Simple Grilled Halloumi Cheese Salad

With fewer than 10 ingredients this grilled halloumi salad combines warm, salty, melty halloumi cheese with fresh greens, chickpeas, tomatoes, and Kalamata olives drizzled with a creamy homemade balsamic dressing. It's packed with fresh Mediterranean flavors and you can have it on the table in less than 10 minutes!

What is Halloumi Cheese?

Halloumi cheese is a goat's or sheep’s milk cheese that originated in Cyprus. It has a high melting point and can be grilled or heated without losing its shape. It's got a delicious, semi-hard texture that is reminiscent of fresh mozzarella or a cheese curd - which obviously as a Midwesterner is right up my alley! Add this grilled halloumi salad to your family dinner or party spread in less than 10 minutes! 

You Will Love This

• It's a hearty vegetarian meal! Halloumi is a great substitute for tofu and is often used as a protein replacement. Which means this grilled halloumi salad can be a meal all its own! Keep it as is, or add more of your salad favorites to make this an easy lunch packed with veggies. 
• If you loved this recipe, be sure to check out my Easy Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad, my Baked Feta Appetizer, or my Easy Greek Salmon Bowl. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Halloumi Cheese - You should be able to find halloumi cheese in the refrigerated section at your grocery store, possibly in the speciality cheese area. Skip the light or low fat version as regular halloumi has a ton more flavor. Some halloumi cheeses comes with flecks of dried herbs like dill on the outside which is delicious as well!
• Spring Greens - I prefer spring greens for this salad because the various flavors and textures of the leaves just adds something more to this salad, but you can use butter lettuce or spinach as well. I also love this grilled halloumi on top of my easy arugula salad!
• Chickpeas - I use canned chickpeas to cut out the soaking and cooking process. Just drain them and mix them in.
• Grape Tomatoes - You could honestly use any type of tomato for this recipe, but grape tomatoes need minimal or no prep and are nice and bite sized. 
• Mini Cucumbers - Mini cucumbers have practically no seeds and slice really well into salads, but you can also use an English cucumber if that’s what you have on hand. Sliced bell peppers would be a delicious substitute.
• Kalamata Olives - Kalamata olives are so flavorful and are the best olives for that Mediterranean flavor profile. Plus they go really well with balsamic dressing!
• Red Onion - Red onion is really the best option for this salad, but if you don’t have any red, finely chopped green onion can be used instead.
• Homemade Creamy Balsamic Dressing - My 6 Ingredient Homemade Creamy Balsamic is absolutely perfect for this recipe. It's super quick to whisk together and has a delicious creamy texture and tangy balsamic vinegar with a hint of garlic!

Instructions

Heat a cast iron griddle, large saute pan, grill pan, or grill over medium-high heat. Grill sliced halloumi for 2-3 minutes per side or until a dark golden-brown crust forms. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

While the cheese is cooking, assemble the salad on a serving platter adding spring greens in an even layer. Top with chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and red onion. Top salad with grilled halloumi slices and drizzle with homemade Creamy Balsamic Dressing.

Tips

• Halloumi cheese often comes in a rectangle but it can also come in other shapes. I prefer the rectangle(ish) halloumi for this recipe. You may notice that as you slice the halloumi there is a seam down the middle of the slices, like a larger block of cheese was folded in half. This is totally okay and completely normal! If your slices end up in 2 strips instead of 1 solid piece that's totally fine too. If you look at my grilled slices of halloumi above, you can see the seam that I'm talking about.
• Cutting the halloumi into thick slices will help ensure that they stay together. Thinner slices are more likely to fall apart, so stick with ⅓-1/2" thick slices! You can also cut them into smaller pieces or even cubes to create a grilled halloumi "crouton"!

FAQ

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: The grilled halloumi cheese is best served warm so I don't recommend making it ahead of time. However, you can prep all the ingredients for your salad ahead of time so that it takes just minutes to throw together!
• Storage: Store leftover (undressed) salad in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Reheating: If you want to reheat the halloumi, simply place it in a skillet on the stovetop and heat it through on low until it is warm and melty again. 

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