Pan Fried Halloumi Salad with Lentils and Broccoli

Halloumi is a salty fresh cheese that won’t melt when it is fried or grilled. It is a perfect feature for a simple halloumi salad.

This hearty salad can be served as a side dish or on its own as a complete meal. It is a delicious and unique dish to serve at a picnic or barbecue. Served fresh and hot or chilled, as a marinated salad.

DIY Fermentation Inspiration

Halloumi can be expensive to buy, so I encourage you to try making it yourself! Halloumi is an easy cheese for beginners because it is relatively simple and doesn’t require any complicated tools. Best of all, it only needs to age for a few weeks.

And if cheesemaking is daunting then starting with some easier ferments. Use homemade Dijon mustard to give this salad a real kick. Or serve it with a side of giardiniera pickles.

Halloumi Salad

Looking for a simple, one-pot meal? Halloumi salad is hearty, healthy and delicious. It can be served warm as a vegetarian-friendly meal, or chill it for a marinated salad that would be perfect for a picnic.

• Author: Emillie
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: British

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 bunches of broccoli
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of toasted walnuts
• 1 block of halloumi cheese (about 250g)
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil + more for frying
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Boil the lentils with the bay leaf and thyme until they are just cooked (about 20 minutes). You want them to be still a bit firm.
2. Cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces. Toss the broccoli on top of the lentils for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
3. When the broccoli and lentils are done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop them from over cooking.
4. Make the salad dressing by mixing the olive oil, cider vinegar and mustard in a large salad bowl.
5. Dice the tomatoes.
6. Toss the lentils, broccoli and tomatoes in the salad dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a medium-sized, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Chop the halloumi into small cubes and fry until golden.
8. Scatter the halloumi and walnuts over the salad and serve immediately.

Notes

• This salad is delicious as leftovers. Allow everything to marinate in the salad dressing and serve chilled.
• Feel free to replace the halloumi with crumbled feta.
• Thanks to Jamie Oliver for the original inspiration for this salad.

Keywords: gluten free, one-pot meal, quick, easy, barbecue, picnic, potluck, summer, 30 minutes or less, egg free, sugar free, vegetarian