This chickpea and halloumi salad is fresh, filling and full of texture. You get crispy golden halloumi, creamy chickpeas, fluffy quinoa, crunchy vegetables and a sweet-spicy hot honey dressing that brings everything together.
A Quick Look At This Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Chickpea and Halloumi Salad with Hot Honey Dressing
🕒 Ready In: ~25 minutes
👪 Serves: 4 🍽
🍴Nutrition: ~520 calories, 22 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber per serving
🥣 Main Ingredients: Halloumi, chickpeas, quinoa, cherry tomatoes, rocket, walnuts
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, gluten-free
⭐ Why You'll Love It: It's both salty and sweet and satisfying enough to keep you full until your next meal.
A salad can have all the “healthy” ingredients in the world, but if you don't enjoy it and it doesn’t keep you full.. whats the point?
That’s why this one is built with protein from the halloumi and chickpeas, fiber from the chickpeas, quinoa and vegetables, and plenty of texture so it feels satisfying to eat. Plus who doesn't love halloumi in a salad? or in anything for that matter!
If you want more summer salad ideas try my corn summer salad or black bean and mango salad next. And if you simply just love halloumi try my hot honey halloumi recipe, its a great starting point for making halloumi and then you can add it to any salad, toast or just eat it as is.
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Key Ingredients
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Halloumi: Rinse after removing from the packet to remove some of the sodium, but pat dry well before pan-frying.
- Chickpeas: Use canned chickpeas to keep this recipe quick. Drain and rinse well to cut down on excess sodium from the canning liquid.
- Quinoa: Cook it ahead of time and let it cool before adding to the salad so it does not wilt the greens. Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, so no swap is needed here.
- Cherry or baby plum tomatoes: Halved for easy eating. Any small, sweet tomato works.
- Cucumber: Adds crunch and freshness. Leave the skin on for extra fiber. I also scoop out the seeds as they can hold a lot of moisture so this prevents the salad from getting watery.
- Red onion: If you are sensitive to raw onion you can use pickled onions, leave it out or use a milder onion like shallot.
- Rocket or baby spinach: Either works well here. Baby spinach is milder if you find rocket too peppery.
- Walnuts: Toasting them briefly brings out more flavor. For nut-free, leave them out entirely or swap for toasted pumpkin seeds.
- Fresh mint or parsley: Adds brightness. Use whichever you have on hand, or a mix of both but try not to leave these out as I truly belive fresh herbs elevate all salads.
- Hot honey:If you cannot find a bottled hot honey, you can make your own by combining regular honey with chili flakes. I've added the full method for this in the recipe card. For vegan, swap the honey for maple syrup infused with a pinch of chili flakes.
- Apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard: These give the dressing its tang and help it emulsify.
Recipe Variations
For extra crunch, you can roast the chickpeas before adding them to the salad. Chickpeas have a naturally soft and creamy texture, which works really well here, but roasting them in the oven or air fryer gives the salad a crispier texture. You can use my Mediterranean roasted chickpeas or spicy roasted chickpeas recipe for this.
To make this salad higher in protein, add cooked chicken or tofu. Both work well with the halloumi, chickpeas, quinoa, and hot honey dressing.
You can also mix things up depending on what vegetables, herbs, or toppings you have in the fridge. That is one of the best things about salad recipes. You can use them as a general guide, while still making small swaps based on what you have. The flavors in this recipe are designed to work well together, but it is flexible enough for you to make it your own.
Equipment
A good non-stick pan makes frying the halloumi a lot easier. I love my Our Place Always Pan, it has a built-in spoon rest and its very pretty!
How To Make This Chickpea and Halloumi Salad
Below are the simple steps for how to make this recipe with visuals I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Prepare the quinoa. Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions. Let it cool slightly before adding it to the salad so it does not wilt the greens. See my expert tips section for my tricks to get extra fluffy quinoa.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, mix together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, hot honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and black pepper. Taste and adjust if needed. Halloumi is already salty so extra salt may not be necessary.
- Toast the walnuts. Add the walnuts to a dry pan over medium heat and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the halloumi. Pat the halloumi dry with kitchen paper. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil on a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and cook the halloumi for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden.
- Assemble the salad. Add the greens, cooked quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, onion and herbs to a large bowl. Pour over the dressing then toss gently.
- Finish and serve. Top with the golden halloumi and toasted walnuts. Drizzle with a little extra hot honey if you want it to look glossy and feel a bit more special..
My top tip for all salads is adding fresh herbs, honestly it makes such a difference. Try not to skip on the mint here if you can.
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Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- Cook the quinoa ahead of time if you can. Adding hot quinoa straight to the greens will wilt them.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry pan rather than skipping this step. It only takes a couple of minutes and makes a noticeable difference to the flavor.
- Halloumi firms up and loses some of its appeal once fully cold, so if you are meal prepping, plan to store it seperately and reheat it briefly rather than eating it straight from the fridge.
How to get fluffy quinoa:
- Rinse the quinoa well first, then cook it using a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water. So for ½ cup quinoa, use 1 cup water.
- Bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes. Try not to lift the lid while it cooks, as the steam helps the quinoa cook evenly.
