Roasted cheese, bacon and tomato salad

I told you the other day that desserts are my favorite part of a meal – indeed, they are. But the savory recipes on the DH magazine are impossible to resist – I especially love the soups and salads, like this one.

I’ve tweaked it a bit, using arugula and balsamic vinegar instead of spinach and red wine vinegar; minor changes – nothing silly like choosing John Malkovich over Hugh Laurie. :D

Roasted cheese, bacon and tomato salad
slightly adapted from Donna Hay magazine

250g haloumi*, sliced
4 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
200g sourdough bread, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
250g cherry tomatoes
100g arugula leaves

Dressing:
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed**

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF. To make the dressing, place the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

Place the haloumi, bacon, bread and olive oil on a baking tray and toss to combine. Roast for 5-6 minutes. Turn the haloumi and add the tomatoes. Roast for a further 6-8 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked and the croutons are golden. Place in a bowl, add the arugula, drizzle with the dressing and toss to combine.

* I used queijo coalho, which is very easy to find here in Brazil and is similar to haloumi

** I used garlic infused olive oil and omitted the garlic clove

Serves 4