Is the word “salad” synonymous with “flavorless boring meal when I’m on a diet”? Well, you have stumbled upon a delicious and nutritious salad, because this Chickpea Halloumi Salad is packed with flavor and protein. You get smoky crispy chickpeas, salty halloumi, and a creamy tahini dressing that will make your lunch break seem like light years away. It will be the best thing you’ve eaten in a while!
But also perfect for a busy weeknight dinner because it has everything you need to make a complete meal.
What you’ll love about this recipe
- Quick and easy: This salad comes together in minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights or a relaxed weekend lunch.
- Healthy and nutritious: Packed with protein, fiber, and healthy fats, this salad is such a satisfying and balanced meal, you will not miss the meat.
- Flavorful: The combination of crispy and spicy chickpeas that still keep a creamy bite, salty and squeegee halloumi cheese, drenched in a garlicky tahini sauce is so satisfying 😋. Iggy (our daughter) and I had this as a late lunch and we were stuffed!
- Versatile: Feel free to customise the seasonings (I use a peri-peri seasoning for the toasted chickpeas), change up your salad veggies or drizzle your favorite dressing.
- Lunch, dinner or side dish, even BBQ: this salad definitely wins at being any meal champ 😁!
Ingredients you’ll need
- Chickpeas – canned or jarred, drained. I used queen chickpeas which are larger, but any normal ones work. And if you are cooking your own chickpeas from dry, hat off to you!
- Halloumi cheese – I used Cypriot halloumi, it tends to hold really well and not crumble. When I slice it, it naturally separates where folded, so I got these perfectly sized slices, just the way I wanted them.
- Tomatoes – fresh ripe cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered if on the larger side), but sliced larger vine tomatoes work too.
- Cucumber – a medium cucumber or half of a large one, seeds scooped out and cubed.
- Red onion – I beg you to give this a quick pickle: slice thinly and leave in a jar with apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt for until you prepare all of your other ingredients. But you can also use it without pickling.
- Olive oil – always good quality extra virgin olive oil, those polyphenols are worth it!
- Sea salt – I used Cornish (from Cornwall, England) sea salt flakes, they really bring out the sweetness in the tomatoes and create a natural delicious juice that seasons all of the other ingredients.
- Tahini – this is a sesame paste that gives the dressing a lovely nutty hint and more creaminess.
- Greek yogurt – for tanginess.
- Garlic – a freshly grated or minced clove for the dressing.
- Lemon – squeeze the juice to thin out the thick dressing.
How to make chickpea and halloumi salad (step-by-step)
Time needed: 20 minutes
A delicious and nutritious salad, because this Chickpea Halloumi Salad is packed with flavor and protein: smoky crispy chickpeas, salty halloumi, and a creamy garlicky tahini dressing.
- Prepare the ingredients
Drain the chickpeas (no need to rinse). Halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them in a bowl with a good pinch of sea salt. Cut the cucumber into stripes, removing the middle ones with the seeds, then into 1 inch cubes. Peel the red onion and cut in half, using half of the onion to slice into thin rings (if pickling, steep in the apple vinegar for a quick pickle) and set aside.
- Toast the Chickpeas
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add a little olive oil then the chickpeas, a pinch of sea salt, and a good sprinkle of peri peri seasoning. Toss until golden brown and slightly crispy. Set aside to cool slightly. In the same pan, toast the stale bread cubes with a bit more olive oil for a minute or so if using to make croutons.
- Make the Yogurt Tahini Dressing
Combine Greek yogurt, tahini, grated garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk briefly until smooth.
- Griddle the Halloumi
Cut the halloumi into thick slices. Griddle or pan-fry until golden brown on both sides.
- Assemble the Salad
In a large salad bowl, combine the chickpeas, croutons if using, grilled halloumi, tomatoes, cucumber, and pickled red onion. Top with the yogurt tahini sauce and serve immediately. Garnish the individual bowls with mint and basil leaves.
Pro Tips
- The most important thing to remember for a gourmet experience, is to grill and add the halloumi slices just before you serve. That is if you want warm, and squeegee halloumi. But, yes, there is a caveat: a second best will be to reheat the halloumi cheese pieces gently in the microwave, especially if you have leftover grilled halloumi. Still good me thinks 😁!
- Pat dry the halloumi with kitchen paper before slicing it, it helps that lovely crust during grilling.
- Get the best out of your tomatoes by slicing them and tossing in a bowl with a good pinch of sea salt flakes, allowing a little marinading. Their flavor gets elevated, bringing out sweetness and savoriness at the same time.
- If you love onions, you will love a quick pickled onion even more: just slice the red onion in thin slices and steep in a jar or bowl, submerging them in apple cider vinegar or any vinegar you have. They get translucently pink and lose their pungency, turning more mild.
- Scoop out or cut out the cucumber seeds to avoid the salad being watery, but in a rush you can leave it especially if you are eating it all straightaway. I sometimes give the cucumber centers to Nala, our dog, she loves them 😊!
- If the dressing is too thick, thin out with a tablespoon or two of cold water.
What to serve with chickpea and halloumi salad
- I had a slice of sourdough focaccia that has lost its fluffiness, but it was just perfect for whizzing up some flavor bomb croutons. I added them in the recipe, but of course they are optional.