- Once cooked, turn off the heat and let it sit with the lid on for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the quinoa to steam and finish cooking without becoming mushy. Then fluff it up with a fork before adding it to the salad.
How to get perfect halloumi
- Start by cutting the block down its natural center. Most blocks have a slight fold or line through the middle, so use that as your guide. Then slice each half into pieces around 1 to 2 cm thick.
- Try not to cut the halloumi too thin or too thick. Thin pieces can dry out quickly and become rubbery, while pieces that are too thick can be harder to cook through properly.
- Add the halloumi to a bowl and submerge it in water that is just off the boil. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then pat it dry really well with kitchen paper. This helps soften the texture and stops the halloumi from steaming in the pan.
- Cook in a hot non-stick pan with a little light olive oil or avocado oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. I wouldn’t use extra virgin olive oil here, as you want a neutral oil that works well with higher heat.
- Try not to move the halloumi around too much while it cooks so it has a chance to properly brown. Halloumi is best served straight after cooking while it is warm, crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve it as is for a complete lunch or light dinner.
- Pair it with warm pita or flatbread for scooping up the dressing.
- Add a side of tzatziki or hummus if you want something creamy alongside it.
- Pack it for meal prep lunches, keeping the halloumi and dressing separate until you are ready to eat. My mason jar salad meal prep guide has more tips on layering salads so they hold up over a few days.
- Serve smaller portions as a side dish alongside grilled chicken or fish for a barbecue-style spread.
Storage
Fridge: Store components separately where possible. Keep the dressed salad (without halloumi) in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The halloumi is best cooked fresh, but leftover cooked halloumi will keep for up to 2 days.
Reheat: Warm leftover halloumi in a dry pan over medium heat for a minute on each side to bring back some of its texture before adding it back to the salad.
Make-ahead tip: The dressing, quinoa, and chopped vegetables can all be prepped up to 2 days ahead. Cook the halloumi fresh just before serving for the best texture.
FAQ
Halloumi and canned chickpeas both naturally contain sodium, so this is not a low-sodium recipe as written. Rinsing the chickpeas well helps reduce some of the sodium from the canning liquid, and you can also skip the extra pinch of salt in the dressing since the halloumi already provides plenty of salty flavor.
Light olive oil has a higher smoke point, so it holds up to the heat needed to get the halloumi golden without burning. It's also cheaper, so save your extra virgin for the dressing, where its stronger flavor and lower smoke point actually work in its favor since it isn't being heated.
Related
If you love this recipe, you might also enjoy:
- Mediterranean Roasted Chickpeas
- Corn Summer Salad
- Mason Jar Salad Meal Prep
- Black Bean and Mango Salad
- Halloumi Tacos
📖 Recipe
Chickpea and Halloumi Salad with Hot Honey Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 90 grams dry quinoa (½ cup dry, or about 1½ cups cooked)
- 1 block halloumi 225 grams
- 25 grams walnuts ¼ cup halves, roughly chopped
- 150 grams cherry or baby plum tomatoes halved (about 1 cup)
- ½ a cucumber diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ small red onion thinly sliced
- 60 grams rocket or baby spinach about 2 cups
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons light olive oil or avocado oil for cooking the halloumi
- 1 can (400 grams) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 250 grams / 1½ cups drained)
For the hot honey dressing
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1.5 tablespoons 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 tablespoons hot honey, plus extra for drizzling see notes to make your own
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Black pepper
- Fine salt optional, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa well, then add it to a saucepan with water using a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes, without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and set aside to cool slightly.90 grams dry quinoa
- While the quinoa cooks, cut the halloumi along its natural center fold, then slice each half into pieces about 1 to 2cm thick. Submerge in a bowl of water that has just come off the boil and let sit for 20 minutes.1 block halloumi
- While the quinoa and halloumi are both doing their thing, make the dressing. Mix together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, hot honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and black pepper. Add the sliced red onion to the dressing and let it sit to soften while you keep prepping.1.5 tablespoon olive oil, 1.5 tablespoons 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1.5 tablespoons hot honey, plus extra for drizzling, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, Black pepper, Fine salt
- Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.25 grams walnuts
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, rocket, and mint to a large bowl.150 grams cherry or baby plum tomatoes, ½ a cucumber, 60 grams rocket or baby spinach, 1 tablespoon fresh mint, ½ small red onion
- Once the halloumi has finished soaking, drain and pat it completely dry.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat (375°F or 190°C) with the oil. Add the halloumi in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp.1-2 tablespoons light olive oil or avocado oil
- Add the cooked quinoa and chickpeas to the bowl with the prepped vegetables. Pour over the dressing then toss gently.1 can (400 grams) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Top with the golden halloumi and toasted walnuts. Drizzle with a little extra hot honey if desired. Serve straight away for the best texture.
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Video
Notes
Light olive oil has a higher smoke point, so it holds up to the heat needed to get the halloumi golden without burning. It's also cheaper, so save your extra virgin for the dressing, where its stronger flavor and lower smoke point actually work in its favor since it isn't being heated. A note on sodium: This recipe naturally contains a good amount of sodium from the halloumi and canned chickpeas. Rinsing the chickpeas well helps cut down on some of this, and you can leave out the pinch of salt in the dressing if you're keeping an eye on your intake. Nutrition analysis calculated using cronometer.
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