Chickpea and Halloumi Salad with Hot Honey Dressing
This chickpea and halloumi salad pairs golden pan-fried halloumi with chickpeas, quinoa, and fresh veggies, all tossed in a sweet and spicy hot honey dressing.
Servings: 4
Calories: 520kcal
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.
Video
Notes
Storage: If not eating straight away, store the salad, dressing, and halloumi separately. Add the dressing when ready to serve, and reheat the halloumi in a pan or air fryer before serving.
Make your own hot honey: Warm 3 tablespoons of honey in a small saucepan over low heat with ½ to 1 teaspoon chili flakes for 1 to 2 minutes, until just starting to bubble at the edges. Remove from the heat and let it sit for at least 10 minutes so the chili infuses into the honey. Strain out the flakes if you prefer it smooth, or leave them in for extra heat and a bit of visual interest. Store in a sealed jar at room temperature for up to a month.
Why does the recipe use two different types of olive oil?
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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.4g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 30.9g | Saturated Fat: 12.5g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 857mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13.8g | Calcium: 500mg | Iron: 2.6mg
