This perfect summertime halloumi salad recipe has grilled salty and creamy halloumi cheese, fresh salad greens, fresh dill, crisp cucumbers, sweet tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions. This halloumi cheese salad comes together so easily!
The halloumi cheese is grilled on medium-high heat so the centre is creamy, and the outside becomes beautifully golden brown and sprinkled with dried oregano. Halloumi is an excellent cheese for salads, burgers, and wraps and can be enjoyed on its own. This delightful salad is filling on its own, but it would also make a great side dish or starter salad.
What Is Halloumi Cheese?Â
Halloumi is a Cypriot semi-hard firm cheese made with sheep’s milk and goat’s milk, but sometimes cow’s milk. It has a salty, somewhat rubbery, and squeaky texture when eaten raw, but it’s chewy and slightly milder when cooked.
It comes in a package with brine and undergoes a specific brining process that gives it a slightly salty flavour. You can rinse the cheese with cold water before grilling it in the pan. This may reduce some of the saltiness. Halloumi has a high melting point, so its shape holds up when grilling. It’s the perfect addition to salads or even halloumi souvlaki instead of using pork or chicken skewers.
You can grill the halloumi on a frying pan or grill pan (to get those grill marks!) or outdoors on the BBQ if you’re feeling extra adventurous. Halloumi cheese is often sold whole, and you can slice it once you remove it from its packaging. Depending on the thickness, I usually get 6-8 slices per 200-gram package of halloumi cheese.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- This salad is ready in minutes with only a few ingredients! It can also be easily customized based on your preferences.
- It is satisfying and refreshing on its own, but it’s also a great side salad.
- Grill the halloumi slices on the BBQ to elevate this halloumi salad.
RECIPE TIPS
- Halloumi cheese is salty, so while you’ll need to add a little bit of salt to the dressing, it’s a good idea to try the salad first before adding more salt and pepper.
- If you’re looking to prep this salad ahead of time, you can dice the veggies ahead of time and then just wait to fry the halloumi cheese and mix in the salad dressing once you’re ready to serve the salad.
- This recipe can be easily adjusted to suit your taste preferences. Simply add more veggies, halloumi, or dressing.
INGREDIENT NOTES
Halloumi cheese is the star of this recipe! It’s salty and often sold in brine-packaged packaging. If you’d like, you can rinse the halloumi with cold water and pat it dry with a paper towel before slicing it and frying it, but you don’t need to.
Salad greens: This salad is made with a combination of spring greens mix and arugula. The addition of peppery arugula to the spring mix adds more texture and flavour, but you could do either all spring mix, baby spinach, or arugula, or combine all three!
Tomatoes: I love using sweet cherry or grape tomatoes in salads. They’re bite-sized and flavourful. There are so many great options at the grocery store, but you could use any tomatoes that you have on hand. Just be sure to slice or dice them into bite-sized pieces.
Fresh herbs: Fresh dill or fresh Italian parsley works well for this recipe. Fresh herbs brighten up the salad, so I would recommend using fresh herbs instead of dried herbs. If you love fresh mint, I’m sure that would taste great as well.
Mousto balsamic vinegar: Mousto balsamic vinegar is made by Acropolis Organics. I find it at Whole Foods, but it’s also available online or at your local health food stores. This vinegar is sweet, so it’s the perfect complement to salty halloumi cheese.
If you have balsamic glaze at home, then you can definitely use that instead. Nonna Pia’s classic balsamic glaze is so good too! One of my favourites. But I would suggest using a balsamic glaze instead of regular balsamic vinegar because it’s sweeter.
Red onions: Thinly slice the red onions. You can also use yellow or sweet white onion instead of red onion.
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Optional add-ins: Toasted pine nuts, bell peppers, fresh Italian parsley, chickpeas, quinoa, or finely diced green onion would all make delicious additions to this salad. Or opt for extra protein options like garlic prawns, blackened chicken or crispy tofu.
HOW TO MAKE HALLOUMI SALAD: STEP BY STEP
STEP 1: Clean and prepare the veggies. Place the spring mix and arugula into a large bowl. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes in half and place in the salad. Wash and peel the cucumber. Slice in half lengthwise and then cut into half-moon pieces. Peel and cut the red onion in half, and thinly slice the red onion. Add all of the ingredients to the large bowl.
