Chickpea and Halloumi Salad
This salad is bursting with flavour and texture in every bite! It's sweet, salty and tangy and packed with plant-based protein.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 250 grams halloumi
- 2 cups chickpeas drained and rinsed (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup cooked orzo
- 1 cup cucumber chopped
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes quartered
- ½ cup fresh mint chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Chili Oil Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp crunchy chili oil
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
Instructions
Make the vinaigrette
- In a small bowl or measuring glass, add the dressing ingredients - olive oil, white wine vinegar, crunchy chili oil, honey or maple syrup, salt and pepper. Mix well. Set it aside until the salad is assembled.
Make the salad
- Cut the halloumi into ½” thick slices and then cut these into bite sized pieces. Alternatively, you could grill the halloumi in slices and either keep it as is or chop it up prior to adding it to the salad.
- Add a drizzle or spray of olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat and once hot, add the halloumi. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Once golden brown, remove the halloumi from the pan and place on a plate to cool slightly.
- Prepare the vegetables as suggested: chop the cucumber, quarter the grape or cherry tomatoes and roughly chop the fresh mint leaves.
- In a large bowl, add the orzo, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, mint and halloumi. Toss until combined.
- Right before you’re ready to serve, pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss again. Add more as needed. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy warm or at room temperature!
Notes
Substitutions and add-ins
- Feta cheese
- While I highly recommend using grilled halloumi in this recipe, you can also use crumbled feta instead.
- Lentils
- Instead of chickpeas, feel free to use lentils. Just make sure they have been drained and rinsed if you’re using them from the can.
- Alternative pasta noodle
- You can use another type of small pasta such as macaroni or stelline (also referred to as stellette), in place of the orzo.
- Rice
- For a gluten-free option, consider using cooked rice instead of orzo.
- Red bell pepper
- For those who don’t like tomatoes, use chopped red bell pepper instead.
- Lemon juice
- You can use lemon juice instead of white wine vinegar in the dressing.
- Sweet potatoes
- A delicious addition to this salad is chopped and roasted sweet potatoes.
- Pumpkin seeds
- For extra crunch, add a handful of raw pumpkin seeds to this salad.
Dietary considerations
- This salad is naturally vegetarian and nut free.
- Gluten free: Use gluten-free orzo and ensure your crunchy chili oil is gluten free.
- This recipe is not dairy free or vegan.