Feta is so much more than just a crumbly cheese that gets sprinkled onto your salad. In this recipe, we placed this underrated cheese center stage. This Roasted Feta starter is full of flavor, color, and freshness and definitely worthy of being the star of the show!
If you’re only used to eating Feta cold served on a salad or integrated into a spinach tart, you might find roasting Feta a little off. Buuuut, I promise you, you’ve got to try this. This Roasted Feta cheese is crispy, warm, melty, and so delicious. It transforms the crumbly standard block of Feta into something both luscious and unique.
When to serve Roasted Feta?
Roasted Feta with Arugula and Pomegranate Salad is the perfect dish for the warmer months. It’s easy to make, fresh and vibrant. You can dish it out as a good starter, or a main dish if you want to serve something light. If you plan to serve it as a starter, make sure you do not plan a big main dish, since Roasted Feta is quite rich, or just serve a little less of the Feta and a little more of the Arugula Pomegranate Salad to get the proportions right
How to make this salad
Start by making the Poppy Seed and Peanut Crunch, that you will sprinkle over everything just before serving. This will add an extra crunchy texture to your plate. Next, you’re going to roast the Feta cheese. The secret lies in the dressing that you’ll rub all over it. When roasting the Feta, make sure to move it as little as possible, since its texture is very fragile at first and you do not want to break it up. Lastly, you’ll prepare a simple Arugula and Pomegranate Salad and top it with some coriander, if you like.
Ready to spotlight Feta cheese as the star? I’m sure it’s going to be a new favorite!
ROASTED FETA WITH ARUGULA AND POMEGRANATE SALAD
INGREDIENTS
Poppy Seed and Peanut Crunch
- 3 tbsp poppy seeds
- 60 g peanuts roughly chopped
Roasted Feta
- 6 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp honey liquid
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 feta approx. 150 g each
- 1 tbsp chili flakes
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
To Serve
- 100 g arugula leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A little sea salt
- 3 tbsp coriander finely chopped
- 4 tbsp pomegranate seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
Poppy Seed and Peanut Crunch
- In a medium-sized, non-stick frying pan, roast the poppy seeds and peanuts without any oil over a medium heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Then, set aside.
Fried Feta
- In a small bowl, mix sugar, honey, and apple cider vinegar, and then rub it on the feta cheese on all sides. Add chili flakes to the remaining dressing and set aside.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a medium-sized, non-stick frying pan, add the feta once the oil is hot, and fry on medium to high heat for a total of approx. 6 minutes until golden brown on both sides. Turn the feta over carefully, and, if possible, only flip it once so that it does not fall apart. Remove from the pan, and cut it in half diagonally.
To Serve
- Spread a little of the dressing onto the serving plates, place feta on top, arrange the arugula on the side. Drizzle a little olive oil and sea salt onto the arugula. Sprinkle everything with coriander, pomegranate seeds and the Poppy Seed and Peanut Crunch and serve immediately.
