This Grilled Halloumi Salad with watermelon and arugula is a delightful spring/summer salad ready in 15 minutes. Easy enough for a weeknight meal, but impressive enough for outdoor entertaining.
What’s your favorite Mediterranean dish?
Aside from my favorite French food, Mediterranean cuisine has always played an important role in my family’s nutrition. It’s prominent for being one of the healthiest cuisines in the world and I just love the combination of flavors and abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables used in each recipe.
When it’s summer and hot outside, I love using fresh produce to create dinner recipes that are quick to put together and make my family feel full and satisfied. I often swap soups and stews for nutrient-packed salads. One of my favorite Mediterranean recipes, Greek Panzanella Salad, is on our table several times a month.
Aside from significant health benefits, Mediterranean food is also famous for its cheeses. We all know how delicious Feta cheese is, but there’s one more incredibly delicious cheese that can easily replace meat in any recipe. In fact, when my husband first tried grilled Halloumi, he thought it was chicken. The texture of the cheese resembles grilled meat.
Grilled Halloumi Salad with Watermelon and Arugula
Halloumi cheese originated from Cyprus. It’s a semi-hard cheese with the texture somewhat similar to Feta cheese. Halloumi is often made from goat’s or sheep’s milk. It’s briny and has a high melting point which makes it ideal for frying, grilling, or baking. Halloumi works great in grilled cheese sandwiches, salads, and appetizers.
Just like my easy Zucchini Salad with Baby Bell Peppers, this Grilled Halloumi Salad is one of those simple recipes that you can fix in under 30 minutes and bring it to a picnic or backyard barbecue. It’s refreshing, packed with fresh vegetables, juicy watermelon, and delicious protein.
I hope you’ll like this super quick Grilled Halloumi Salad recipe and make it for your next summertime event. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve ever tried grilled Halloumi cheese and what you think of it?
Ingredients
- 3 handfuls of baby arugula, washed
- 1 8.8-oz pack Halloumi cheese, sliced to 1/4 inch thick pieces
- 2 small cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 8-9 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 lb watermelon, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil + more for drizzling the cheese
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dry oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Coat a medium grill pan with a cooking spray or a thin layer of olive oil and heat it over medium heat.
- Add Halloumi cheese and grill for a few minutes until distinctive grill marks appear at the bottom. Brush the top of Halloumi with olive oil and flip. Grill for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add arugula, cucumbers, and radishes and toss to coat.
- On a serving platter, arrange arugula, cucumbers, and radishes, followed by pieces of watermelon and grilled cheese.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Home Chef Tip: You can also bake Halloumi. Preheat your oven to 400ºF, drizzle Halloumi with olive oil, and bake on a parchment lined baking dish for 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway.
We hope you enjoy this Grilled Halloumi Salad recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Iryna from Lavender and Macarons, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, you can find more like it by visiting our Salad section. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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