Last spring when my husband and I visited Greece, we spent a day on Mykonos, a picturesque island with white-washed houses and narrow cobblestone streets. After a morning of touring through the isle, we were tired, so we stopped at a seaside restaurant for lunch. The menu listed many Greek classics, but one more unusual dish– a small pita topped with a round of grilled Halloumi cheese, plus chopped tomatoes and arugula–grabbed my attention. I ordered it and was not disappointed.

I loved the idea of this Greek open-faced sandwich and vowed to try to recreate it at home. During the past month, I’ve prepared this unique sandwich quite a few times. For my version, I made a few changes. Instead of a single round of Halloumi cheese I cut a block of Halloumi found at my local Whole Foods into 1/2-inch-thick slices and grilled them on a stovetop grill pan. I also added some sliced kalamatas as a salty accent to the diced tomatoes. The cheese, tomato/olive mixture, and the arugula were all tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. 

My assistants and my spouse all loved the vibrant colors and tastes of this salad, which can be served for lunch or a light supper.  You could add a soup— chilled or warm cucumber or carrot soup, for example–to round out a summer meal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pitas Topped with Grilled Halloumi, Tomatoes, and Arugula Salad

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil plus extra for oiling the stovetop grill pan or skillet

Pitas and Toppings
2 small (preferably 5-inch) pita rounds (See market note.)
One  8-oz block of halloumi cheese at room temperature, available in many groceries in the cheese section (See market note.)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Scant 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz Campari or ripe plum tomatoes
2 tbsp  pitted Kalamata olives, cut into slivers
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup baby arugula

1.For the vinaigrette, place the lemon juice, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper in a medium nonreactive bowl. Whisk well to combine. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. (Vinaigrette can be prepared 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes and whisk well before using.) Makes about 1/3 cup.

2.Cut the block of halloumi cheese into 1/2-inch-thick slices. You’ll need 10 slices; save any extra for another use. (You can dice or grate them to add to a salad.) Place the 10 slices in a single layer in a glass pie plate or other nonreactive shallow dish. Pour 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over them. Turn the slices several times to make certain they are coated well with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the halloumi slices with oregano, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Marinate at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours at room temperature.

3.While the cheese is resting in the vinaigrette, quarter the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Then cut them into 1/2-inch dice to yield about 2/3 cup. Transfer to a nonreactive bowl and add the olive slivers. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss well to combine. Taste and add more salt if needed.

4.Using a metal spatula, remove the cheese slices from the vinaigrette and drain well. Then pat the slices dry with paper towels. Oil a stove top grill pan or medium cast iron of other heavy skillet well with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the stove top grill pan on medium high heat. When pan is quite hot and the oil is sizzling, lower the heat to medium and add half of the cheese slices. Cook until the slices are golden brown with grill marks on the bottom, about 1 minute or more depending on the pan. Watch carefully. Turn the slices with a metal spatula and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until they have browned on the bottom. Watch carefully. Remove the slices with a spatula to a plate and cover loosely with a dome of foil. Repeat with remaining slices.

5.Heat the pita breads in the microwave just to soften slightly and to warm. Remove and brush the top of each one very lightly with some of the remaining vinaigrette. Arrange half of the cheese slices in a spoke pattern on top of one pita and repeat with the other pita. Top the cheese on each pita with half of the tomato/olive mixture. Toss the arugula in just enough of the remaining dressing to coat lightly and garnish each pita with a mound of the greens.

Serves 2

Market notes:
I was able to find 5-inch diameter pitas in one of my local supermarkets. If you can’t find them, you can buy 6- to 6 1/2- inch pitas and use a sharp knife or kitchen scissors to trim them to 5 inches. (Save bread trimmings for making bread crumbs.)

Halloumi cheese originated in the eastern Mediterranean. It is made from a mixture of goat milk and sheep’s milk, but due to shortages other milk such as cow’s milk can be included. The texture of this cheese is soft, and it has a high melting point so it can easily be fried or grilled. I found 8-oz packages of Aphrodite brand at my local Whole Foods.

Campari tomatoes work well when local ones are not available. Ripe plum tomatoes can also be used; they all need to be halved and quartered, with seeds and membranes removed and tomatoes cut into 1/2 -inch pieces.

Copyright Betty Rosbottom 2025