HALLOUMI CROUTON SUPER SALAD

As well as brilliant burgers (see left), halloumi makes amazing croutons – the best invention since sliced bread. They’re crunchy outside, with a beautiful soft bite on the inside.

Serves 4

2 peppers

Salt and freshly ground black

pepper

7tbsp olive oil

50g (1¾oz) pine nuts

A handful of fresh basil leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove

50g (1¾oz) vegetarian Parmesan

cheese

3 courgettes

225g packet of halloumi

50g (1¾oz) plain flour

2 eggs, whisked

50g (1¾oz) dried breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil

1 bag of rocket leaves

250g (9oz) cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/gas 6. Cut the peppers into chunks. Put on a roasting tray with salt, black pepper and 1tbsp olive oil. Mix well. Roast for 40 minutes, or until charred.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan. Put 20g of them in a blender, with the basil leaves, lemon juice, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Add 5tbsp olive oil and blend until smooth.

Cut the courgettes into thin strips. Drizzle with 1tbsp olive oil and season. Add to a hot griddle pan and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side.

Cut the halloumi into small cubes. Get 3 bowls out. Add the flour to one, the whisked eggs to another and the breadcrumbs to the third. Dip the halloumi cubes in the flour, then the eggs, then the breadcrumbs. Get a pan on the heat. Fill it to a depth of 2cm with vegetable oil. Heat the oil, and then add the croutons to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the heat and place on kitchen paper.

Put the croutons, roasted peppers, courgette, rocket, cherry tomatoes and remaining pine nuts in a large bowl. Pour the pesto dressing over, toss it all together and serve.

Extracted from MOB Veggie: Feed 4 Or More For Under £10 by Ben Lebus, out on 4 July, published by Pavilion Books, £14.99. © Ben Lebus. To order a copy for £11.99 call 0844 571 0640. P&P is free on orders over £15. Offer valid until 7 July 2019. Photographs: Haarala Hamilton