STEP 2: Fry the halloumi. Remove the halloumi from its packaging.  Slice the halloumi into 1/4-inch pieces.  You should get between 6-8 pieces. Grease the frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, and place the halloumi slices in a single layer in the frying pan. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, and sprinkle with dried oregano. Allow the cheese to cool slightly, and then cut the halloumi into cubes or leave them as slices. Add the cheese to the salad.
STEP 3: Make the salad dressing. Combine three tablespoons of olive oil with one tablespoon of Mousto balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinegar glaze. Add a pinch of salt and mix together. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix together. Add more salt or pepper if desired.
 What To Eat With Halloumi?Â
Grilled halloumi allows you to have fun and get creative. This versatile, salty, firm cheese offers endless possibilities, but here are a few options!
Grilled vegetables: Sweet, soft, oven-roasted vegetables combined with the firm, salty texture of grilled halloumi cheese would be so delicious. Drizzle them with a little bit of honey or balsamic glaze for a sweet and salty flavour combo!
Wraps: When making Greek souvlaki wraps, you can substitute grilled halloumi for pork or chicken. To make the wraps, place grilled halloumi, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, arugula, and plenty of tzatziki on warm pita bread. You could also add a sprinkle of dried oregano or french fries.
 Greek appetizer platter: Place grilled halloumi cheese, honey, pita bread, olives, dolmades, tzatziki, and dried figs on a platter. A combination of textures and flavours will create a delicious and unique appetizer platter for parties and gatherings.
Pasta salads:Â In this easy Greek pasta salad with penne, you could easily substitute pan-fried halloumi cubes for crumbled feta cheese.
You may be interested in the 15 Best Halloumi Cheese Substitutes for alternatives to Halloumi.
Bread Cheese vs. halloumi?
Bread cheese and halloumi both have a high melting point, retain their shape under high heat, and, when cooked, develop a golden brown exterior similar to halloumi. They are both great cheese options for grilling, wraps, and salads. Bread cheese has a mild and buttery flavour and, for that reason, may be a more versatile ingredient. Both kinds of cheese have a chewy and firm texture, but bread cheese is not as salty as halloumi.
Best Grilled Halloumi Salad Recipe (Simple and Easy)
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Frying pan
Ingredients
Halloumi Cheese Salad
- 142 grams spring mix arugula or a combination of both
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 a cucumber peeled and chopped, about 1 cup
- 1/2 red onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill diced
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons olive oil for frying the halloumi
- 1 package halloumi cheese 200 grams
Salad Dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Mousto balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinegar glaze
Instructions
- Clean and prepare the veggies. Place the spring mix and arugula into a large bowl. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes in half and place them in the salad. Wash and peel the cucumber. Slice in half length-wise and then cut into half-moon pieces. Peel and cut the red onion in half, and thinly slice the red onion. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl.
- Fry the halloumi. Remove the halloumi from its packaging. Slice the halloumi into 1/4-inch pieces. You should get between 6-8 pieces. Grease the frying pan with a little bit of olive oil, and place the halloumi slices in a single layer in the frying pan. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the cheese to cool slightly, and then cut the halloumi into cubes or leave them as slices. Add the cheese to the salad.
- Make the salad dressing. Combine three tablespoons of olive oil with one tablespoon of Mousto balsamic vinegar or balsamic vinegar glaze. Add a pinch of salt and mix together. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix together. Add more salt or pepper if desired.
Notes
- Halloumi is a salty cheese, so while you'll need to add a little bit of salt to the dressing, it's a good idea to try the salad first before adding more salt or pepper. You can easily adjust it to your taste preferences.
- If you're looking to prep this salad ahead of time, you can dice the veggies ahead of time and then just wait to fry the halloumi cheese and mix in the dressing once you're ready to serve the salad.
- This recipe is a guideline for halloumi cheese salad, so you can easily adjust the quantities of veggies, amount of cheese or dressing depending on your preferences.
Nutrition
Date Published: June 20, 2023
Best Grilled Halloumi Salad Recipe (Simple and Easy)
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