Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables
on Jul 18, 2022, Updated May 01, 2024
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Ready in 20 minutes, this grilled halloumi is paired with a rainbow of grilled veggies including zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and onions. There are so many ways to serve this as a vegetarian main dish, a side dish or even an appetizer. Try this Mediterranean recipe during summer grilling season.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Nothing gets me more exciting during the warm months than grill marks. Take me outside, let me fire up that grill and give my oven a break, at least a short one.
Besides vegetables, I love grilling halloumi. If you’ve never had this cheese, it is pretty special because you can grill it, which couldn’t be easier to do. And then you can present a beautiful platter of zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and onions with slices of halloumi, all perfectly striped with those unmistakable char lines.
Before I grill everything, I brush the veggies and the cheese with olive oil and lemon juice for a dish that embraces easy summer cooking when there is so much in season.
What Is Halloumi?
Hailing from Cyprus, halloumi is a semi-hard cheese that’s made from goat’s milk or sheep’s milk. Sometimes it’s a combination of both. Its texture is a bit chewy and some would say squeaky.
This cheese is low fat, so it’s good for grilling. Halloumi has a high-melting point, so even in that intense heat, it will hold its shape. Keep in mind that quick is best. You are basically searing it on both sides.
The flavor is best described as salty. And that’s a total compliment! Because it’s brined, halloumi is bright and pungent with a lot of personality. It goes perfectly with grilled vegetables.
Tips for Grilling Cheese
Slice the halloumi in equal thicknesses. Like pretty much anything you grill, having ingredients prepped at the same size means they will be done in about the same amount of time.
Oil the grates of the grill to prevent sticking. I use my grill brush with its coarse bristles to make sure the grates are as clean as possible. Then I dip a paper towel into vegetable oil to grease the grates.
The Ingredients
- Halloumi used to be harder to find, but now I see it regularly in the cheese section at the grocery pretty much year round, but especially during summer grilling season it’s stocked.
- Vegetables: I like lots of color, so that’s why I go for a combination of zucchini, yellow squash, red bell peppers and red onions. It’s really up to you the balance of these veggies. If you love peppers, then use more of those. Or if you have a lot of zucchini, then just skip the squash since they are similar.
- Lemon is citrusy and bright and goes with everything that’s grilled and smoky.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil has the best flavor.
- Salt & pepper: This recipe is all about the halloumi and the vegetables, so I keep the seasonings to a minimum. Kosher salt and black pepper work in the background to enhance the overall ingredients.
- Parsley: Once you plate the grilled halloumi cheese and vegetables, finish them with chopped fresh herbs.
How To Make Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.
1. Make the marinade and brush it on the halloumi. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. I do this before adding salt and pepper because I save all the seasonings for the vegetables. This cheese has a lot of flavor on its own.
2. Stir the salt and pepper into the marinade and brush on the vegetables.
3. Grill the cheese until it has grill marks, about 3 minutes per side.
4. Grill the vegetables. Like the cheese, you want some char and grill lines.
Serving
This recipe is great for a vegetarian main dish. Pair it with a side dish like herby lemon quinoa, arugula cannellini bean barley, barley tabbouleh salad or a simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette.
You can also dice the halloumi and vegetables and stir them into orzo. No matter how you end up eating it, try a adding a dollop of hummus. It can be store-bought and a flavor like roasted garlic hummus or spicy hummus. Basil pesto is a great condiment too.
Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. They can be eaten cold for a salad or warm them in a 350-degree F oven.
FAQs
Either grilling or roasting on a baking sheet are great because the halloumi will get golden brown. They both add a smoky or roasted flavor. You can also pan fry it in a little olive oil in a skillet on the stove.
Halloumi does not require any soaking before it’s grilled. In this recipe I do brush it with olive oil and lemon juice. That is primarily for the taste of the overall dish.
Having a clean grill with lightly oiled grates will help eliminate any issues with the cheese sticking.
Yes. Just give the grill pan enough time to preheat before grilling, so it’s hot.
Yes, but you will be missing out on its the full potential as a cheese with a high melting point that can be grilled, baked or fried. When halloumi is raw, it is more dense.
More Halloumi Recipes
Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Halloumi
Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables and Halloumi
I hope you grill halloumi with lots of veggies. If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below.
Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil for grill grates
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 pound halloumi, sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
- 2 medium yellow squash, sliced lengthwise 1/4-inch thick
- 2 red bell peppers, cut lengthwise into 2-inch wide strips
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat. Lightly oil the grates.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Then brush it on both sides of the halloumi slices.
- Stir the salt and pepper into the remaining lemon oil. Brush it on the zucchini, squash and peppers.
- Grill the halloumi about 3 minutes per side until it has grill marks.
- Grill the vegetables until they have grill marks all over, about 3-4 minutes per side for peppers and onions and 2-3 minutes per side for zucchini and squash.
- Arrange the halloumi and veggies on a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. They can be eaten cold for a salad or warm them in a 350-degree F oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
