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    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Lunch Recipes

    Jan 11, 2017 · Modified: Feb 21, 2017 by Becca Heyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 23 Comments

    Creamy pesto mushrooms and halloumi on toast

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    Total time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 2
    5 from 1 vote
    Jump to Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Creamy pesto mushrooms and halloumi on toast - quick and easy to make, and sooo yummy! The perfect vegetarian brunch.
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    This mushrooms on toast recipe was actually inspired by a lovely reader (hi Helen!) who emailed me recently to tell me about a dish she'd discovered, and it sounded so good I had to give it a go myself. Creamy pesto mushrooms and halloumi, served on toast like all good British things are (cheese, beans, even spaghetti).

    Pesto - good.

    Mushrooms - gooood.

    Halloumi - goooooood.

    What's not to love?

    As an added bonus, it couldn't be simpler to make - everything's cooked up in one pan. You can even use shop-bought pesto if you'd like to make it extra quick, though I made my own simple pesto mixture using fresh basil and nuts. I used pistachios, purely because the shop was out of pine nuts, but to be honest any nut works just fine. I also threw a few pumpkin seeds on top for an extra bit of crunch - I've been really getting into nuts and seeds lately (wow, I need a hobby).

    Creamy pesto mushrooms and halloumi on toast - quick and easy to make, and sooo yummy! The perfect vegetarian brunch.

    I cooked my mushrooms in rapeseed oil. Apparently, rapeseed is the third most important crop grown in the UK, which I can believe - in the spring you can't leave the house without seeing dozens of enormous, bright yellow fields (you can't where I live, anyway). They're absolutely gorgeous - one of my favourite springtime sights, alongside baby lambs and daffodils!

    Rapeseed oil is always my go-to oil for cooking (whenever I just say 'oil' in a recipe, I've used rapeseed oil), but to be honest I've never given too much thought to its nutrition. I just use it because it's got a light, fairly neutral flavour, and it has a high smoke point, meaning it's really versatile and can be used for frying, roasting, etc.

    But as it turns out, rapeseed oil contains less saturated fat than all other commonly used cooking oils, and is instead high in unsaturated fats. Replacing saturated fats in the diet with unsaturated fats contributes to the maintenance of normal cholesterol levels.

    Creamy pesto mushrooms and halloumi on toast - quick and easy to make, and sooo yummy! The perfect vegetarian brunch.

    You can find out plenty more over on the Rapeseed Oil Benefits site, including lots of yummy recipes. They're all pretty healthy, but look surprisingly delicious - healthy eating doesn't have to be boring!

    Do you use rapeseed oil in your cooking?

    Creamy pesto mushrooms and halloumi on toast - quick and easy to make, and sooo yummy! The perfect vegetarian brunch.

    Creamy pesto mushrooms and halloumi on toast

    Crispy halloumi and sautéed mushrooms on toast, in a tasty basil pesto sauce.

    If you've cooked this recipe, don't forget to leave a star rating!

    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Comment
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories:
    Author: Becca Heyes
    (prevents your screen from going dark)

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon nuts (I used pistachios, but pine nuts work well too)
    • Small handful fresh basil
    • 150 g halloumi cheese, diced (~ 1 cup when diced)
    • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
    • ~ 8 medium chestnut mushrooms, diced
    • 1 tablespoon creme fraiche
    • Black pepper
    • 2 slices wholemeal toast
    • To serve: pumpkin seeds or more pine nuts (optional)

    Instructions

    • Add the nuts and basil to a mini food processor, and blitz until well chopped.
    • Cook the diced halloumi in a dry frying pan for a few minutes on each side, over a medium heat. At first the halloumi will release some liquid, and once that has cooked off, it will become golden brown. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
    • Heat the rapeseed oil in the same frying pan, and add the diced mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Turn the heat down low and return the halloumi to the pan, along with the basil mixture and the creme fraiche. Season generously with black pepper, and mix well until the creme fraiche has melted into the mushrooms.
    • Serve warm on wholemeal toast, topped with pumpkin seeds or extra pine nuts if desired.

    Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @EasyCheesyVeg or tag #EasyCheesyVegetarian!
    pesto-mushrooms-and-halloumi-ni

    Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose.

    Love halloumi? You'll adore my indulgent beer battered halloumi (rapeseed oil is great for deep frying too!)

    Beer battered halloumi with homemade pickled onions

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    Comments

    1. Mimi Smissen says

      February 20, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      Wanted a quick supper tonight and this fits the bill perfectly. What’s not to like about halloumi and mushrooms! Will certainly be making it again. Thank you Becca.

      Reply
      • Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian says

        February 22, 2021 at 10:19 am

        Thanks Mimi! :)

        Reply
    2. Chris @thinlyspread says

      January 17, 2017 at 7:25 pm

      Perfect comfort food supper right there! Anything on toast gets my vote - halloumi and mushrooms have to be top of the pops!

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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    Hi, I'm Becca! I've been a vegetarian for 20+ years, and unlike most of my other childhood pursuits, I actually stuck with it! I love cooking vegetarian food that's full of flavour, but doesn't take a lot of effort to make.

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