Lentil Halloumi Salad

A fresh, light and healthy lentil halloumi salad that is fantastic for a crowd, to serve for a family or to enjoy as a weeknight side dish. This is a jam packed salad that will leave you feeling fuller for longer.

Why This Salad Rocks!

A rocking salad all year round, there's a lot to love about this salad! If you love lentils, fresh healthy ingredients and salty, squeaky halloumi, then this salad is for you!

This is the type of salad you have when you want salad, but you want something that's filling as well. You still want to enjoy something hearty but guilt free!

It's great for a crowd, dinner party (if you're allowed!) and great for lunch leftovers.

This recipe is fast and fresh, on the table in under 15 minutes. What else is beautiful about this recipe is that is uses simple pantry and fridge staples that are easy to find in any supermarket.

Recipe Ingredients

To make this salad, you'll need the following ingredients.

Mix Lettuce - I prefer to use a mix of spinach and rocket/arugula. But you can use any green leafy salad mix. I would avoid using lettuce like cos lettuce or ice berg.

Orange - oranges bring a beautiful sweetness to this recipe. You'll need one naval orange. To prepare your orange, cut away the peel, then segment the orange into pieces.

Halloumi - hands down one of my favourite cheeses to cook with. Halloumi is really durable and hardy when it comes to cooking and holds it shape really well.

Carrot, onion and cucumber - you'll need a small carrot, half a red onion and a Lebanese cucumber. Dice the cucumber, slice the onion into very thin strips and use a veggie peeler to grate the carrot into thin ribbons.

Tin Lentils - I take a shortcut and use tin lentils for this recipe. You'll need one can of brown lentils. Strain and rinse your lentil s before serving. I use lentils a lot in my recipe (hello lentil dal!). They make a great addition to any dish!

Step by Step Instructions

How to Make Tahini Yogurt Dressing

This is BY FAR one of the best salad dressing recipes I have. This tahini yogurt dressing brings a gorgeous, nutty and creamy flavour to the salad.

You'll need;

• tahini - any is fine, I use unhulled tahini
• greek yogurt - aka plain, unflavoured yogurt
• lemon - a good squeeze of lemon
• water - this helps to thin out the dressing
• salt and pepper to taste

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until it's smooth and slightly runny.

How to Cook Halloumi

Halloumi takes no time to cook at all which is another reason I love it! Start by slicing your halloumi into thin strips, then heat a small pan over medium heat.

Place your sliced halloumi on the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until it's lovely and brown.

How to Assemble the Salad

To assemble, place your ingredients onto a large serving platter. To make this look pretty I like to add the ingredients in layers. Using a serving platter highlights all the ingredients.

It looks absolutely gorgeous when you can see all the layering of ingredients.

To layer your salad;

1. Add the greens to the bottom of your platter.
2. Then sprinkle over the tin lentils.
3. Add in the carrot, onion and cucumber, evenly spreading the ingredients over the lentils. I like to 'nestle' my ingredients into the salad greens.
4. Add in the wedges of orange, then top with the halloumi.
5. Finally drizzle over the tahini yogurt dressing.

FAQ and Tips For Success

Does this salad keep?

This salad is best eaten the day of, or the next day at the latest if you're having leftovers. The orange and the dressing can make the salad quite wet, so I would definitely assemble this last minute if you're making it for an occasion.

What can you serve this salad with?

I actually love serving this salad with a vegetarian felafel. The falafel goes so well with the tahini dressing and adds another element of nuttiness to the salad. Store bought or homemade is totally fine!

Can I make any substitutes?

Honestly, the combination of this salad is perfect, and I wouldn't substitute anything out. The flavours are so balanced with the sweetness of the orange, saltiness of the halloumi and earthiness of the lentils that I probably wouldn't change a thing.

This salad is light, fresh and healthy. A beautifully balanced salad that makes a perfect addition to any main meal. Great for a weeknight meal, or special occasion and all made with simple pantry and fridge ingredients!

Happy salad making lovelies x

Want More Recipes with Halloumi? Try these!

• Creamy Pasta with Sweet Potato and Halloumi via The Cooking Collective
• Halloumi Fries via Cook It Read Good
• Zucchini and Halloumi Fritters via Cook It Real Good
• Quinoa and Halloumi Salad via Mrs Jones Kitchen

Lentil and Halloumi Salad

The Home Cook's Kitchen

This lentil halloumi salad is a gorgeous, fresh, light and veggie packed salad. Perfect for any occasion. Emjoy as a main meal, or as a beautiful side dish.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Australian

Servings 4 people

Calories 576 kcal

Equipment

• Small Fry Pan
• Large chopping board
• Salad Bowl
• Sharp knife

Ingredients

 

• 100 g spinach 3.5oz, can use any green mix
• 1 large orange peeled and segmented
• 1 lebanese cucumber diced
• 1 medium carrot peeled into ribbons
• 400 g can of lentils 14.5oz can
• ½ red onion finely sliced
• 180 g halloumi 6oz equivelant, sliced

Tahini Yogurt Dressing

• ¼ cup greek style yogurt
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice about half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon water
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Cook the halloumi - heat a small pan over medium heat, and add the halloumi. Cook 3-4 minutes, until browned, then flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutesl Halloumi should be lightly browned.
• Make the tahini yogurt dressing by combing the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisking together until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add a little more water.
• To assemble the salad, add the salad greens to a large platter and top with the lentils. Then add the cucumber, red onion and carrot ribbons. Top with the orange segments and cooked halloumi.
• Finish by drizzling the dressing over the salad, and add an additional crack of pepper.

Keyword Haloumi Salad, Lentil Salad

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