Balsamic halloumi pittas with carrot slaw
Can you believe the weather we’ve been having the past few days?! If you’re not in the UK, just know that it’s been sunny, it’s been hot, it even went a whole day without raining. Very exciting for us Brits. Even more exciting was that the warm weather fell on a weekend! So often our sunshine is wasted on workdays, but when the stars align and it’s warm on a weekend, it can only mean one thing: it’s BBQ time!
I imagine around 99% of the country were BBQing yesterday. We’re so used to cloudy, dull weather here that as soon as the sun shines, we’re all there in our skimpy summer clothes, sipping beer in the sunshine and refusing to turn away from the sun for a single second (it has a habit of disappearing when you’re not looking).
People often think it’s weird that I get so excited about BBQs since I’m a vegetarian, but there’s so much more to a BBQ than just meat! Halloumi, veggie burgers and sausages, salads galore, not to mention a beer for sipping – how could anyone turn their nose up at that?
Since next week is the Vegetarian Society’s National Vegetarian Week (woop!), Cranks challenged me to come up with a tasty vegetarian BBQ recipe, and it just so happened that the timing worked out perfectly with this lovely weather. So, to celebrate my love for BBQs, I bring you this balsamic halloumi, served in a pitta with a quick and easy carrot slaw.
The balsamic halloumi is simply marinaded and cooked right on the BBQ grill. If the weather’s not so great when you come to make this, you can cook it in a frying pan instead, just see here for instructions. Cooking it on the BBQ is preferable though, if you can – those crispy char lines are the best bit!
The crunchy and creamy carrot slaw was perfect on top but would be great served on its own as well, at the side of any other BBQ dish. It’s easy to make and will keep well in the fridge for a few days, so if you have any leftovers, pop it in a lunchbox and take it to work to remind yourself of happier times while you’re sitting at your desk.
(most depressing sentence ever, sorry)
I know a lot of you guys are vegetarian already, but if not, I’d really encourage you to give it a go next week for National Vegetarian Week! Hopefully you’ll find plenty of inspiration here on Amuse Your Bouche, and there are also lots of recipes over on the Cranks site too. Vegetarian food is awesome.
Balsamic halloumi pittas with carrot slaw
Ingredients
For the carrot slaw:
- 3 carrots, grated
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- Small bunch basil, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
- Salt
- Black pepper
For the balsamic halloumi:
- 200 g halloumi cheese (enough for 4 good slices)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Black pepper
To assemble:
- 2 pitta breads, lightly toasted
- Salad of your choice - I used lettuce and tomato
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the carrot slaw to a bowl, and mix well. Leave in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Cut the halloumi into 4 slices. Mix together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a dish with a pinch of black pepper, and add the halloumi slices. Make sure each slice is well coated, and leave to marinate until ready to cook (preferably at least 10 minutes)
- Cook the halloumi on a well-oiled BBQ grill for a couple of minutes each side, until soft and browned. Alternatively, cook it in a frying pan using this method.
- Serve the grilled halloumi and carrot slaw in a couple of pitta breads, with extra salad if desired (I used lettuce and sliced tomato). You'll probably have some carrot slaw left over - it's great served with other things too!
Love the carrot slaw…and even better that it just has a tbsp of greek yogurt as a dressing…Great to have stumbled upon your lovely blog!!
Thank you! Glad you found me :)
becca this is so fabulous!!! I love your use of the hallumi in sandwich!!!!
I LOVE this idea for the balsamic halloumi cheese. It would also be great on a griddle pan for when it is slightly too early to light the barbie. Say 8 am for breakfast ;-) Yep. That’s how I roll.
I approve of this, but ONLY if I can come and share your cheesy breakfast :D
Veggie BBQs are so much less stressful as you don’t have to worry about giving everyone food poisoning, plus it’s much quicker to cook everything. I love the fact that you’ve marinated the halloumi in balsamic vinegar – i’m def going to give this a whirl. We get through SO much halloumi during BBQ season it’s actually obscene!
No such thing as too much halloumi :D
We’ve not had our BBQ on yet this year. I tend to cook vegetable kebabs, veggie burgers and sausages, make a few salads and finish with BBQ bananas and peaches. I just know I’d lose Halloumi through the slats. Maybe I need a mesh thingie before I think of trying this. I’m all for the carrot slaw with it.
Haha yes a mesh could work! I love BBQ bananas, and apples too – fill them with a little chocolate or some raisins and honey and then stick them right in the coals!
