The 30-Minute New York Times Dinner That I Can’t Stop Making

In this age of bots and artificial intelligence, not all reviews are trustworthy. I’ve learned to take reviews on Amazon and Yelp with a grain of salt for many reasons. However, there is one place where I trust the reviews completely: NYT Cooking.

There, reviewers will rip a bad recipe apart or heap praise on a worthy dish, and I have faith that they’re right. I understand the real cooks behind them, and, to be frank, they come in such large numbers that it’s hard not to take them seriously. I mean, when a recipe has thousands of 5-star reviews (like this one with over 10,000), you can bet I’ll make it, and follow the directions to a T.

Nargisse Benkabbou’s Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans is another example, with over 5,000 5-star reviews saying the recipe is delicious exactly as written, delivers as a satisfying, one-pan meal, and takes no more than 30 minutes to cook. I’ve made this recipe a handful of times in the past two weeks, and let’s say it has earned a place on my list of go-to weeknight dinners.

How To Make Nargisse Benkabbou’s Crispy Halloumi With Tomatoes and White Beans

Find the full recipe on New York Times Cooking or follow along here: Preheat your oven’s broiler and move a rack to the highest position possible with room for an ovenproof pan.

In that ovenproof pan, mix one pound whole or halved cherry tomatoes with two tablespoons olive oil, two minced or pressed garlic cloves, one tablespoon of minced fresh parsley, one teaspoon of honey, and one-half teaspoon dried oregano or thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook on the stovetop over medium heat until the tomatoes are softened and juicy, about 10 minutes.

Add one drained 14-ounce can of white beans (cannellini, butter, or navy beans). Once they’re warmed through, about three minutes, turn off the heat. Cut an 8-ounce block of halloumi cheese into quarter-inch-thick slices, and lay them over the beans and tomatoes.

Transfer the pan to the oven and broil for five minutes or until the halloumi is golden brown and crispy; this may take slightly more or less time depending on your broiler, so keep an eye on it!

Garnish with some fresh lemon juice, more olive oil, and minced parsley, and a final drizzle of honey, then serve immediately with plenty of crusty bread.

How To Switch Up This Recipe

With a recipe that’s so simple and relies on so few ingredients, there isn’t much to work with in terms of variation. That being said, I’ve played with and can recommend a couple of things.

• If you don’t have fresh cherry tomatoes on hand, you can use one can of whole cherry tomatoes instead, making this an even more pantry-friendly recipe.
• I’ve used chickpeas in place of white beans to great success.
• Take it in a different flavor direction by using cilantro instead of parsley; ground coriander, cumin, or mint instead of oregano; and two teaspoons of harissa paste when you add the beans.
• Add red chili flakes or thinly sliced fresh chilis for some heat.
• Use Italian seasoning instead of the garlic, parsley, and dried oregano.
• Toss a thinly sliced onion or shallot in with the tomatoes.
• If you can’t find halloumi, take a page from a similar dish (the viral baked feta beans) and use sliced or crumbled feta instead. You won’t get the same crispy, squeaky texture, but it will be creamier and still tasty!
• Skip the bread and serve the whole dish over a bed of cooked grains (bulgur is especially good, in my opinion), polenta, or pasta.