Grilled Halloumi Salad
I added chicken and mini-peppers to make Grilled Halloumi Salad a low-carb main dish, but skip those and make four side salads if you prefer. However you make it, it’s the Halloumi and the zesty lemony dressing that makes this salad such a wow!
PIN Grilled Halloumi Salad to try it later!
I’ve always been passionate about trying new foods, and years ago I heard about Halloumi Cheese, and I was eager to taste this salty cheese that can be grilled or fried. At first I couldn’t find Halloumi, but then one day I was walking through my favorite neighborhood grocery store and I spotted some Halloumi in the cheese case, and I had fun trying it out with my friends. Definitely I’m now a long-time Halloumi fan and Halloumi is even more widely available, so I’m updating the photos for this Grilled Halloumi Salad to encourage you to try it if you’ve never cooked with Halloumi!
This is a simple salad I created with Halloumi, leftover rotisserie chicken, and some sliced sweet mini-peppers, but grilled Halloumi is so amazing that it makes this a truly memorable dish that’s perfect for a light summer dinner. I hope you try it and that you’ll enjoy Halloumi as much as I do! Personally I think grilled Halloumi cheese is a life-changing flavor adventure!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- salad greens
- sweet mini peppers
- diced cooked chicken
- Halloumi Cheese
- olive oil
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- Greek Seasoning (affiliate link)
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
What is Halloumi Cheese?
Halloumi is a unique cheese from Cyprus that has a high melting point which allows it to be fried or grilled. The browned cheese is delightful, and although Halloumi is a bit of a budget splurge, it’s something I love to buy for a treat. Here is more about Halloumi Cheese and how it’s made.
What type of salad greens can you use?
I used my favorite Power Greens mix to make this salad, but you can use any type of greens or combination of greens that you prefer.
What could you use if you don’t like Sweet Mini Peppers?
If you don’t like sweet mini peppers or don’t want to buy them for the salad, you could use cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, olives, cucumbers, radishes, or most any other vegetable that strikes your fancy in place of the mini peppers!
What if you don’t have an outdoor grill?
I’ve grilled Halloumi on my stove-top grill pan (affiliate link) many times, and I encourage you to try that if you don’t have an outdoor grill. And actually I thought it was even a bit easier on the stovetop grill pan!
How to Make Grilled Halloumi Salad:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Mix together lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and pepper; then whisk in olive oil to make the dressing.
- Shred chicken apart into bite-sized pieces and mix with a few tablespoons of the dressing.
- Cut off the stem end, pull out the seeds, and slice mini peppers.
- I bought pre-sliced Halloumi, but cut into slices if needed.
- Preheat gas grill or stovetop grill pan to medium while you brush olive oil on the Halloumi cheese.
- Lay cheese at an angle to the grill grates and cook 2-3 minutes.
- Rotate pieces (to get criss-cross marks) and cook a couple minutes more on that side.
- Brush more olive oil on the top side before you turn the cheese over.
- Cook about 3-4 minutes more on the second side, or until the Halloumi has browned marks and is starting to feel firm.
- Let cheese cool while you toss the greens with dressing and toss in the marinated chicken and sliced mini peppers.
- Cut Halloumi into strips or cubes, whichever you prefer.
- Lay pieces of grilled Halloumi over the top of the salad and enjoy!
More Tasty Ideas for Halloumi:
Pan Fried Halloumi with Chilli from Nami Nami
Grilled Halloumi Cheese Skewers with Mushrooms from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Cucumber, Tomato, Avocado Salad with Grilled Halloumi from Cookin’ Canuck
Grilled Halloumi Salad
Grilled Halloumi Salad with Chicken, Mini-Peppers, and Lemon is delicious and this is an amazing and easy way to use Halloumi.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 6 cups salad greens
- 6 mini peppersÂ
- 8 oz. diced cooked chicken
- 4 slices Halloumi Cheese (about 7 oz. Halloumi, more or less to taste)
- 1 T olive oil, for brushing cheese
Dressing Ingredients:
- 2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp. Greek seasoning (see notes)
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 3 T olive oil
Instructions
- Mix together lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, and pepper; then whisk in olive oil to make the dressing.
- Shred chicken apart into bite-sized pieces and mix with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Marinating the chicken in the dressing while you prepare greens and grill the cheese gives this salad extra flavor.
- Cut off the stem end, pull out the seeds, and then slice the mini peppers into rings.
- I bought pre-sliced Halloumi, but cut into slices if needed.