- I am such a bread addict, I seldom have salad without bread. Any good bread works to mop up those lush juices: pitta, flatbread or a toasted slice of sourdough. If you fancy making your own sourdough I have some beginner friendly recipes for sourdough bread that you can make the same day or soft and buttery sandwich sourdough.
- If you are having this as a side dish, may I impress you with some delish flexitarian main meal options like my grilled chicken supreme or my lamb koftas with tzatziki.
- Top up with seeds or nuts, a handful of crushed pistachios will go really well with this salad and increase the nutrition.
variations and substitutions
- VEGETARIAN: This recipe is vegetarian, yay!
- VEGAN: For a vegan option, firm tofu would work great to replace the halloumi and change up the Greek yogurt for a plant based alternative. Leftover chickpeas liquid (aquafaba) is great for vegans as an egg replacement, so store it instead of throwing it if you are planning to use it.
- GLUTEN FREE: Croutons are optional, so skip them.
- Seasonings and vegetables: Feel free to customise the seasonings (I use a peri-peri seasoning for the toasted chickpeas) or change up your salad veggies.
- Bulk: Or even bulk it up with leftover cooked potatoes, wholegrain rice or cooked and cooled quinoa like in my ancient grain salad.
- Salad dressing: I’ve been obsessed with this tahini dressing, since I’ve been trying to switch up my mayo based dressings. But here’s where you can go wild: make a simple lemon vinaigrette like in my broad bean salad, or Mediterranean inspired salad dressing like in my potato and asparagus salad. I mean, of course, you can use a store bought dressing, you need to have a life too, as long as the majority of the time you are making your own, it really takes no time at all.
- I grilled the halloumi on my cast iron griddle pan for this recipe to get those pretty grill marks, but I often just pan fry the halloumi in the skillet or frying pan, You can also put the halloumi on the grill (barbecue), just brush with a little olive oil and watch them closely because they tend to dry real fast.
I must warn you though, the cravings are real for my yummy and nutritious chickpea and halloumi salad: you will keep making this salad forever, I can guarantee you. You’re welcome 🤭!
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recipe FAQ
This salad is not ideal for leftovers, since the halloumi will be cold and a bit rubbery. Having said that, Dave had leftovers for his next day lunch and thought it was delicious, so you can store leftover salad in an airtight container just for another day.
Remember, if you are allergic to sesame, don’t use tahini. You can just skip it or add a little nut butter instead.
Absolutely, they may not get that beautiful crispy outside though. I suggest tossing them with a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning to impart some flavors.
Chickpea Halloumi Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 can or jar chickpeas 400g of drained chickpeas
- 250 g halloumi cheese
- 200 g cherry tomatoes or 3 large vine tomatoes
- 1 medium cucumber or half large one
- ½ red onion thinly sliced and quick pickled
- apple cider vinegar optional, if you are quick pickling the onion slices
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 handful mint and basil leaves picked for garnish
For the yogurt tahini sauce
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt heaped
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 medium garlic clove grated
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 lemon juice squeezed
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Drain the chickpeas (no need to rinse). Halve the cherry tomatoes and toss them in a bowl with a good pinch of sea salt. Cut the cucumber into stripes, removing the middle ones with the seeds, then into 1 inch cubes.
- Peel the red onion and cut in half, using half of the onion to slice into thin rings (if pickling, steep in the apple vinegar for a quick pickle) and set aside.
Toast the Chickpeas
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add a little olive oil then the chickpeas, a pinch of sea salt, and a good sprinkle of peri peri seasoning. Toss until golden brown and slightly crispy. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In the same pan, toast the stale bread cubes with a bit more olive oil for a minute or so if using to make croutons. This is optional.
Make the Yogurt Tahini Dressing
- Combine Greek yogurt, tahini, grated garlic, salt, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whisk briefly until smooth.
Griddle the Halloumi
- Cut the halloumi into thick slices. Griddle or pan-fry until golden brown on both sides.
Assemble the Salad
- In a large salad bowl, combine the chickpeas, croutons if using, grilled halloumi, tomatoes, cucumber, and pickled red onion.
- Top with the yogurt tahini sauce and serve immediately. Garnish the individual bowls with mint and basil leaves.
Notes
- The most important thing to remember for a gourmet experience, is to grill and add the halloumi slices just before you serve. That is if you want warm, and squeegee halloumi. But, yes, there is a caveat: a second best will be to reheat the halloumi cheese pieces gently in the microwave, especially if you have leftover grilled halloumi. Still good me thinks 😁!
- Pat dry the halloumi with kitchen paper before slicing it, it helps that lovely crust during grilling.
- Get the best out of your tomatoes by slicing them and tossing in a bowl with a good pinch of sea salt flakes, allowing a little marinading. Their flavor gets elevated, bringing out sweetness and savoriness at the same time.
- If you love onions, you will love a quick pickled onion even more: just slice the red onion in thin slices and steep in a jar or bowl, submerging them in apple cider vinegar or any vinegar you have. They get translucently pink and lose their pungency, turning more mild.
- Scoop out or cut out the cucumber seeds to avoid the salad being watery, but in a rush you can leave it especially if you are eating it all straightaway.
- If the dressing is too thick, thin out with a tablespoon or two of cold water.
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