Recipe Background
Lucky New Year Salad blends vibrant flavors and textures for a joyful start.
The first time I decided to dive into making this Lucky New Year Salad coincided with one particularly memorable New Year’s Eve. We were in my friend’s small but bustling apartment, and the theme was luck and prosperity—a perfect opportunity to show off my culinary quirks. I’d already grown fond of using pomegranate arils in dishes around this time of year. Their vibrant hue and promise of good fortune made them an ideal fit for our celebratory menu.
Orange juice and zest added a zippy brightness that kept everyone coming back for more. I remember scrambling around the tiny kitchen, whisking together the dressing with a frenzy, letting the ingredients emulsify beautifully into a silky concoction. A bit of Dijon mustard delivered just the right amount of kick. I find it balances the sweetness from the honey perfectly, while also mingling nicely with the earthy allspice.
Gently flipping the halloumi in sizzling olive oil felt almost ceremonious, its golden crust developing a perfect contrast to the crisp spring greens and arugula. A quick tip I picked up through trial and mostly error: patting the halloumi dry ensures it cooks to a delicious crisp. As the clock ticked down to midnight, our laughter mingled with the irresistible aroma of roasted honey-cinnamon walnuts. Toasting them with just a sprinkle of sea salt made them sing with rich flavor. This salad turned out to be a winning tandem of textures and flavors—aptly guaranteeing a dash of luck and joy, much needed as we stepped into the new year.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3/4 cup walnuts
- 2 tablespoons honey plus more, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- sea salt to taste
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 (8-ounce) block halloumi cheese sliced
- 8 cups spring greens and arugula mix
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2/3 cup pomegranate arils
For the spiced orange vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons orange juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 shallot diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, add the walnuts, 2 tablespoons of the honey, and the cinnamon and toss multiple times to ensure the nuts are fully coated. If the walnuts look too dry, add the extra honey, as needed.
- Add the coated walnuts to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle them with the sea salt.
- Roast the walnuts, tossing them once or twice during cooking, until they are fragrant and golden, about 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the walnuts from the oven and allow them to cool.
- In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.
- Pat the haloumi slices dry with a paper towel.
- Add the halloumi slices to the hot olive oil and cook, flipping them once, until they are golden-brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the seared halloumi slices to a plate, and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, add the spring greens and arugula mix, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper and toss to combine.
- Add the pomegranate arils, the candied walnuts, and the halloumi pieces to the salad mixture.
- In a bowl, add the orange juice, the red wine vinegar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining honey, the Dijon mustard, the orange zest, the shallots, the garlic, the allspice, the remaining salt, and the remaining black pepper and whisk to combine.
- Slowly add the remaining olive oil to the orange juice mixture, while whisking constantly, and continue to whisk until emulsified into a dressing.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve.
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