Whilst I love meat on a BBQ too, I agree that there are so many wonderful veggie options. My favourites include halloumi (definitely trying your balsamic suggestion next time), sliced aubergine with a herb and oil marinade, corn on the cob, portobello mushrooms… so much deliciousness. It’s always good to have some veggie sides too, the carrot slaw looks simple and tasty.
It’s been years since I did corn on the cob on a BBQ – we usually wrap it in foil and put it down in the coals :) so nice!
This looks great my husband is a big fan of halloumi cheese so he’d probably love this.
These look lovely. I’m a bit worried about what I can eat at barbecues in the summer because they’re usually meat everything!
There are so many options! Halloumi is one of my faves :)
This looks delicious! Halloumi is so yummy but I don’t eat it very often, which is a shame. Would definitely be up for trying this at home!
I don’t have it often because I could easily eat the whole block haha! But it’s always so good :D
Exactly – who doesn’t love bbqs! I love halloumi but never really have it with much if ever! So I’d love to try something like this!
That looks so delicious and tasty. Will have to try it out one day
This looks great being a vegetarian I am always looking for new ideas for barbecues.
This looks really delicious! I love the idea of carrot slaw and will definitely keep this in mind when I have some carrots to use..
Oh lord this looks so good! It’s a good job I’m reading this on my lunch break. I’m such a halloumi fiend. I have it at every opportunity :)!
I love grilled halloumi – it is so good! I also eat it chopped up in stir fries! H x
This made my mouth water, I love halloumi so much!
Is there anything better for a BBQ than haloumi? I think not! Delicious as always Becca!
Honestly I’ll take any excuse to eat halloumi, but a BBQ is definitely one of the best ;)
This sounds and looks very tasty. I will try this.
Oh these look delicious. I can definitely see this being a good lunch recipe. Those flavors sound amazing.
It’s been glorious! It always makes life better to see some sunshine :) It’s raining now but it’s warm rain so that’s delightful too :) Quite fancy your apple cider and bbq sauce, yummy!
Everyone is always so much happier when the sun shines!
I love halloumi especially when it’s cooked on the BBQ, you can’t beat it.
It’s amazing on the BBQ isn’t it! Gets such a lovely char.
The weather has been amazing hasn’t it. We’ve been dining outside too but our set up didn’t look half as photogenic as yours. I also really need to start using greek yoghurt in recipes.. I keep seeing it everywhere lately!
I love using Greek yogurt – in something like this slaw, it’s lighter than mayo, and much healthier :)
This also ties in neatly into British National Sandwich week and I love the idea of a carrot slaw with the hallumoi. In fact I am going to pin it to try and make myself!
Hope you enjoy! :) I didn’t realise it was British Sandwich Week too, but it works well!
I happen to have some halloumi in the fridge, looking at me….. and have just finished a box of the grated carrot salad that is ubiquitous in French supermarkets (having just returned from a fortnight in France); I also have some of their grated celeriac in remoulade dressing, which would also be good… hmmm….. who’s at home for lunch tomorrow?
Oh I love that celeriac stuff! That would be so good on halloumi. Hope you had a great trip!
It’s not quite BBQ weather in drizzly Scotland quite yet but I can’t wait to give these a try! They look delicious.
Well it’s raining down south again now as well if that’s any consolation! ;)
This sounds amazing, and great for this time of they year when the weather is so hot, I am definitely going to be trying this and the carrot slaw sounds amazing x
Well the rain has returned now haha, hopefully the sun will come out again soon :)
I made BBQ food inside yesterday as I don’t have a lot of space for a BBQ (flat issues), but balsamic halloumi, wow! x
I appreciate your dedication to the BBQ cause despite not having space for a real one ;)
Oh wow this sounds delicious – I have to admit I’m not hugely in different slaws but yup I’d definitely try it. x
I didn’t know it was national vegetarian week coming up. Maybe will have to do something nice for it, I Love eating Veggie Food! :D
You should definitely go veggie for the week if you’re not already! :)
I absolutely adore squeaky cheese especially on the BBQ. Loving your slaw too. It’s also #BritishSandwichWeek so you’re covering lots with this one!
Ooh I didn’t even know! Thanks! :)
This looks fab for summer – and I’m also starving hungry so you’ve driven me to the kitchen!! Not had haloumi for a bit, bet it’s great with balsamic.
What a perfect veggie barbecue recipe for this weekend. It was glorious! The carrot slaw sounds so good!
Ohh I’ve got to try this! I’m a veggie and the last time I went to a BBQ all I had was a cheese sandwich and salad. Ha. That BBQ sauce looks amazing too.
Corinne x
Oh no! You should have taken something along with you! :P