What is Halloumi Cheese?
Sometimes referred to as “the cheese that grills,” Halloumi is traditionally a Cypriot cheese (from Cyprus). It is salty and dense, and it can stand up to grilling and pan-frying.
It’s also delicious.
Halloumi is a Mediterranean cheese, and I’ve been doing a lot of Mediterranean thinking lately. Just the other day, as a matter of fact, I posted my recipe for Hummus and Homemade Pita Bread, and by the time you are reading this I’ll be in Baton Rouge at a Lebanese convention. I am not Lebanese, but my wife is. And I have fallen in love with the Lebanese culture, cuisine, and music.
The convention is always a fun time with lots of delicious Lebanese foods: hummus, tabbouleh, lamb, grape leaves, fried kibbeh, baked kibbeh, and even kibbeh nayeh (make sure you look that one up!). Oh, and I can’t forget the spinach pies… and the baklava!
Ways to Prepare Halloumi
Grilled
You really can grill Halloumi cheese.
If you are going to grill it, flip it frequently to prevent burning. You can use tongs or a spatula to turn Halloumi on the grill. Some folks prefer to cut the Halloumi into chunks and skewer it together with onions, mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes. Halloumi does very well on kabobs.
Pan-Fried
For this salad, I chose to pan-fry the Halloumi. I sliced it widthwise into roughly half-inch slices. Using a cast-iron skillet on medium heat, I added just a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and fried the slices for about 2 minutes on each side. If you want to leave the olive oil out of the picture, you can. The cheese fries nicely in a dry skillet too, since it gives up some of its brine as it fries.
Grated
Want to kick-up your pizza notch for a totally new and exotic Mediterranean flavor? Grate the Halloumi on your pizza. Use a Baking Steel to take your homemade pizza-making to a whole new level.
Or “As Is”
You don’t have to do any cooking with the cheese if you don’t want to. Halloumi goes really well with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, black olives and green peppers. Toss all of that together with a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon (an perhaps a couple of cloves of fresh garlic, crushed), season with salt and pepper, and you’ll have yourself a dynamite salad.
Pan-Fried Halloumi and Tabbouleh Salad
Since I have the Lebanese convention on my mind, I decided to throw together the pan-fried Halloumi and our traditional tabbouleh for an exciting twist on a old favorite. Here’s what I’m bringing to the table this week for #SundaySupper:
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for frying the Halloumi)
- 8 to 10 ounces Halloumi cheese
- 1 to 2 bunches of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
- 1 sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6-8 medium vine tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup Bulgar wheat (#1 0r #2), soaked in water
- The juice of 1 to 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, or to taste
- Several of the inner leaves from a head of Romaine lettuce, washed and dried
DIRECTIONS:
- Once you have completed all your chopping and dicing, and soaking, you can begin to assemble the tabbouleh. I usually throw together all of the parsley, mint, onion, and green onion into a large glass salad bowl as I chop. I usually dice the tomatoes last and throw them in on top.
- Add the 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice to the bowl and mix well. It’s best to go slow. This is one of those “you gotta eyeball it” recipes. There are lots of variables: the size of the bunches of parsley, the size of the bunch of green onions, etc. It takes practice (and lots of tasting!) to get it just right. So go slow on the olive oil and the lemon juice. Then season with salt and cayenne to taste.
- Slice the Halloumi widthwise into roughly half-inch slices. Using a cast-iron skillet on medium heat, add just a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and fry the slices for about 2 minutes on each side. If you want to leave the olive oil out of the picture, you can. The cheese will fry nicely in a dry skillet since it gives up some of its brine as it fries.
- Serve on plates, using the inner leaves of Romaine as a bowl for the tabbouleh. Top with a slice of Halloumi cheese, and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.
It’s a Cheesy #SundaySupper Today!
Some say that the moon is made out of cheese. I don’t know if that is true or not, but I do know that we have some really delicious recipes featuring cheese this week for #SundaySupper!
Visit my friends… And tell ’em I sent you!
Cheese
- Garlic and Goat by Supper for a Steal
- Quick and Easy Homemade Cottage Cheese by The Meltaways
- Homemade Velveeta Cheese by Juanitas Cocina
- Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Parmesan Crisps by BigBearsWife
- Irish Cheese Soufflés by girlichef
- Paneer Tikka Masala by Kimchi Mom
- Creamy Meyer Lemon Pasta with Homemade Ricotta and Broccoli by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Ricotta Croquettes by Basic N Delicious
- Cheeseburger Soup by Dinners Dishes and Desserts
- Cherry Blossom Crescents by The Ninja Baker
- Saag Paneer! Golden Roasted Ricotta In Savory Spinach Sauce by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Sourdough Cheese Crackers by Curious Cuisiniere
- Basil Balsamic Strawberries & Whipped Feta Grilled Cheese by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Lox and Cream Cheese Mini Omelettes by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Buffalo Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken by In The Kitchen With KP
- Baked Mozzarella Sticks by Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Paneer Indian Cottage Cheese Pancake by Masala Herb
- Crepes with Strawberry Mascarpone Cream Filling by Soni’s Food
- Roasted Pears with Pecorino by Happy Baking Days
- Pan-Fried Halloumi Cheese Salad by The Catholic Foodie
- Chevre Torte with Mango and Sweet Pepper Salsa by Noshing with the Nolands
Cakes
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting by Hezzi D’s Books & Cooks
- Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake by Gourmet Drizzles
- Dairyfree Ice Cream Cake by Galactosemia in PDX
- KitKat Chocolate Cake by The Urban Mrs.
