Pan-fried halloumi is served over quinoa and paired with a red wine vinaigrette, cucumber salad, and crispy chickpeas in these tangy, zesty, and herby grain bowls.
These halloumi bowls are a feast for your taste buds!
With pan-fried honey halloumi, a parsley red wine vinaigrette, crispy chickpeas, and a cucumber tomato salad, these bowls are the perfect combination of zesty, herby, sweet, and salty flavors.
For those not in the know, halloumi is a very salty cheese that keeps its shape when pan-fried. You can also bake it, as seen in my honey baked halloumi recipe.
Recipe summary
- Makes 2-4 servings, depending on your appetite.
- Takes about 30-45 minutes to make (the shorter cook time is if making chickpeas in the air fryer instead of oven.)
- This is a higher protein vegetarian recipe, with 30+ grams protein per serving, because it pairs halloumi with crispy chickpeas.
- The chickpeas can be made in the oven or air fryer. I prefer air fryer chickpeas, because they take half the amount of time!
Ingredients
- Halloumi: This cheese is usually available next to feta or paneer at the grocery store. I've had success finding it at my Kroger and Publix. I don't have substitution recommendations for halloumi because it's a very unique type of cheese.
- Chickpeas: Just one can of chickpeas. After draining and rinsing the chickpeas, pat them dry to remove any extra moisture.
- Quinoa: This is just my go-to grain, but feel free to replace it with couscous, orzo, rice, etc.
- Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and red onion: This makes up the salad. Cherry or grape tomatoes work, and white onion can be used in place of red.
- Red wine vinaigrette: This is made up of red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, garlic, honey, and parsley. The parsley adds a green flavor to the vinaigrette.
Cassidy's top tips
- Taste the vinaigrette before serving it. This is a quite tangy, herby vinaigrette. For a lighter flavor, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil and increase the honey, to taste. For a less zesty option, check out my Avocado Green Goddess Dressing or Herby Greek Yogurt Dressing.
- If making the vinaigrette by hand, chop the parsley finely. The vinaigrette won't be as green as when using a bullet blender or blender.
Storage notes
- The quinoa, chickpeas, halloumi, and salad keep well for 3-4 days. The dressing is best within 7 days
- If reheating in the microwave, the chickpeas and halloumi will lose their crispness. To return some of the crispness, reheat the chickpeas and halloumi in a pan over medium heat.
More grain bowl recipes
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Halloumi Quinoa Bowls
Pan-fried halloumi is served over quinoa with a red wine vinaigrette, crispy cucumber-onion-tomato salad, and chickpeas.
Ingredients
For the bowls
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 medium lemon
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil more as needed
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ medium red onion
- 5 ounces cherry tomatoes half a container of cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium cucumber
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 ounce block halloumi
- 1 teaspoon honey or just drizzle the honey instead of measuring
For the vinaigrette
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey adjust to taste
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley plus more for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Skip this step if using an air fryer to cook the chickpeas.
- Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Transfer to a small pot with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a rapid simmer, then reduce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Cover and simmer until completely cooked, about 20 minutes. When the quinoa is fluffy and the liquid is absorbed, stir in the juice from half of a lemon. Set aside.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then pat dry with a paper towel. Transfer to a medium bowl. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon salt, tossing to combine.
- Transfer to a sheet pan. Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes, shaking halfway through. The chickpeas are ready when golden and crispy.To make in an air fryer, air fry at 390F for 12-15 minutes, shaking halfway through.
- To make the vinaigrette, add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, and parsley to a bullet blender or blender. Blend until the parsley is mostly broken down. If making the vinaigrette by hand, finely chop the parsley, then shake everything together in a jar or whisk until combined.
- To make the salad, slice ¼ of an onion into very thin strips. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the cucumber into half moons. Add everything to a bowl, then drizzle with about ⅓ of the vinaigrette and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- To cook the halloumi, unfold the halloumi block (if there isn't a fold, just slice it in half). Slice each half into thin pieces.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Once hot, add the sliced halloumi and cook until golden on one side, about 5 minutes. Add the honey, then flip so that the side with the honey is touching the pan. Continue cooking until golden throughout, another few minutes.
- Assemble bowls with quinoa, the cucumber salad, chickpeas, and pieces of halloumi. Drizzle with red wine vinaigrette and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
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- Nutrition facts are an estimation and will vary based on ingredients used. If watching your salt intake, note that halloumi is a very salty cheese and added kosher salt can be adjusted to taste.
- The quinoa, chickpeas, halloumi, and salad keep well for 3-4 days. The dressing is best within 7 days.
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- To return some of the crispness, reheat the chickpeas and halloumi in a pan over medium heat. If reheating in the microwave, the chickpeas and halloumi will lose their crispness.
Nutrition
Calories: 805kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 34gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gSodium: 1148mgPotassium: 848mgFiber: 13gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 741IUVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 874mgIron: 6mg
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