Halloumi Salad with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

This halloumi salad has all the best flavors of fall—sweet potatoes, maple candied pecans, tart and crunchy apples, dried cranberries, and a maple apple cider vinegar dressing. The halloumi cheese adds a little extra tanginess and is so so good.

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• Why We Love This Recipe
• Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Frequently asked questions
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Why We Love This Recipe

This fall harvest salad is great as an entree because the sweet potatoes, apples, and halloumi cheese make it super filling. If you'd like to add a protein, turkey or chicken (even rotisserie chicken would work perfectly!) would be super tasty. I think this would be great at Thanksgiving or Christmas, too!

If you're looking for other great recipes for fall, check out our fall recipes page. Our Sweet Potato Vegetarian Tostadas are my personal favorite.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Apples: I used Jazz apples, which are crisp and juicy, with just a hint of tartness. They're the perfect eating apple. Honeycrisp would work really well too, but use whatever apples you have on hand.

Halloumi Cheese: Halloumi cheese is made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. It has a squeaky texture and a high melting point, so you can grill it, fry it, or sear it without it melting. It's usually in the specialty cheese section at the grocery store. We get ours at Trader Joes. If you can't find halloumi in your local grocery store, queso fresco, bread cheese, or paneer can also be pan-fried.

Pecans: I use raw, unsalted pecan halves. We use pecans in a lot of stuff, so I buy 2 pound bags at Costco. You can substitute pumpkin seeds, cashews, or almonds if you prefer one of those or have an allergy.

Romaine Lettuce and Spinach or Kale: We used a mixture of romaine, spinach, and kale for this salad, but use whatever lettuce you have on hand or enjoy. Something with a bit of a crunch works well!

See recipe card for full ingredient list and amounts.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cut the sweet potatoes into small cubes—the smaller they are, the faster they'll cook. I don't peel mine, but if you don't care for the skin, feel free to peel yours. Coat the sweet potatoes in oil, then toss them in cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Transfer them to a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.

Step 2: While the sweet potatoes are cooking, add pecan halves, maple syrup, coconut sugar, salt and cinnamon to a bowl and stir to combine. After the 15 minutes is up, scoot the sweet potatoes to one side of the baking sheet, put the pecans on the other half, and place it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Note: If the sweet potatoes are still hard after 15 minutes, you should place them in the oven for another 5 minutes BEFORE adding the pecans to the baking sheet. The sweet potatoes should be almost done when you add the pecans.

Once the sweet potatoes and pecans are done, transfer the pecans to a plate or bowl immediately to prevent them from sticking to the pan.

Step 3: Cut the cheese into small rectangles and pat dry with a paper towel (this will reduce grease splatter). Add oil to a pan over medium-high heat and let it heat up for about a minute. Add the cheese to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottom. Then flip the cheese and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the opposite side. Remove the cheese from the pan and set aside.

Step 4: Add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper to a bowl or small jar and whisk (or shake) until well combined. Then add the oil and mix until fully combined.

Step 5: Add lettuce, apples, dried cranberries, apple slices, sweet potatoes, candied pecans, and halloumi cheese to a large serving bowl and toss to combine. Serve with the dressing and enjoy!

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