Name: Smoky Tomato & Halloumi Bake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 portions
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Olive oil; 4 cloves garlic, sliced; A few pinches of chili flakes, to taste; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1/2 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 tsp red wine vinegar; 1/2 tsp brown sugar; 400g (14oz) tin of white beans (I used butter beans, but cannellini beans or chickpeas work well too); 800g (28oz) of whole plum tinned tomatoes (that's two normal sized tins); 500g (8.8oz) of halloumi cheese, sliced lengthways and then widthways into slabs; Parsley or coriander, to garnish (optional)

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Halloumi and white beans baked in a rich, smoky, Spanish inspired tomato sauce! This is a simple but stunning one pot vegetarian meal that is on the table in just 30 minutes. With lots of different serving suggestions, you will never tire of making this amazing halloumi bake for dinner.

We had a pretty good run of fresh tomato recipes here on HVK this summer, didn’t we? But as we head into winter, we’re back to the tinned tomatoes.

This does not have to be a sad thing! Because rich, juicy tinned or jarred tomatoes are a joy to behold as well.

And in this recipe, we are transforming them into a beautiful smoky sauce to house some creamy white beans and our favorite salty, squeaky cheese halloumi.

The joys of baked halloumi

Baked halloumi stays more moist, which works really well in some recipes. I always used to fry or grill it to get it super crispy, but now I am thoroughly enjoying preparing it this way from time to time.

In this recipe we’re going to brown it on the top so that there is still some familiar crisp, but beneath that we have our deliciously juicy slabs of halloumi sitting in a rich, smoky sauce and, well, I challenge you not to fall head over heels for it.

The Smoky Spanish Tomato Sauce

High quality tinned plum tomatoes are helpful in making this sauce as delicious as can be. The flavoring is Spanish inspired, with lots of garlic and smoked paprika. You can give it a spicy kick, or not, with the addition of chili flakes. The heat level is yours to decide upon.

I make it pretty mild, because my tastebuds are a little wimpy when it comes to heat.

And it’s a 30 Minute + One Pot Meal!

Oh I’ve saved the best part for last… This is an extremely easy weeknight meal.

30 minutes, and everything cooks in one pot. Use a shallow casserole dish that you can use on both the stovetop and in the oven, and you’re good to go.

You simply prepare your sauce in the pan…

And then you add your beans and halloumi, and put it all in the oven.

You’ll bake it, and then broil / grill it at the end to get the halloumi browned.

Ta da!

How to serve your Halloumi Bake

To keep this as simple as possible, and not use any more pots, get yourself a mound of pita bread or a fresh baked baguette, and just dig right in. It’s going to be great.
It would be amazing atop a baked sweet potato or slices of sweet potato toast.
I also like to serve it with rice or couscous.
If you’re avoiding carbs, you could spoon it over zucchini noodles or cauliflower mash.
If you want to add some greens, throw some spinach into the sauce just before adding the halloumi. It’s always a nice addition.

Can I use less halloumi?

There are two blocks of halloumi in this dish, and while halloumi is super easy to find and affordable here in London, I am conscious that a meal using two entire packages of it could be cost prohibitive elsewhere.

So yes. Feel free free to use just one package of halloumi. You will just need to bulk out the pan in another way, the most simple idea being to add another can of white beans.

Love halloumi recipes? Don’t go without checking out these other Happy Veggie Kitchen faves:

Ready to cook? Prepare to meet your new favorite dinner…