Candyflosslife

Crispy, Squeaky, Slightly Charred

Halloumi always sneaks back into my fridge around this time of year. The minute the weather improves even slightly, I start grilling things, tossing herbs into everything, and building lunches that can be eaten on the garden patio with a slightly optimistic attitude about British spring.

And halloumi really does a lot of heavy lifting. It turns salads into proper meals, works with grains and roasted veg beautifully, and makes even a quick lunch feel a bit more thought-through.

So this week: three halloumi recipes I keep coming back to lately.

Chickpea Halloumi Salad

This loaded salad has become such a reliable lunch around here. Crispy halloumi, chickpeas, crunchy vegetables, herbs, and a lemony dressing that wakes everything up.

I love meals like this because they’re doing a few things at once: protein from the chickpeas and halloumi, loads of plant variety for your gut microbes, and enough texture to actually keep lunch interesting.

Plus it holds up surprisingly well if you prep components ahead.

🥗 Get the recipe

Chicken and Halloumi Skewers

These are peak “the grill is finally back out” food.

Juicy chicken, salty halloumi, charred edges, and that smoky barbecue flavor that somehow makes even a Tuesday feel vaguely holiday-adjacent.

I usually serve these skewers with a big chopped salad, flatbreads, or whatever herby yogurt situation I’ve made that week. They’re also very good with pickled onions tucked into the side somewhere.

🔥 Make the skewers

Halloumi and Sweet Potato Salad

Roasted sweet potatoes and salty grilled halloumi are such a good pairing.

This one feels hearty enough for dinner but still fresh enough for warmer evenings. You get those lovely caramelized edges from the sweet potatoes, creamy elements from the dressing, and plenty of color and crunch layered through the bowl.

Also (nerdy science bit😉): cooked and cooled potatoes (even sweet potatoes) develop resistant starch, which acts a bit like fiber and helps feed the good gut bacteria.

🍠 Make the salad

Now, is halloumi one of the usual suspects in your grilling rotation? Because halloumi in my opinion really is one of those ingredients that makes fast meals feel more complete. Add herbs, grains, beans, roasted vegetables, or something pickled from the fridge, and suddenly dinner looks like it belongs on a restaurant's menu.

If your grill season has officially started too, hit reply to tell me what you're planning to cook.

Or hit reply to tell me what you'd like to see me making! I read every email!

See you next week!