This quick and easy Halloumi Salad recipe is a delicious and elegant dish featuring salty cheese and roasted vegetables. With a tangy dressing, the flavors in this recipe are unique and distinctly Mediterranean. Best of all, everything cooks on one sheet pan for simple prep and fast clean up!
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
This yummy halloumi salad is the perfect blend of creamy, salty cheese and tasty roasted vegetables. It makes for a great centerpiece to serve to guests, but because it's so easy to make it also works as a quick weeknight dinner.
With a tangy 3-ingredient dressing, baked halloumi is a delicious warm salad that will add lots of variety to your menu.
Best of all, everything cooks on the same pan for easy prep and clean up. This is a great example of how to cook halloumi in a way that's both simple and impressive.
If you like unique salads like this one, you should also check out this Burrata Salad with Fruit!
🥘 Ingredients Needed
- olive oil - serves as the base for your dressing.
- balsamic vinegar - gives the dressing lots of tang.
- old-fashioned mustard - provides some texture and a little bit of punch.
- halloumi cheese - a creamy cheese typically made from goat's or sheep's milk that works great for roasting or grilling.
- zucchini - a mild vegetable that's great for roasting.
- bell peppers - add a pop of color.
- onion - works well to tie the vegetable flavors together.
- cherry tomatoes - provide some size variation in the vegetables.
🔪 How to Cook Halloumi
- Mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and mustard.
- Slice the halloumi into ¼ inch thick panels.
- Cut zucchini, peppers, and onion into slices of similar thickness.
- Place the cheese and vegetables in a large bowl and add the dressing, then toss to coat.
- Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees F, then broil for 2-3. Serve with cherry tomatoes sliced in half.
👪 FAQs
Yes! Halloumi in moderation contains a good amount of protein and calcium, and the rest of the dish is comprised of roasted vegetables. This is a great dish when you want something flavorful but still on the lighter side. Just be aware that the halloumi has a decent amount of sodium and fat, but paired with the veggies it makes for a decently healthy meal.
Halloumi is a fairly salty and rubbery cheese before it's cooked, and once you add some heat the texture becomes more gooey on the inside and sometimes crunchy on the outside. It will maintain much of its salty, cheesy taste through the cooking process.
Technically yes, they have similar flavors and textures. One of the downsides is that halloumi tends to hold its shape through baking due to its high melting point, whereas mozzarella will get much meltier. In general, mozzarella is a fine substitute, but I recommend using halloumi for this halloumi salad.
💭 Other Helpful Tips
- Be aware that every brand of cheese is different when it comes to flavor. If you find your halloumi too salty, soak it in cold water for an hour or two and squeeze out the water before cooking.
- Halloumi reheats well, so this is a great dish to keep leftovers. Just store them in the fridge in an airtight container and pop in the microwave when it's time to eat!
- You can also reheat this halloumi salad in a frying pan or an air fryer if you really want to bring back the crunch on the outside.
- This can also be served over top of greens for a more classic salad dish.
If you've been meaning to try it but haven't found a great recipe on how to cook halloumi cheese, this warm salad is a great place to start!
📖 Variations
- Preparing the halloumi on an actual grill is another way to play up the flavors of this dish.
- Drizzle your salad with some lemon juice or add it into the dressing for a refreshing citrus-y twist.
- Top your halloumi salad with some creamy avocado for added texture and flavor. You can even grill the avocado first!
🥗 What to Serve with Baked Halloumi
To make this halloumi cheese recipe into a really well rounded meal, here are some great options to pair with it. Toss together a quick Cucumber Salad to serve on the side, or even serve your halloumi right over top of this Kale Caesar Salad. You can also make some homemade Crock Pot Bread with Garlic and Parmesan which makes a fantastic companion. For something with more protein, go with these Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs!
🧀 More Cheesy Recipes You'll Love
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese - Nothing beats a good, classic homemade mac!
- Cheddar Pumpkin Healthier Grilled Cheese - These grilled cheese sandwiches are perfect for cold afternoons and chilly evenings.
- Crockpot Cheeseburger Casserole - Makes for an incredible and simple weeknight dinner.
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken - An easy and tasty chicken dinner from Cafe Delites!
Baked Halloumi Cheese Recipe
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📋 Recipe Card
Easy Halloumi Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons old-fashioned mustard (also known as whole grain mustard)
- pepper to taste
- 1 package halloumi cheese (about 9 ounces)
- 2 small zucchinis
- 2 bell peppers (vary the colors for a prettier salad)
- 1 red onion
- 20 cherry tomatoes (vary the colors for a prettier salad)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and pepper.½ cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons old-fashioned mustard, pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Slice the cheese into panels about ¼ inch thick.1 package halloumi cheese
- Cut the zucchini, peppers, and onion into slices about ¼ inch thick.2 small zucchinis, 2 bell peppers, 1 red onion
- Place the cheese and vegetables into a bowl and add the dressing. Toss gently to coat.
- Place the cheese and vegetables on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 8 minutes.
- Then turn the oven to broil and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Serve by dividing the cheese and vegetables over the plates, alternating the layers of cheese and vegetables as desired. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and add them to the plates. Drizzle with additional balsamic vinegar if desired.20 cherry tomatoes
Notes
- Different brands of cheese can have different levels of saltiness. If your cheese is a little too salty, place it in cold water for an hour or two. Be sure to squeeze all the water out of the cheese before cooking it.
- Optional serving suggestion - serve over a bed of arugula or spring mix greens for a pretty presentation and more of a traditional salad dish.
- Keep your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and when it comes time to reheat, you can use the microwave or a frying pan or air fryer.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Tara says
Oh yum! Halloumi is a favorite of mine. The cheese looks so good paired with all those roasted vegetables. So much flavor!
Jessica Formicola says
I'm always looking for new ways to serve veggies, and this halloumi salad is perfect! My family loved it and can't wait to have it again!
Artney says
What a beautiful salad! My first time hearing of Halloumi. I will definitely be trying it out.
Mirlene says
I never knew what Halloumi was. Before, I thought it was salty tofu. LOL Well I know better now and can make this halloumi salad!
Dionne says
I always wondered how to make halloumi salad. This looks like such an easy recipe to follow!