13).
• In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 2 to 3 tablespoons of kosher salt. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with lots of ice, then adding water to 2 inches from the rim. Once the water boils, add the green beans and cook for 1 minute. Using a spider strainer, remove the green beans and plunge them into the ice bath. Remove the green beans from the ice water and place on a large platter lined with paper towels. 
• Roast the tomatoes for 25-30 minutes, or until burst and lightly brown. Press the halloumi between a few pieces of paper towel to absorb any exterior moisture. Dice the halloumi into 1/4 inch cubes and toss with just enough olive oil to coat the cubes. In a nonstick pan over medium heat, brown the halloumi cubes, in batches, if necessary.
• Prepare the Balsamic Vinaigrette: Place garlic, honey, Dijon and vinegar in a pint sized mason jar. Using an immersion blender, blend until homogenous. While blending, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify into the dressing. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.
  
• Cut the green beans into 1/4 inch pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the farro, roasted tomatoes, sliced olives, halloumi croutons and basil. Dress to your liking, toss and taste for seasoning. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, if desired.

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