Name: Best Beetroot and Grilled Halloumi Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Ingredients: 9 oz Beetroot; 130 g Rocket, watercress and baby spinach salad; ½ Cucumber; ½ Red onion; 9 oz Halloumi cheese; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 4 oz Chickpeas; 1½ oz Pine nuts; 1½ oz Sunflower seeds

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This beetroot and grilled halloumi salad is healthy, filling, and perfect for a summer lunch or barbecue. The sweet roasted beetroot pairs perfectly with the salty grilled halloumi, and the zesty dressing adds a delicious tang. Welcome to your new favorite salad!

Overhead shot of a bowl of tasty beetroot and grille halloumi salad, with a glass of water, knife and fork and a bottle of chili and lime dressing.

We love grilled halloumi salad, that slightly salty taste and squeaky texture of halloumi is so good.

And when it’s hot outside, we crave a fresh salad topped with grilled halloumi, topped with a drizzle of our favorite salad dressing.

It’s always an instant hit and as it only takes 10 minutes to make, it’s great to rustle up for unexpected lunch guests.

Why you need to make this salad

Ready in 10 minutes, this grilled halloumi salad is not only easy, but it’s delicious too. Coupled with delicious salad ingredients, grilled halloumi as a savory level.

What is Halloumi cheese?

Chewy, springy, creamy, salty, squeaky, halloumi cheese originates from Cyprus.

This delicious cheese is packed full of protein and is made from sheep and goat’s milk (vegan alternatives are available these days), it’s semi-hard and it’s preserved in brine.

Halloumi cheese has increased in popularity over the recent years and we can see why it tastes so good!

What does it taste like?

Grilled halloumi has a texture that is similar to mozzarella, queso fresco, and paneer.

It’s a mild cheese with a salty taste, because of its high melting point it’s great for grilling, it gives the halloumi a slightly crunchy, smoky flavor and you get those great grill stripes.

Ingredients for grilled halloumi salad, olive oil, pine nuts, raw beetroot, halloumi cheese, red onion, cucumber, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, rocker, watercress and baby spinach.

Is halloumi vegan?

The grilled halloumi cheese that we used is vegetarian, not vegan, but you can buy vegan halloumi in major stores now, so it’s easy to adapt this recipe so everyone can enjoy it.

Can you eat halloumi without frying it?

Yes, you can eat halloumi without frying it, in fact, halloumi can be eaten raw but we have to be honest and say that the flavor is so much better when you grill it.

But it tastes so good when it’s fresh out of the pan that we recommend that you try grilled or fried halloumi.

A delicious bowl of grilled halloumi salad with a fork with salad on it and a bottle of chili and lime dressing.

The perfect lunch box meal

Fried or grilled halloumi salad is ideal as a tasty lunch box meal.

Cold halloumi cheese is still really tasty, not everyone likes it so we recommend that when you are making your halloumi salad for the first time, cut a small cube of halloumi, fry, or grill it, and leave it to cool.

If you like it then you’re in luck, you’ve just found a new favorite lunch box vegetarian meal!

We’d recommend that instead of cutting the halloumi cheese into strips, you cut it into small cubes instead, this works better for a lunch box meal option.

What does halloumi go well with?

A summer salad, grilled vegetables, it goes great with watermelon and makes a tasty burger alternative.

We think that some rose petals would make a tasty and pretty addition to this salad.

And if you’re wondering are roses edible, then the answer is yes!

Process shot, slice cucumber, thinly slice red onion.

How do I store halloumi?

If you have any leftover halloumi cheese, then you can store it in an airtight container in your fridge.

While you could reheat it when you want to use it again, we don’t actually recommend this as it tends to get rubbery if you do.

What equipment will I need to make this?

The good news is that you don’t need any fancy equipment to make this grilled halloumi salad.

You’ll need a sharp knife, chopping board, and a grill pan, if you don’t have a grill pan then a frying pan or skillet will be fine.

Process shot halloumi cheese sliced, beetroot wedges.

What salad dressing should I use?

We’ve served our grilled halloumi salad with chili and lime salad dressing, we love the sweet tangy flavor it gives it.

You can use your favorite salad dressing, but we’d recommend that you don’t use anything too salty as the halloumi cheese is salty.

What are the dressing ingredients?

We love this salad dressing recipe with our halloumi salad, it’s got a delicious combination of grated ginger, fresh lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, sweet chili sauce, smoked paprika, salt, and freshly ground pepper.

Drizzle it over your halloumi salad and see for yourself.

If you want another great dressing for your fridge then check out this great Caesar Salad Dressing Without Anchovies from Call Me PMC.

A drizzle of salad dressing being poured over grilled halloumi salad.

What should I serve with it?

Grilled halloumi salad can be served with pretty much anything.

A slice of crusty bread, grilled vegetables, vegan chicken, or anything you fancy!

If you like nuts, then a delicious dish to remember for the winter is our tasty nut roast.

Can I substitute the salad ingredients?

Yes of course. You can use our grilled halloumi cheese salad recipe as a starting point.

You could use arugula instead of the rocket, arugula also has a spicy, peppery taste to it.

You could substitute the beetroot for tomatoes, sliced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes would be perfect.

Watermelon instead of beetroot would add a perfectly sweet, salty contrast, it tastes great and is very traditional in Cyprus.

If you like more of a creamy-tasting salad, then add avocado.

Olives, lemon, and mint all would be great salad ingredients to add, try out different combinations, and make this grilled halloumi salad your own.

Close up of tasty grilled halloumi salad.

Recipe notes and tips

If you don’t like salty cheese then don’t worry, you can still enjoy halloumi cheese, just soak it in water for a couple of hours to soak the brine off. We don’t soak it as while it does have a slight salty taste, it’s less salty than feta cheese.
Naturally we’ve focused on halloumi for this fantastic recipe but you could easily substitute with your other favorite cheeses such as goats cheese or feta cheese.
Our salad is designed for two people as a main dish but you could serve it as a side dish for four people.

How do I make it?

Making one of our favorite salad recipes is really easy if you follow our instructions.

Firstly, make your chili and lime salad dressing.

Then take 250g of beetroot, cut it into wedges.

Now, take 130g of rocket, watercress, and baby spinach salad (if you don’t have these, then use your favorite) and place them in your bowl.

Next, slice ½ a cucumber and then slice them in half again so you have half moon shapes and place them on top of your salad.

Now add ½ a red onion, thinly sliced, and place it around your salad.

Next to go in your delicious salad is your grilled halloumi cheese.

Over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large grill pan.

Slice 250g of halloumi cheese into thin strips approximately 5cm (¼ inch) thick, then place them in the pan, you may have to do this in batches.

Process shot for grilled halloumi salad, add red onion, add grilled halloumi cheese.

Cook each side until they are lightly browned, usually, this takes a minute each side.

Add the grilled halloumi to your salad bowl.

Now place your beetroot in your salad bowl

Process shot for fried halloumi salad, add pine nuts and sunflower seeds, drizzle with chili and lime dressing.

Scatter 120g of cooked chickpeas on top followed by 40g of pine nuts and 40g of sunflower seeds.

Drizzle your chili and lime dressing over your beetroot and grilled halloumi salad.

Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Summer salad sensation – serve and enjoy!

Grilled halloumi salad in a bowl, shot from above.

Delicious bowl of grilled halloumi salad.

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