This is the most deliciously decadent vegetarian “marry me chicken” alternative you could imagine. Grilled or fried halloumi cheese is incredible paired with the famed creamy sundried tomato “marry me” sauce, and it’s a perfectly easy meal served with rice or potatoes.

My latest offering for fans of the internet famous “marry me” sauce is actually the very first idea that ever popped into my head when considering how to make a vegetarian “marry me chicken”. But it took me a while to act on that thought because, well, wouldn’t pairing a rich cream sauce with fried cheese be kind of… a lot?

But I eventually decided to give it a try, and it is amazing. Rich and decadent, yes, but capable of being balanced out to make an everyday meal. So whether you want a quick and easy dinner, or a fancy feast, this recipe can flex either way. Lots of suggestions will follow.

What to Know About the Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Halloumi Cheese: This is a Cypriot cheese that does not melt when heated and can be fried / grilled, so I find it works really well as a chicken substitute when you want a big slab of protein to cut into. Halloumi is cheap and easy to find across much of Europe, however in the US and Australia / New Zealand the authentic Cypriot stuff can be a little more expensive, but other grillable cheeses will work here too! Paneer, locally produced “halloumi style” cheeses, bread cheese, farmer’s cheese… different regions will have different options but just feel free to try any kind of non-melting grillable cheese.
  • Speaking of cheese, the cheese that goes in the sauce can be parmesan, pecorino or a generic Italian hard cheese. DOP Italian hard cheeses use animal rennet in their processing, meaning they aren’t strictly vegetarian, so you’re looking for a non-DOP cheese using vegetarian rennet. In the UK, look for the V sign on the packaging – it will likely be a “Italian hard cheese” or “pasta cheese”. In the US, check out the ingredients – American made parmesans are usually fine.
  • Red onion is my go-to but feel free to use shallots or white onions.
  • I highly recommend serving this dish with slices of lemon for squeezing. It cuts through the richness of the dish.
  • There’s plenty of flexibility with the greens. Basil could be replaced with parsley or chives, and spinach could be replaced with kale (or just left out altogether).

Serving Suggestions

  • Given how rich and salty this dish is, my favorite pairing is some plain boiled rice. There is a lot of sauce per portion with this recipe, so you will have a generous amount to mix with each bite of rice.
  • I know that mashed potatoes are a common pairing for Marry Me Chicken, and I did try it with this recipe – it was of course tasty, but also very heavy, and I didn’t feel like it justified the extra effort or calories when plain rice is so good. Some buttered boiled potatoes would probably work well if you’re keen to go down the potato route.
  • If you want to go a little extra with your rice, try this Sweet Potato Rice Pilaf (you would just want to change up the spice profile – I’d suggest Italian seasoning and smoked paprika).
  • Speaking of sweet potatoes, some baked sweet potato halves would be a great side dish.
  • Frozen broccoli or peas also make an easy vegetable accompaniment. Again, given how much of the tasty sauce we have, keeping your veggies on the plain side is a good choice!
  • If you don’t want to make a separate side dish, you can certainly bulk up the amount of spinach (or try kale) in the sauce itself, and call it a day!

Marry Me Halloumi

This is the most deliciously decadent vegetarian "marry me chicken" alternative you could imagine. Grilled or fried halloumi cheese is incredible paired with the famed creamy sundried tomato "marry me" sauce, and it's a perfectly easy meal served with rice or potatoes.
5 from 1 rating

Ingredients

  • olive oil (or, ideally, the oil from the sundried tomato jar), for cooking
  • 8 oz (225 g) halloumi cheese, sliced widthways into 6 pieces
  • ½ red onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • ¼ tsp red pepper or chili flakes, or to taste
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp Italian herbs / seasoning
  • cup (140 g) sundried tomatoes, chopped, see notes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste, see notes
  • cup (160 ml) vegetable broth
  • cup (160 ml) heavy (double) cream
  • ¾ cup (80 g) parmesan style cheese, grated
  • 1 small bunch basil, chopped
  • 1 handful baby spinach
  • lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions 

  • In a large, deep saucepan with a lid, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil (or, ideally, the oil from the sundried tomato jar which has lots of flavor in it!) over a low-medium heat.
    Saute the onions until soft. Then add the garlic, chili or red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and sundried tomatoes to the pan. Continue to saute for a few more minutes until everything is fragrant.
    1/2 red onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1/4 tsp red pepper or chili flakes, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp Italian herbs / seasoning, 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, olive oil (or, ideally, the oil from the sundried tomato jar)
  • Add the tomato paste and saute for another couple of minutes to bring out its maximum sweetness and flavor – add a little extra oil if needed, to stop it from sticking.
    2 tbsp tomato paste
  • Pour in the broth and simmer, partially covered, while you cook the halloumi.
    2/3 cup vegetable broth
  • Fry your halloumi – use a grill pan if possible, as the grill lines give nice visuals and texture. Brush a light coating of oil over the grill pan and heat to a medium heat. Place your halloumi slices in it. Cook for around 3 minutes on each side, until it’s browned and the lines have clearly appeared.
    8 oz halloumi cheese
  • Once the halloumi is nearly finished cooking (once you've flipped it over in the pan is a good marker for this) get back to the sauce. Add the spinach and basil and mix through until wilted.
    1 handful baby spinach, 1 small bunch basil
  • Add the cream and cheese, simmering over a very gentle heat until the cheese has melted in.
    2/3 cup heavy (double) cream, 3/4 cup parmesan style cheese
  • Once the halloumi slices are done, add them to the sauce and serve immediately, with lemon wedges for squeezing.
    lemon wedges

Notes

Sundried tomatoes weight: If you are using weight to measure your sundried tomatoes, please note that 140g is measured as a proportion of the jar you’re using. I used half of a 280g jar for this recipe (which is a pretty standard size in the UK). Don’t scoop out the sundried tomatoes and weigh them – the weight is going to vary so much depending on how much oil sticks to them, the results won’t be so consistent. 
Tomato paste: is known as tomato puree in the UK. 
Calories: 657kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 54g, Saturated Fat: 30g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 1638mg, Potassium: 707mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 2515IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 1129mg, Iron: 2mg