Lentil and Halloumi Salad

A fresh, light and healthy 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.

Well hello! Happy Wednesday/Tuesday depending on where you're at in the world. It's been a long time since I brought you guys a salad recipe, and I promise you, this one will not disappoint.

I don't know about you guys, but my quarantine eating habits have been a bit out of whack lately. I've been snacking like crazy and have definitely been eating my fair share of pasta dishes.

What I've realised though is that I can still eat all the healthy foods I love, with my pantry staples and just a handful of fresh veggies.

And that brings me to this gorgeous halloumi salad with lentils.

How to Make This Recipe

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!

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 unhealed 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.

Step by Step Instructions

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.

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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.

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

If you loved this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a comment and review! Also, don’t forget to snap a pic of your finished recipe and share it on our on our Instagram account using the hashtag #thehomecookskitchen or tagging me @thehomecookskitchen. I’d love to see your creations!

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