- Old Fashioned Caramel Cake by There and Back Again
- Peanut Butter Banana Bundt Cake with Chocolate Chips by Gotta Get Baked
- Flourless Chocolate Bean Cake by Vintage Kitchen
- Dense Chocolate Cherry Cake by What Smells So Good?
- Tequila Lime Cupcakes by Mama Mommy Mom
- Almond Polenta Cake by Shockingly Delicious
- Salmon Cakes by Family Foodie
- Banana Split Bundt Cake with Chocolate Glaze by NeighborFood
& Cheesecakes
- Kit Kat Cheesecake Brownies by Chocolate Moosey
- Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake by Daily Dish Recipes
- Nutella Cheesecake Brownies by The Foodie Army Wife
- Individual Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecakes by Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Grasshopper Cheesecake Bars by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Cheesecake by Magnolia Days
- Mini Toddler Cherry Cheesecakes by In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene
- Mocha Cheesecake by The Lovely Pantry
- Lime Cheesecake Bites by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- No-Bake Banana Sundae Cheesecake by The Messy Baker
- Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes with White Chocolate Crusts by Cupcakes and Pearls
- Savory Shrimp Cheesecake with Herbs and Garlic by Food Lust People Love
- Cheesecake au Baileys by Baker Street
- Tiny Turtle Cheesecakes (No Bake) by Cravings of a Lunatic
- Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes by Cookistry
- Chocolate Cheesecake Bites by Mom, What’s For Dinner?
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing our love of Cheese, Cakes AND Cheesecakes! Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST!
Follow the #SundaySupper hash tag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.
Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7PM Eastern Time and share your favorite Cheese, Cake and Cheesecake Recipes with us!
Lebanese Hummus and Homemade Pita Bread
I tried grilled halloumi cheese for the first time last year on a date night with my hubby and it was amazing. So addictive. I can’t wait to try it at home
I love fried cheese so much! My local market makes fried halloumi and hands out samples and I’m the person that comes back for seconds. I can’t wait to try making this myself!
Hey, where’s this place at? Sounds like my kind of market! I’d probably be the one going back for thirds! 😉
I’ve never heard of this before but it sounds wonderful! Looks great too!
Thanks, Angie!
We pick up our halloumi at the farmer’s market, but don’t have any right now. I’m going to have to make a trip back!
Oh wow Jeff, this looks fantastic. I’m working on eating better and this would be a fun twist to a “normal” salad for me. LOVE!
Thanks, Nicole! Let me know if you try it. I’d love to get your thoughts. Bon appetit!
That salad is so bright and colorful it almost jumps off the screen. Just gorgeous and a feast for the eyes and the tummy.
Thanks, Renee! It is eye-poppingly colorful, isn’t it? I just got lucky with this pic. It was so yummy!
I love halloumi, Jeff, and often add pan-fried slices to tomato salad but I’ve never thought to add it to my tabouleh. I’ll definitely give this a try!
Thanks, Stacy! Let me know when you try it. I’d love to get your thoughts.
I have to go search for halloumi. I´ve been wanting to grill it all summer. The colors and freshness make this salad wonderful Jeff!
Thanks, Paula! This was my first time adding halloumi to my tabbouleh, but I really liked it. It added a new dimension to a family favorite.
Great combo of flavors. I also like to add some cheese to my tabouleh, will have to give halloumi a try next time.
LOVE Lebanese food and this salad sounds like my kind of salad!
One of the things that I love about #SundaySupper is getting introduced to new cultures, new foods…. I have not tried Halloumi Cheese but you made it look so good that I just can’t wait! May have to go get some today.
It’s totally worth an extra trip to the grocery! Delicious!
What an interesting recipe! I’ve never tried halloumi, but the fact that you can grill it or cut it in chunks sounds amazing! Thanks for this beautiful recipe and photo!
This looks so colorful and full of great flavors!
I’ve never heard of halloumi cheese, but it sounds wonderful!! Being a little salty would make it a HUGE hit in my house! We make grilled cheese sandwiches all of the time.
Look at all the beautiful color in this dish!
I love, love, love Halloumi and this looks so good!!
Thanks, Tara!
What a lovely looking salad! I will have to look for Halloumi 🙂 Sounds like a nice cheese to experiment with!
Yes, Lyn, it’s lots of fun! A deliciously salty cheese.
It’s been far too long since I’ve had halloumi!
I never had this cheese, I love to try it!
I love Mediterranean food. Fried cheese and salad pair so well together. Perfect, perfect, perfect!
Aaaawwww yeah, pan fried cheese! I love halloumi! And I’d feel healthy eating this with that fabulous, fresh tabbouleh salad.