Category: Appetizer

Fennel Fig & Feta Salad

You know I love me a little alliteration! But seriously that only happened by mistake! This recipe came together in the supermarket aisle – which is really how I like to build my salads – seeing what’s available and springboarding off of that!

The shelves were freshly stocked with beautiful figs, and I can never resist them, so I decided to make a salad for Shabbat to showcases them. I walked down the aisles for inspiration and I first saw the fennel. The licorice flavor would pair wonderfully, I thought, so I grabbed some. Then for some greens, bitter arugula seemed like the perfect pairing, so I added a container to my cart. Next, some alliums, and red onion is always the obvious choice.

I loaded my cart, stocked my fridge, and Shabbos morning, I started to play! I sorted through my pantry, grabbed some sunflower seeds for crunch, and toasted sesame for the nutty flavor. I spotted fig jam in the pantry so I decided to go fully on figgy and add it the salad dressing! The salad was devoured at the table, but as soon as I took a bite, I knew I had to make it again with feta cheese (our Shabbos meal was meat, so adding dairy wasn’t an option!). So I made it again on Sunday for lunch and it was salad perfection!

 

Fennel Fig & Feta Salad

5 oz. arugula
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced into half moons
4 figs, sliced
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Dressing:
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp fig jam
2 tsp silan
2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

You know what to do!

 

Related Recipes:

Fig Granita Breakfast Sundae
Charcuterie Stuffed Figs
Smoky Kale & Farro Salad with Balsamic Fig Dressing
Fennel Peach Salad with Basil Lime Dressing

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Fennel Peach Salad with Basil Lime Dressing

The smell of juicy, fruity peaches ushers in the start of summer, and I can’t wait to play with my favorite fruit. From peach amba, to peach bbq sauce, pickled peaches and peach salsas… there are so many ways to enjoy it! I love how the fruitiness and acidity play against the anise flavor of the fennel – shave on a mandolin for optimum enjoyment!

Fennel Peach Salad with Basil Lime Dressing

2 bulbs fennel, thinly sliced on a mandolin, fronds reserved
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 peaches or nectarines, thinly sliced
2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/4 cup roasted salted pistachios

Basil Lime Dressing
1/3 cup light olive oil
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp honey
2 cubes frozen basil
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Mix the salad and dressing ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine. Garnish with fennel fronds.

VARIATION: Add feta or parmesan.

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Spring Potato Salad

Potato salad has always been a staple at summer gatherings, but this version feels a little more modern, a little fresher, and a lot lighter than the classic mayonnaise-heavy recipes many of us grew up with.

Instead of boiling the potatoes, I roast them until they’re golden and caramelized around the edges. Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and creates a deeper flavor that simply can’t be achieved by boiling. The potatoes stay fluffy on the inside while developing crispy edges that soak up the vinaigrette beautifully.

To complement the roasted potatoes, I add some of my favorite spring vegetables: tender asparagus, sweet peas, peppery radishes, and fresh scallions. Everything gets tossed with a bright dill vinaigrette resulting in a potato salad that feels vibrant and refreshing instead of heavy.

What I love most about this salad is that it celebrates the season. Asparagus and peas are at their peak in the spring and early summer, bringing color, sweetness, and freshness to every bite. The dill adds an herbaceous note that ties everything together, while soft-boiled eggs make it substantial enough to serve as a light lunch or brunch dish.

Whether you’re serving it for a Shabbos lunch, a backyard barbecue, or alongside grilled fish or chicken, this roasted potato salad is proof that sometimes the best updates to a classic recipe come from letting seasonal ingredients shine.

Spring Potato Salad

For the Salad
1 (1½-pound) bag baby red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
16 asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into thirds, and blanched
1 cup peas, blanched
3 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
3 large radishes, halved, thinly sliced
3 soft-boiled eggs, halved or quartered

For the Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, grated
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Toss the quartered potatoes with ¼ cup olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25-35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden and tender. Let cool.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus for 2 minutes until crisp-tender. Transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Blanch the peas for 1 minute and transfer to the ice bath as well. Drain well.

Add the eggs to the water and simmer for 7 minutes, transfer to an ice bath.

In a large bowl, combine the roasted potatoes, asparagus, peas, scallions, radishes, and fresh dill.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, whole-grain mustard, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. Add soft boiled eggs.

Related Recipes:

BBQ potato salad
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best BBQ potato salad

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Warm Halloumi Salad

There are certain restaurant dishes that completely take over your ordering habits, and for me, warm halloumi salad is one of them. The second I see it on a menu at an Israeli restaurant, I’m ordering it.

Over the years, I’ve had so many different versions — piled into crispy edible baskets, layered over greens, topped with sautéed vegetables, sometimes sweeter, sometimes saltier — but they all had the same irresistible combination of textures and flavors: warm salty cheese, savory vegetables, fresh greens, and that glossy teriyaki-style sauce that pulls everything together.

