Charred Cauliflower, Halloumi, Harissa, and Hummus Pita
Serves 4
Adapted from The Washington Post
For Pitas:
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for charring
½ head of cauliflower, stem and core removed (with the cauliflower head standing upright, cut slices perpendicular to you, about ½ inches-thick)
Salt and pepper
7 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced crosswise, in ¼ inch-thick pieces
4 pitas
For Garnish:
½ cup harissa
½ cup hummus
2 cups, lightly packed arugula
10-20 cherry tomatoes, cut into eighths
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
4-6 inches English cucumber, diced
10-20 fresh mint leaves (~3-5 tablespoons), coarsely chopped
10-15 fresh cilantro stems, leaves removed and coarsely chopped (~3-5 tablespoons)
Heat the oven to 500°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place your cauliflower slices in a single layer on one half of the baking sheet and place the halloumi slices on the other half of the baking sheet. Lightly brush the cauliflower with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. As a forewarning, the cauliflower slices may fall apart, either in transferring them to the baking sheet, when you flip them, or when you take them off the baking sheet. Don’t worry, if this happens, they’ll still be charred, and you can still pack them into the pitas later.
Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 4 minutes. Flip both the cauliflower and the halloumi over. Bake for another 4 minutes. After those 8 minutes are up, remove only the halloumi. Flip the cauliflower one more time and bake for an additional 4 minutes.
In summary, the halloumi will bake for a total of 8 minutes and the cauliflower will bake for a total of 12 minutes. If either needs more time in the oven, add for a few additional minutes, but be careful not to burn them.
As the cauliflower spends its last 4 minutes baking, warm the pitas, and begin to arrange your toppings. Once you’re ready to eat, smear harissa and hummus into the pita pocket. Add a layer of charred cauliflower and halloumi and top with your preference of arugula, cherry tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, and sprinkle with mint and cilantro over top.
Enjoy!
