Halloumi is an unusual cheese that keeps its shape when fried or grilled. It has numerous health benefits, and is said to especially benefit osteoporosis sufferers due to its calcium content. It is also right up there when it comes to light, nutritious cheeses that you can enjoy as a main course – or as part of a Summer / BBQ buffet. Most of all – Halloumi Cheese has a unique flavour that must be tasted. Once you try you will come back to again and again!
Vegetarian Yum Recipe
Recipe – Halloumi and Warm Vegetable Salad:
This recipe came about when we were looking for ways to use up half an aubergine, zucchini, and baby spinach. We took one look at our Halloumi – the rest is food history. We just loved the zingy tastes of sweet tomato, salty melted Halloumi cheese, earthy Aubergine and fresh lemon on a bed of spinach and ruccola salad. To add a bit of crunch we sprinkled pine nuts – which added another mediterranean flavour flair. Enjoy, and share this dish with friends via the internet or at your dinner table.
- 200 gram Halloumi Cheese
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 Onion
- 1/2 Aubergine
- 1 Zucchini (small)
- 50 grams Baby Spinach
- 50 grams Rocket / Ruccola
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1 tsp salbal oelek or 1 small chilli (optional)
- 1 Lemon (use peel + juice)
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tsp Olive Oil (1 Tsp for vegetable frying and 1 Tsp for the dressing)
- 50 grams Pine Nuts
- Slice your Halloumi Cheese into approx 1 cm thick slices, and set aside on an olive oil coated plate. You will only pan fry these just before serving, so leave them for now.
- Throw your Pine Nuts into a dry frying pan, tossing them until golden. Only add a little salt towards the end. Set aside the nuts until assembly time.
- Cut your Aubergine, Zucchini, and Onion into bite size bits.
- Also - cut your Tomatoes but don't use them until recipe says 🙂
- Peel your Lemon, and save the peel, and squeeze the juice into a small container.
- Add 1 crushed garlic, and 1 Tsp of Olive Oil, to the frying pan, and lightly pan fry the vegetables (Aubergine, Zucchini and Onion) until soft.
- Add the Lemon peel and Tomatoes and cook for one more minute only.
- Set aside your vegetable mix until your cheese is done (see below)
- Mix Salt, Pepper, Chilli, Lemon Juice, Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil - and set aside until assembly time.
- Fry your Halloumi on both sides until crusty golden.
- Take a large serving plate and cover with raw Spinach and Ruccola.
- Quickly heat up your vegetable mix, and add them to the green salad bed.
- Add the Halloumi - drizzle the dressing on top.
- As a final touch - sprinkle your pine nuts over the warm salad,
- Serve as fast as you can and eat while cheese is still hot and vegetables warm as the mediterranean sun. Enjoy!
- If you want to add to this dish - please feel free. Quinoa, or Bulgur, would make it a full-on dinner, and carrots or pumpkin could be nice additions too - if you wish to make it sweeter. Endless variety, and so simple as a healthy combination to enjoy as an every day dinner or to impress guests.