This version is inspired by all of those salads I couldn’t stop thinking about afterward. Peppery arugula gets topped with sautéed red peppers, onions, and mushrooms, then finished with sesame-crusted halloumi that’s crisp on the outside and soft and chewy in the center. And then comes the sauce. Sweet, savory, sticky, and deeply umami, it coats the warm vegetables and halloumi in the best possible way.

I especially love serving it for Shavuot because it feels festive without trying too hard. Halloumi always gives a dish a little drama, and paired with the warm vegetables and teriyaki flavors, it totally steals the show.

Hearty, comforting, salty, fresh, and honestly craveable enough to build an entire meal around – the perfect holiday centerpiece!

Halloumi Salad

10oz. halloumi (may also use feta or fresh mozzarella)
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sesame seeds
canola oil, for frying
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 red onion, cut into strips
16oz. mushrooms sliced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup silan
1 clove garlic, grated on a micrplane
2 tbsp harissa
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
5 oz. arugula

Method:

First, fry the halloumi: cut the halloumi into cubes. In a large Ziploc bag, mix flour with salt and pepper, add halloumi and shake to coat. In a shallow bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper, stir the halloumi in the eggs to fully coat. Add the sesame seeds to a large Ziploc bag and add halloumi, shaking off the excess eggs as you add to the bag, shake to coat.

Heat canola oil in a skillet and add the halloumi, fry until golden brown on both sides, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

In a bowl or glass measuring cup, add the soy sauce, silan, garlic, harissa, orange juice, water and cornstarch, whisk to combine.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions, peppers and mushrooms and saute until softened and starting to caramelize around the edges. Add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickened and vegetables are glazed.

Spread arugula out on a platter, top with halloumi and the sauteed vegetables, taking care to coat the halloumi cubes in the sauce.

Serve warm.

NOTES:

For a shortcut, you can use store-bought teriyaki sauce instead of making the sauce.

Since this salad is served warm with fried halloumi, it’s best to prepare the day of serving, but if you’d like to prepare in advance, you can prepare the sauteed vegetables ahead of time and warm them before serving. You can grill or saute the halloumi without breading and add it to the sauteed mixture (breading will get soggy if made in advance).

Related Recipes:

halloumi fries
halloumi cheese waffles
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Greek salad with feta croutons
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Muhammara Carpaccio

Muhammara, but make it dinner-party worthy. This deconstructed version takes everything I love about the classic Middle Eastern dip and stretches it out across a platter like a carpaccio: silky ribbons of roasted peppers, toasted walnuts, pomegranate molasses, herbs, feta, and warm spices layered separately so every bite tastes a little different from the last. It has all the familiar flavors of traditional muhammara, but with more texture, more contrast, and a presentation that makes people stop before they dig in.

Muhammara originated in Aleppo, Syria, where it became known as a rich spread built around roasted red peppers, walnuts and breadcrumbs. The name itself comes from the Arabic word ahmar, meaning “red,” a nod to its deep color. Traditionally, muhammara combines roasted peppers with walnuts, breadcrumbs, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, and warm spices like Aleppo pepper and cumin. The result is smoky, sweet, tangy, nutty, and slightly spicy all at once. Like many dishes throughout the Levant, it spread across borders and kitchens, taking on small changes depending on region and family traditions.

I love keeping the flavor profile intact while changing the form entirely. Instead of blending everything into a dip, I separate the ingredients and let each one have its own place on the platter. Thin roasted pepper strips become the base, laid out almost like carpaccio. Toasted walnuts and cumin-scented panko add crunch, pomegranate molasses brings that signature sweet tang, fresh herbs brighten everything, and a drizzle of good olive oil ties it all together.

And then I add feta.

No, feta is not traditional in muhammara. But Shavuot is all about dairy, and salty creamy feta works almost suspiciously well here. Against the sweet roasted peppers and sticky pomegranate molasses, it adds richness and sharpness that turns it into something that feels made for a holiday table. It shifts the dish from dip territory into appetizer territory.

 

Deconstructed Muhammara Carpaccio

3 large red peppers
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 ounces feta, crumbled
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, mint or cilantro
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
smoked or flaky salt, to taste
Warm pita or crusty bread, for serving

Method:

Cut the red peppers in half and place cut-side-down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and roast at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes until blistered. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to steam.

While the peppers are roasting, toast the walnuts in a dry pan, remove. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and toast the cumin seeds until sizzling, then add the panko crumbs. Saute until golden and crisp.

When the peppers are cool, remove the seeds and peel off the skins. Cut into strips.

Arrange the roasted pepper strips on a large platter. Drizzle with olive oil and pomegranate molasses. Sprinkle with Aleppo pepper and salt and Ssatter over the walnuts, panko and herbs. Finish with feta cheese.

 

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