Beetroot, Radicchio & Halloumi Salad with Fig & Black Cardamom Dressing
Earthy beetroot, pink salad leaf radicchio, oozy halloumi and pockets of fresh pomegranate seeds, and off course the Pièce de résistance is the sweet and sour fig and black cardamom dressing – THIS is a stunning Autumn salad.
Being Autumn in my kitchen it feels like every time I open the fridge it feels like I have a head of bitter radicchio leaves and figs staring at me! I decided that it’s time they feature together in a recipe and this is how the recipe started, by simply putting together ingredients that are at their seasonal peak.
Fig & black cardamom jam dressing
I am not a massive jam maker but when I do make jam I like unusual flavour combinations rather than sticking to the classics (which I would happily buy from a skilled preserver). One of my favourite jams to make though is black figs and black cardamom jam – I will write a ‘formal’ recipe soon, its so worth making and I am obsessed with it paired with a strong gorgonzola cheese.
What is black cardamom?
Black cardamom is a spice, belonging to the ginger family, known for its strong, smoky, and very unique camphor-like flavour. It’s larger and more coarse than green cardamom and what I love is that it’s dried over an open fire, which contributes to its smoky aroma and flavour.
You can buy some online at Atlas Trading in Cape Town.
Bitter leaf: radicchio
Is a bitter salad leaf that is commonly used in Italian dishes. The bitterness can vary so I like to pair it with naturally sweet things like parsnip and pears. You can usually find the beautiful pink leaves in supermarket ready-to-eat salad bags or individual heads (here).
My radicchio recipes
- Parsnip, Pear and Radicchio Salad with Blue Cheese
- Caramelised Butternut Tart with Rosemary & Parmesan
- Plum & Halloumi Salad with Toasted Seeds
A note on halloumi
An average halloumi cheese can be as bland as anything and really not great to eat. I try to go out of my way to find a decent halloumi (reading up on how to make it, stay tuned!) and I find the buffalo halloumi from Babylonstoren and Jersey cow Cream of the Crop (where I have a weekly delivery subscription) great.
Beetroot, Radicchio & Halloumi Salad with Fig & Black Cardamom Dressing
Equipment
- mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 4 medium beetroots scrubbed well
- small head radicchio leaves roughly torn
- 2 handfuls mixed baby salad leaves
- 1 pomegranates cut in half, any juice saved
- 6 large black figs quartered
- 250 g halloumi thickly sliced ( I cut mine after cooking in half to make it easier to eat)
- few sprigs thyme leaves
Fig & Black Cardamom Dressing
- 2 large figs roughly chopped
- 2 black cardamom pods bashed, seeds removed and finely grind
- 1 tbspn brown sugar
- 1 tbspn aged balsamic dressing
- 1 star anise
- reserved beetroot juices after poaching
- reserved pomegranate juice after cutting
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Place the scrubbed beetroots in a saucepan and cover with water, simmer until the beetroots are fork tender. I tend to not top up the beetroot with water and usually when they are ready most of the water has evaporated, keep the water for salad dressing. Let the beetroots cool completely. Cut in quarters.
- Remove the pomegranate seeds and trying to avoid getting any bitter white pith along with the seeds, I tend to bash the whole pomegranate with a rolling pin and then cut in half, finding most seeds loose and easy to remove. There is also the bonus of the juice which I collect in a bowl.
- For the dressing: add the figs, sugar, cardamom, star anise and balsamic vinegar to a saucepan, gently simmer, stirring frequently until the dressing is jammy and thick, let it cool and remove the star anise. Add about 1 to 2 tbspn each of beetroot water, extra virgin olive oil and pomegranate seeds and mix well. Adjust the seasoning by adding more acidity (balsamic) if needed and a little water if the dressing is overly thick (but it's a jammy kinda dressing).
- When you are ready to serve add the torn radicchio leaves and baby salad leaves to a pretty plate, add the figs, beetroots and the pomegranate juice. Dress well with 1/2 the dressing by tossing the salad with your hands or large serving spoons.
- To cook the halloumi, heat a med non-stick pan, when hot add 2 tbspn olive oil, add the halloumi and cook until golden on both sides, add the thyme leaves, being careful as the oil might 'spit' and remove from the heat.
- Add the golden halloumi and the thyme leaves ontop of the salad and dollop the cheese with little nuggets of dressing, serve the rest of the dressing on the side. Give the salad a final twist of pepper and you are ready to serve, pure bliss.
