This Baked Halloumi Salad isn’t just super delicious, it's also a nutritional powerhouse. Packed with dietary fibre, plant-based proteins from chickpeas, and the wholesome goodness of spinach and snow peas, and loaded pumpkin. And the star of the show, haloumi! Baked to golden perfection, it adds a savoury, salty kick that's beautifully balanced by the sweet notes of roasted pumpkin.
What's the deal with Halloumi?
- Halloumi is a semi-hard, brined cheese that originate from the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey. It's a unique cheese with distinctive characteristics that set it apart from other varieties.
- Halloumi can be baked, grilled, or pan-fried and develops a golden crust while maintaining a soft and slightly elastic interior. It is salty and can be served as an appetizer, part of a main course, in sandwiches, wraps or even as a topping for salads.
- Halloumi is typically made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, although cow's milk can also be used. Halloumi is widely available in supermarkets and specialty cheese shops.
- While haloumi provides protein, calcium, and some essential vitamins. It’s relatively high in fat and sodium. As with any food, moderation is key!
Ingredients for the Baked Halloumi Salad:
- Butternut pumpkin
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Halloumi
- Honey or Maple Syrup
- Chickpeas
- Cherry tomatoes
- Baby spinach
- Snow peas
Looking for alternatives for Halloumi?
When looking for alternatives to baked halloumi, feta and tofu are two options you can consider:
- Feta: Feta has a crumbly texture and has a delicious tangy and salty taste. No need to bake it, just add it to the salad instead of the baked halloumi.
- Tofu: Tofu comes in various textures, but for a halloumi substitute, look for firm or extra-firm tofu. Tofu has a neutral flavour, allowing it to absorb the flavours of the dish. Grill or pan-fry tofu to achieve a similar firm texture to baked halloumi.
While feta and tofu may not perfectly replicate the exact qualities of baked halloumi, they offer their unique textures and flavours, adding variety to your dishes. Experiment with these alternatives based on your preferences and the specific recipe you're working on.
You say Haloumi, I say Halloumi
A bit of useless trivia: The spelling "Haloumi" is a common variant, but "Halloumi" is the more widely accepted and recognized term.
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Baked Halloumi with Pumpkin Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The star of the show, Baked Halloumi! Baked to golden perfection, it adds a savoury, salty kick that's beautifully balanced by the sweet notes of roasted pumpkin. Toss in the freshness of cherry tomatoes, the crunch of snow peas, and the leafy goodness of spinach, and you've got a yummy, healthy plate of food.
Ingredients
- 800g Butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1.5cm pieces
- ½ cup Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves Garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 Lemon, zest and then juiced
- 360g Halloumi, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 2 tbs Honey or Maple Syrup
- 400g can Chickpeas, drained
- 1 punnet Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 200g Baby spinach leaves
- 200g Snow peas, trimmed and string removed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 220°C.
- Place pumpkin on a baking tray. Drizzle with a quarter of the oil, season and toss to coat. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and tender.
- Meanwhile, combine garlic, lemon rind, a quarter of the oil, halloumi and pepper to taste in a bowl and toss to combine. Place on a baking tray and bake in oven for 5-7 minutes or until golden.
- Combine lemon juice and honey in a bowl with remaining olive oil, season to taste and mix well.
- Place chickpeas, tomatoes, spinach, snow peas, pumpkin and halloumi with the lemon honey dressing in salad bowl. Toss well and serve.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
