Fried halloumi salad is a very flavorful vegetarian meal that goes well over salad or eaten on its own. Pan-fried halloumi is definitely a meal that will please everyone, even the meat eaters since halloumi has such a meaty bite. This pan-fried halloumi recipe will walk you through the best way to cook halloumi on the stove top so that it is nice and golden brown and delicious. Make this fried halloumi with salad as a quick main dish or as a delicious side.
If you were to ask my family what my favorite meal is, it would be something that involves halloumi cheese. Halloumi is so easy to cook, quick to cook and goes so well with so many ingredients.
I can easily find ways to cook up this salty cheese whether it is adding it to my chorizo frito, my zucchini and tomatoes, used over a salad like with this recipe or just eating it on its own.
It is just plain delicious!
About this Fried Halloumi Recipe
Halloumi cheese is a salty and firm cheese that can stand up to heat either by grilling or frying. If you cannot find Halloumi cheese, a great substitute for halloumi cheese is Panella cheese or Queso Blanco frying cheese which can be found in many supermarkets.Â
I often buy Panella cheese when I cannot find halloumi in the stores and it works great with this recipe.
Some stores will only carry halloumi in the spring since it is traditionally made then. These days since it is very popular it is more and more common to find it all year long.
Ingredients Needed
It may seem like a long list of ingredients here but the idea is to use what you have on hand. The main ingredient you don't want to skip is the halloumi cheese 🙂
Here is what you will need:
- Halloumi cheese
- Mixed olives like Spanish and kalamata
- Arugula
- Soy sauce (for cooking the halloumi)
- Salted pistachio shells removed. This adds crunch and texture the the halloumi salad.
Dressing
- Chili peppers such as serranoÂ
- Shallot diced
- White vinegar
- Olive oil
- Sugar salt and pepper to taste
How to make fried halloumi
Frying halloumi is a lot easier than you may think. It may seem odd to cook cheese by itself but this type of firmer cheese cooks up beautifully in a pan.
It gets a nice golden crust and a warm center.
Here is what it looks like to make this fried halloumi with salad:
The first thing you want to do is slice the halloumi lengthwise into about ½-inch pieces. Halloumi cheese comes in a rectangular shape so it will have a long side and a shorter side. Cut it on the longer side since this will make fewer pieces you have to cook.
The next thing you want to do is add the sliced halloumi to a pre-heated pan with a little oil. As the halloumi cooks, it will exude some of its juices.
This is ok! Once you flip the halloumi and start cooking the other side, the juices from the halloumi cheese should start to dry up.
When you see this happen, you add in some soy sauce for a little extra caramelization and flavor.
Once this happens, the halloumi cheese will get a nice golden color.
Once the halloumi is done cooking just add it to your plate with the leafy greens and delicious toppings. Don't forget that delicious dijon dressing that gets drizzled over the top of the fried halloumi!
How to use leftover halloumi cheese
If you do have any leftover fried halloumi cheese, you can easily use it the next day. I like to warm it up for about 30 seconds in the microwave to soften it back up.
Another favorite way I like to use leftover fried halloumi is to make a delicious sandwich with it by placing it on baguette bread, adding thinly sliced veggies and a little poblano cream sauce or cilantro lime sauce.
It is so good that way!
Where to Buy Halloumi Cheese:
- You can find halloumi in your local grocery store in the specialty cheese section.
- I have also found halloumi at Trader Joe's (only in the spring) and Whole Foods market (year-round).
Halloumi is an extremely delicious cheese that I make into a meal at least once a week. This recipe is more of a lighter meal, one that I like to eat in summer when it is really hot and light meals are in order.
Fried halloumi makes a wonderful meal prep item for lunches so if you are going to be making this recipe, I recommend doubling up on the fried cheese portion. if you want to make this fried halloumi salad even more substantial, adding grilled meat to this dish like Mediterranean chicken skewers or chicken satay will do the trick.
I personally love it just the way it is.
Tips For How to Cook Halloumi Cheese
If you are not sure how to cook halloumi, it couldn't be simpler. When making this fried halloumi salad, the heat of your pan will draw out the liquids in your cheese and leave you with lots of liquid in the pan.
You will want to drain this away after it happens so you get a nice sear on your fried cheese.
After you have done this, this is when the seasoning goes onto your cheese. In this fried halloumi salad recipe, I use soy sauce.
I like to add the soy sauce to the halloumi in the dry pan after the cheese's liquids have been removed.
The best way to remove the liquid after initially heating the halloumi is to just tilt your saute pan and spoon it out. It is very quick and worth it. This is the difference between boiled cheese and pan-fried.
You can do so much with halloumi from adding it to your tacos to salads. It will pick up any flavor combination beautifully. This method with the soy sauce is my favorite!
Pairing Ideas
If you are looking for ideas of what to serve with this fried halloumi, here are some ideas:
More like this
If you love this pan-fried halloumi recipe, you may also like these cheesy recipes:
Fried Halloumi with Salad
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Ingredients
- 1 6 oz package of halloumi cheese
- ¼ cup of mixed olives pitted spanish and kalamata
- 1 small chili pepper such as serrano seeds removed and sliced thin into ringsif you don't like spicy use ½ the pepper or just omit the pepper all together
- 1 shallot diced
- ¼ white vinegar
- 4 tablespoon of olive oil (3 tablespoon for dressing plus 1 teaspoon for the pan)
- 1 bag of arugula salad
- â…› cup of roasted and salted pistachios shells removed
- 1 teaspoon of sugar salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce low sodium
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add your vinegar, sugar and sliced chili peppers and mix well and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour to lightly pickle the peppers.
- While the vinegar and chilis are coming together, you can start making your salad.
- On a medium to large platter, add your arugula. In a medium bowl, add your olive oil, olives and shallots and a pinch of salt and mix well and set aside.
- Now, slice your halloumi cheese lengthwise into ¼ inch slices. You should get about 5-6 slices from one block of the halloumi cheese.
- Pre-heat a medium saute pan over medium high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, begin adding your halloumi cheese to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes a side.
- At this point you will see your halloumi cheese sweat out it's liquid. Once this happens, tilt your pan and spoon out the liquid and discard.
- After removing the liquid from the pan, pour your soy sauce evenly over your halloumi.
- After a couple minutes, with a spatula, check to see if the cheese is browning before flipping. If it has a nice caramel color forming go ahead and flip the cheese over and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes. If it is not brown continue cooking until it is and then flip and cook the other side.
- When the halloumi is done cooking, carefully remove it from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
- Going back to the salad, take your bowl of vinegar and chilis and add that to your olive oil and olives bowl and mix it all in. This is your vinaigrette for your salad.
- To assemble
- Take your cooked halloumi and lay it over your bed of arugula. Now taste your dressing with the olives and chilis and see if it needs any salt and pepper (remember that the halloumi cheese is salty so be careful not to add too much salt to your dressing). Drizzle your dressing and all of its ingredients over the top of the halloumi cheese until it is all used up.
- Now sprinkle the pistachios over the top of that.
- Serve your halloumi salad with a nice crusty bread for people to make open face sandwiches with or to eat as a side with their salad.;Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer hereYou May Also Like
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Erika says
We really enjoyed this halloumi salad! Lots of flavor and very easy
Melissa says
Thanks Erika
Amy says
This was really delicious!
Kaci says
Wow! These photos are beautiful and what a delicious side dish option! I will definitely be trying this out. Thanks for sharing!