This is the kind of simple meal you can throw together with very little time or effort, and after you’ve made it once you never really need to look at the recipe again. Sound good?
As long as you’ve got the good flavorful summer tomatoes it is very hard to go wrong. Simplicity is the name of the game here, no little twists or unexpected upgrades, just the delightful classic combo of crispy grilled halloumi and juicy sweet cherry tomatoes, bulked out with fresh crispy lettuce.
And it serves you well on a couple of different occasions. First, if you’re after a quick weeknight dinner, you can grill your halloumi indoors in a grill pan in no time at all. Second, if you want to make this as a side dish or vegetarian option at your next barbecue, you can cook the halloumi on the outdoor grill and get it a little charred and smoky.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- I like using baby tomatoes for this recipe (cherry tomatoes, grape / baby plum tomatoes, baby heirlooms, etc) for their super sweet intense flavor and because they are so easy to prep. If you want to use larger diced tomatoes, feel free, or you could pivot to my 15 Minute Halloumi Tomato Salad which uses larger sliced tomatoes!
- Balsamic glaze gives a rich sweet flavor to this salad – I like to toss a little bit in with the lettuce and tomatoes, then drizzle more on top. If you don’t have any, you can use plain balsamic vinegar if you need to, it just won’t end up as punchy.
- If halloumi cheese isn’t an option for you, try paneer or any other grillable / non-melting cheese.
- I like gem or romaine lettuce for this, for the refreshing crispiness, but you can really use anything, it doesn’t matter too much.
Got questions? 🤔
How many does this serve?
This recipe will serve two as a main meal or can be made into four side dish portions. Or somewhere in between. It is easy to scale up or down, but try to make only what you want to eat straight away – cooked halloumi definitely loses its charm after it cools down.
What could I add to bulk out the salad?
Some great additional toppings would be: sliced avocado, toasted pine nuts or the pan fried croutons from this salad recipe. You could also toss in around cup of cooked chickpeas or butter beans for additional protein (you’ll want to add a little extra olive oil if you do this).
What should I serve it with?
If you want something else on the table, two great easy options would be Air Fryer Sweet Potato Halves and a loaf of foccacia. For a soup and salad night, I think this would pair well with Spiced Butternut Squash Soup. And if you’re making this alongside other salad dishes, this Green Olive Grain Salad would complement it well.
Grilled Halloumi Bruschetta Salad
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250 g) cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2-3 tablespoons red onion, finely diced or sliced
- ½ small clove garlic, crushed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 head gem or romaine lettuce , thinly sliced
- 1-2 teaspoons balsamic glaze
- 8 oz (225 g) halloumi cheese, sliced widthways into 6-8 slices
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the tomatoes. Add your quartered cherry tomatoes, garlic and diced onions into a large bowl. Pour the olive oil over the top, add salt and pepper to taste, and mix through. Let marinate while you grill the halloumi.9 oz cherry tomatoes, 2-3 tablespoons red onion, 1/2 small clove garlic, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper
- Add the chopped lettuce and basil to the bowl with the tomatoes, and toss through to get the lettuce well mixed in.1 head gem or romaine lettuce , 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- Grill the halloumi. Heat your grill pan to a medium heat. Slice your halloumi and pat it dry a little with paper towels just to get some of the excess liquid off. Brush the grill with oil, and place the halloumi slices on it. Grill on each side for 2-3 minutes, pressing down with a spatula from time to time, until the halloumi is golden with dark grill lines.8 oz halloumi cheese
- Serve! Scoop the bruschetta salad into bowls and top with grilled halloumi slices. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and enjoy!1-2 teaspoons balsamic glaze