- Preheat gas grill or stovetop grill pan to medium while you brush olive oil on the Halloumi cheese. (If you're using a gas grill, be sure to spray with non-stick grilling spray or rub grill grates with oil before you heat the grill.)
- Lay cheese at an angle to the grill grates and cook 2-3 minutes or until you see grill marks.
- Rotate pieces (to get criss-cross marks) and cook a couple minutes more on that side.
- Then brush more olive oil on the top side before you turn the cheese over.
- Cook about 3-4 minutes more on the second side, or until the Halloumi has browned marks and is starting to feel firm.
- Let cheese cool while you toss the greens with dressing and then toss in the marinated chicken and sliced mini peppers.
- Arrange salad into two (or four) serving bowls.
- Cut Halloumi into strips or cubes, whichever you prefer.
- Lay pieces of grilled Halloumi over the top of the salads and enjoy!
Notes
Use any type of salad greens you prefer. If you don't have any Greek Seasoning (affiliate link), it contains salt, garlic, lemon, oregano, pepper, and marjoram.
Nutritional information is based on the generous amount of Halloumi we used but you still can make a delicious salad with a lot less Halloumi if that works better for you.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 776Total Fat: 60gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 165mgSodium: 783mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 46g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grilled Halloumi Salad with leafy greens, chicken, and sweet mini peppers is a great dish for low-carb diet plans, including Keto. Halloumi has 8 grams of fat per ounce, so this is probably a “once in a while treat” for the original South Beach Diet, but Halloumi is a treat that’s not to be missed for an occasional splurge.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
I first posted the Grilled Halloumi Salad in 2008, and I’ve been making it and enjoying it ever since then. In 2021 I finally took better photos for this recipe and also updated the post with more information about Halloumi and the process for making the salad.
35 Comments on “Grilled Halloumi Salad”
wow Kalyn, this salad has all the elements of spring. It looks delicious. I am curious to try hallumi now 🙂 Is it like paneer?
I’m glad there are other people who have little mini parties in the grocery store when they find something new! I can’t wait to try this. It’s beautiful.
Your salad looks wonderful. I had Halloumi cheese with Watermelon at a Greek Restaurant and it was great!
Sharona May
I believe I first heard about Halloumi on NPR’s Splendid Table, but didn’t write down the name. I’m so glad to see it here. This has reminded me to keep an eye out for it in the stores!=)
I am putting Halloumi on my grocery list right now!
Mmmm, I see there are a lot of Halloumi fans. Pille, I think your blog was one of the first places I learned about it. I agree, this salad would still be great without the chicken. Love the idea of using grilled halloumi pieces in panzanella too!
Must get cheese…
I adore halloumi and this looks yummy. It makes me think it would be good in a pazanella. (Also, thanks for visiting my blog.)
kaaaalyn! now I’m having a *severe* halloumi craving! I love it best straight out of the frying pan with a big squeeze of lemon juice. soooo gooood!!! It’s funny what foodthings are scarce in different parts – halloumi is readily available in Oz, but it’s true, it can be a bit expensive. probably a good thing, otherwise I would definitely eat too much of it!
Excellent recipe Kalyn! Oh halloumi, how I love thee! It’s especially good stuffed into a chicken breast with basil pesto. Yum!
Another halloumi-fan here! The salad looks so bright and colourful – very, very appealing!
Oh yes this is good cheese. So amazing grilled. Now you’ve reminded me and I’m craving ;))
Even good without the chicken I’d guess here.
That salad looks great. I absolutely love Halloumi. And I’m sure you’ll like it even more once you try it grilled.
Fired halloumi is so good! I will have to try it in a salad.
Halloumi is so versatile you can use it in a thousand ways. I am glad more people are getting to know it and once they try it they are hooked for ever. Thanks for the link to my post.
I can see I’m not the only person who loves Halloumi. Maria, I found it at Smiths on 2100 South. That’s still the only place I’ve seen it in Utah.
Where did you find the cheese??
I am not a big cheese fan but I too have heard so much about this cheese that I have to try it. Will keep an eye out for it down here.
Kalyn, Halloumi has to be one of (if not the best) cheeses to stand up to heat, be it fried or grilled.
It’s not a cheap cheese but it’s still worth it.
Thank you for the link to my halloumi salad, Happy cooking!
I first fell in love with grilled Halloumi Cheese when I had some at a wonderful outdoor Greek Restaurant on the North Fork of Long Island. One of those places where they always have a pig on a spit outside. They served it simply with wonderful Greek bread and olive oil.