Your new favorite lunch or brunch! These toasted bagels are stuffed with smoky, crispy halloumi and creamy avocado. Incredibly satisfying and filling, these halloumi bagels will show you how decadent vegetarian sandwiches can actually be!
These halloumi bagels were born out of a need to liven up my work from home lunches, and they certainly achieved that. If you’re a home worker, or a lazy Sunday bruncher, you will love this one. It’s simple, it’s flexible, it’s minimal chopping / measuring kind of easy.
And if you already take your bagels very seriously, but worry how good they’ll be without meat? Well, halloumi is your friend! Halloumi is the vegetarian bagel filling idea that will win you over.
Building your perfect halloumi bagel
We start by adding cream cheese and some dollops of pesto to the toasted bagels. Lots of cream cheese and pesto ensures these bagels stay moist and luxurious! We add a bed of rocket (arugula) to the bottom – adding to the bottom means the halloumi can weigh it down!
Now pause and quickly fry up your halloumi.
Add the halloumi on top of the leaves, then pile avocado, tomatoes and onions on top!
Put the bagel top on, slice, and enjoy!
How to prepare your halloumi
Simple pan fried halloumi is perfect here, though using a grill pan is never a bad idea! If you aren’t yet confident with halloumi, check out my how to cook halloumi guide.
I also like to add seasonings to the halloumi while it’s in the pan; smoked paprika is perfect for this sandwich, though an Italian spice mix, zaatar, or dukkah would all be amazing too.
How to make the halloumi go further than two bagels
This recipe portions half a block of halloumi for each bagel which is, hmmm, A LOT. I appreciate that some of you will want to cut the calories and/or the cost of this recipe.
- Stretch to three bagels per pack by slicing your halloumi widthways into six pieces = two slices per bagel.
- Stretch to four bagels per pack by slicing widthways into 6 pieces, then cutting each in half lengthways, so you have 12 small pieces = three pieces per bagel.
Your cook time for the halloumi will go down with thinner slices. If you’re reducing the halloumi, definitely season it up with some smoked paprika or other seasonings so it still pops.
Halloumi Bagel FAQ
Is there another cheese I could use?
Yes, you could swap in paneer or any other grillable cheese available to you.
Do I really need cream cheese AND pesto?
Yes, trust me on this. Bagels are pretty dense and I think a little cream cheese is always welcome as a starting point to build up a bagel sandwich, making sure it doesn’t ever feel dry. I love the pockets of creaminess it brings to the table.
How can I make a dinner out of this?
If lunch recipes are useless to you, and dinner is your main meal of the day, I get you. This bagel could stand in for a burger and be part of a burger night dinner with fries, or just paired with a side dish or two. Here are some ideas:
Halloumi Bagels with Avocado & Pesto
Ingredients
- 2 plain bagels
- 2 Tbsp cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp pesto
- 2 handfuls rocket (arugula), spinach leaves or lettuce work fine too
- 225 g block of halloumi, sliced lengthways + widthways to make four pieces*
- Pinch smoked paprika or other seasoning, optional
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 6 cherry tomatoes, halved (or 2 slices from a large slicing tomato)
- 5-6 thin slices red onion
Instructions
- Slice your bagels into two even slices each and toast in a toaster or under the grill / broiler.
- Spread cream cheese on both sides of the bagels, and dot with pesto.
- Place a handful of rocket (arugula) on both bagels.
- Pan fry your halloumi in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes on each side, until browned. If you're using seasonings, sprinkle the seasoning on both sides of the halloumi before placing in the pan.
- Place two pieces of halloumi on each bagel.
- Top with half of an avocado for each bagel.
- Add cherry tomatoes and onion slices.
- Place the top of the bagel on, slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Stretch to three bagels per pack by slicing your halloumi widthways into six pieces = two slices per bagel.
- Stretch to four bagels per pack by slicing widthways into 6 pieces, then cutting each in half lengthways, so you havre 12 small pieces = three pieces per bagel.