Ultimate halloumi sandwich
My ultimate halloumi sandwich, with flavours and textures that complement each other perfectly to make the most satisfying vegetarian lunch!
By now, you probably all know about my unconditional love for halloumi cheese. I usually serve it as part of a hot meal, but it’s also incredible in a sandwich – especially if you make the effort to add some other tasty bits in too. Here’s my ultimate halloumi sandwich, with mashed avocado, roasted red peppers, and more!
What is halloumi cheese?
I imagine most of you know what halloumi cheese is by now (I talk about it a lot), but just in case you’re new here: What’s halloumi cheese?
Halloumi is a Cypriot cheese made from sheep’s, goat’s, and / or cow’s milks. Unlike most other cheeses, you can cook it in a frying pan or grill, and it won’t melt away into oblivion – it keeps its shape, and softens up just enough to become nice and squidgy in the middle.
This makes is absolutely perfect for adding to sandwiches! You’ll end up with squidgy slices of warm, salty cheese that will layer up beautifully with all your other sandwich ingredients.
If you’ve never used halloumi before, I have a whole blog post all about how to cook halloumi perfectly, so that’s a great place to begin! Otherwise, on to the halloumi sandwich…
What’s in the ultimate halloumi sandwich?
I’ve eaten many a halloumi sandwich in my time. Whatever you put inside, it’s always amazing – even just grilled halloumi and a smear of your favourite sauce is a winner.
But if you want something a bit more elaborate, with various flavours and textures that complement each other in just the right way, try this ultimate halloumi sandwich.
Inside, I put:
- basil pesto
- mashed avocado
- fried halloumi slices
- roasted red peppers
- chilli mayo
…all sandwiched between two thick slices of fresh white bread.
It’s an amazing combination!
Fried halloumi
First up, get the halloumi ready. Cut it into thick slices, then you can just add it straight into a dry, non-stick frying pan – no need to add any oil.
Once it’s nice and golden brown and crispy, flip it over and cook the other side. More detailed instructions here!
Fried halloumi is best eaten straight away, when it’s warm and gooey. I still enjoy it after it’s cooled down, but it does start to get slightly rubbery and chewy.
So ideally, you want to get working on the rest of your sandwich while the halloumi is cooking. Then, you can add the warm halloumi as the final touch, and eat it straight away.
Sauces for my ultimate halloumi sandwich
Since we’re making the ultimate halloumi sandwich here, I didn’t skimp on the sauces and spreads. A different spread on each piece of bread, because why on earth not?
On one side, I used basil pesto. Any other type of pesto would work well too. It brings a lovely herby flavour to the whole sandwich, and helps to tie everything together.
On the other side, I used chilli mayonnaise. I love the creaminess it brings to the sandwich. Use plain mayo if you prefer – garlic mayo would be amazing too.
Add roasted red peppers and avocado
The final ingredients for your halloumi sandwich are roasted red peppers, and mashed avocado.
I used pre-roasted red peppers from a jar – the ones that are like antipasti that you could use on a mezze platter. Of course, you can roast your own red peppers if you prefer. This was only supposed to be a quick lunch option, so I used the jarred ones! Sun-dried tomatoes work beautifully too.
A bit of mashed avocado adds a rich creaminess that works really nicely with the slightly tangy, sweet peppers, and the salty, gooey halloumi. This sandwich really does have a bit of everything!
Ultimate halloumi sandwich
Ingredients
- 100 g (~ 3 1/2 oz) halloumi cheese
- 2 thick slices bread
- 1 tsp pesto
- 1 tsp mayonnaise (I used chilli and garlic mayo)
- 1/2 avocado, mashed
- 1-2 large pieces roasted red pepper (I used ones from a jar)
Instructions
- Cut the halloumi into 1cm slices (you'll probably end up with around 4 slices). Add them to a dry, non-stick frying pan, and allow to cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Then turn each slice over, and repeat with the other side. The second side usually cooks much more quickly, as the cheese has already released all its liquid. Read my blog post about how to cook halloumi if you need more details.
- While the halloumi is cooking, prepare the rest of the sandwich. Spread the pesto on one slice of bread, and the mayonnaise on the other slice. Add the mashed avocado to one of the slices, and the pieces of roasted red pepper to the other.
- When the halloumi is ready, add it to one of the slices of bread, and carefully sandwich the two together. Best served immediately, while the halloumi is still warm and squidgy.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1 sandwich.
Love halloumi cheese? Check out my collection of 20 more vegetarian halloumi recipes!
Nice
Thank you!
I do hope that was sourdough bread, not bog-standard Mother’s Pride…. no good spoiling the ship for a ha’porth of tar!
Ha I can’t stand sourdough bread! I just used a nice fresh white loaf but of course you can use whatever bread is your favourite.