I stumbled across a short video on the New York Times website with an incredible recipe by Nargisse Benkabbou. It has just a few ingredients, is simple to make and a great option for a quick weeknight dinner. So let's make this NY Times crispy halloumi with tomatoes and white beans.
What is Halloumi?
Halloumi is a semi-hard, brined cheese made from a mix of sheep, goat and cow milk. It's known for having a high melting point which means it doesn't melt when you cook it. It can be pan seared, grilled and broiled and it.won't.melt. It's pretty cook actually. It has a much stronger flavor raw, but mellows quite a bit when cooked.
Cooking with an International Flair
I'm always on the look-out for fantastic international recipes. When I found this halloumi and tomato delight by Nargisse Benkabbou, I simply fell in love with it. I knew it was going to be delicious. Nargisse is a Moroccan chef and food writer. She has an amazing new cookbook out called Madaq: Simple and Delicious Everyday Recipes with the Flavors of Morocco. This is not sponsored - just genuinely love this woman's cooking! Also, if you enjoy international cooking you should check out my Moroccan-Spiced Phyllo Meat Pie some time. It's delish!
Who Doesn't Want an Easy Weeknight Dinner?
Over time, I've realized that so many people are just looking for an easy weeknight dinner. Well - this is it. There is so little prep to do and it seriously cannot be any easier. We're talking about six main ingredients, plus a loaf of crusty bread.
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You can easily make a side salad to go with this if you need a little more. I was happy to keep grabbing another piece of bread and spooning on more of that incredible tomato and bean mixture.
Easy Steps To MaKe NY Times Crispy Halloumi with Tomatoes and White Beans
- Add sliced cherry tomatoes to a large pan with grated garlic, dried oregano, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat to soften tomatoes and bring out juices.
- Add a can of white beans (I used cannelini) and cook another few minutes.
- Add slices of halloumi cheese to the top of tomatoes and beans. Place under broiler in oven until browned and crisped to your liking.
- Serve with warm crusty bread. I used French loaf from supermarket bakery.
Not a lot of steps here and the prep is super easy. This is all stove top cooking except the end where you throw it under the broiler to crisp the halloumi. One tip I need to convey is about the tomato to bean ratio. When I filmed this, I was making it for the FIRST time. Yup - I do that sometimes. I go ALL IN and just start filming something I've never made.
When you look at the picture of Nargisse's recipe and mine - they are noticeably different. Mine looks more like a bean-focused recipe and hers a tomato-focused recipe. I followed her recipe as written, but mine appears to have way more beans. Next time, I will add at least a ½ pound more of the cherry tomatoes. Might even make it two full pounds. But I do love my cannelini beans and the recipe was absolutely delicious!
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NY Times Crispy Halloumi with Tomatoes and White Beans
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 portions 1x
Description
This New York Times Crispy Halloumi with Tomatoes and White Beans, by Nargisse Benkabbou, is a weeknight dinner must. Delicious, quick & easy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, more as needed
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon honey, plus extra for garnish
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 can cannellini beans, (15 ounces) butter beans or navy beans, drained
- 1 block halloumi (8 ounces), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
- ½ lemon
- 1 loaf French bread for serving, warmed
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Instructions
- As you prep your ingredients add them to a large oven-safe pan.
- Slice the cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise.
- Peel and grate (or mince) two small cloves of garlic into the pan with the tomatoes. I used my microplane for this.
- Finely chop the parsley. Chop extra for garnish too.
- Unwrap the halloumi cheese and blot dry. The cheese comes in a small block. There’s a little liquid in the package which you can discard. Slice in ¼” rectangle slices and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, dried oregano, honey, salt and pepper to the tomatoes.
- Turn your oven broiler on high and place a rack a few inches down from the flame.
- On medium heat on your stovetop, stir the tomatoes well to coat all the ingredients. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened and the tomato juices are released.
- At the 10-minute mark, add a can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans (white beans). Stir with the tomatoes and cook for about 3 more minutes.
- Add the halloumi cheese slices to the top of the tomatoes and place in the oven under your broiler (set to high). It will only take a few minutes to brown and crisp the cheese. Keep your eye on it.
- After your tomatoes are out of the oven, garnish with a drizzle of honey, squeeze the juice from ½ of a lemon over the top and sprinkle some parsley garnish on top.
- If you’re serving with French bread, you can slice it up and place on a sheet pan… then throw it right under the broiler (after you take the tomatoes out) to get it warm and crunchy. Serve immediately.
Notes
- When you look at the picture of Nargisse's recipe and mine - they are noticeably different. Mine looks more like a bean-focused recipe and hers a tomato-focused recipe. I followed her recipe as written, but mine appears to have way more beans. Next time, I will add at least a ½ pound more of the cherry tomatoes. Might even make it two full pounds. But I do love my cannelini beans and the recipe was absolutely delicious!
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