Halloumi Pasta Salad

Halloumi Pasta Salad

Halloumi is one of my favourite types of cheese and for a long time I didn’t eat cheese because I was worried about the high fat content. Whilst I still acknowledge that cheese is high in fat, it doesn’t stop me from eating it occasionally because I’m a lot more conscious about how to pair certain foods. Instead of halloumi being the main event of the meal, its now just a component of a healthy meal.

With this halloumi pasta salad, I was really in the mood for a halloumi and pasta that day but I didn’t want a heavy meal for lunch. I decided to lighten the meal by adding loads of delicious and healthy vegetables and greens into the dish. Then I added a healthy dressing, something I never used to do before but its such a game changer!

I used to consider salad dressings to be pointless because I always had this misconception that they were unhealthy and ‘ruined’ the healthiness of the salad. I’ve come to realise that salad dressings can be really healthy and add so much flavour to a simple salad. When you make a dressing at home, you know exactly what’s going into it and thus you can decide which healthy ingredients you want to include. I usually use olive oil as the base of my salad dressing because it has a nice flavour and is great for your health.

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WHY YOU’LL LOVE HALLOUMI PASTA SALAD

1. Quick and Easy lunch – This is such a simple and quick lunch to prepare. I like that all the components can pretty much be made at the same time. Whilst the water is boiling, I like to make the dressing. Then whilst the pasta is boiling, I will grill the halloumi in a pan and slice up the vegetables. Once the pasta has boiled put everything into a bowl, the halloumi, salad, pasta and
2. Customisable – You can customise this recipe by changing up the salad, choosing a different cheese and trying out different pasta shapes. I’m not sure why but pasta shapes always make the dish taste different.
3. Perfect for meal prep – This meal is a great one for meal prep because it tastes just as good cold as it does warm. It’s simple to make in bulk and if you’re worried about the salad going soft, you can make the rest of the components and add in the salad when you want to eat.
4. Healthy – This is a great healthy lunch idea. If you want to add protein, you can add in some chicken breast, tuna fish or some boiled eggs.
5. Filling and satisfying – The pasta and cheese make this a filling and hearty meal which is sure to leave you feeling satisfied until dinner.

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED

Cooked Pasta

Cucumber, Cherry tomatoes, Spinach, Red Pepper

Grilled Halloumi

Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Extra Virgin Olive oil, Dijon Mustard, Salt and pepper

TOP TIPS FOR THE BEST HALLOUMI PASTA SALAD

1. Pick your favourite pasta shape – I love a penne or fusilli in this dish but you can really use any pasta shape you like.
2. Grill your halloumi – Don’t forget to grill your halloumi because this will really affect the taste of your cheese. The charred and smoky flavour to the cheese adds a lot of depth to the flavour and generally makes it taste amazing!
3. Don’t forget the dressing – The dressing is a key part of this recipe because it adds in so much flavour and can be easy customised to suit your preference.
4. Customise – You can customise pretty much every component of this meal and switch out any parts you might not like.
5. Use Extra virgin Olive Oil – Using a high quality olive oil will impact the overall taste of your dressing. Try an extra virgin olive oil to enhance the flavour of the pasta.

MORE TIPS

• Leftovers – Make a little extra to have as leftovers. This halloumi pasta salad tastes just as good cold as it does warm.
• Good quality cheese – Using a good quality halloumi is key because it will give the best overall flavour when grilled.
• Experiment with different pastas – Try different pastas such as lentil, chick pea and spinach to achieve a different and more versatile flavour. You can also try using protein pasta to get more protein into the dish.

OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Egg tortilla wrap – Egg Tortilla Wrap – My Simple Eats

Tuna Ciabatta – Tuna Ciabatta – My Simple Eats

Chicken and Red Pepper Cous-cous – Chicken and Red Pepper Cous-Cous – My Simple Eats

CONCLUSION

This is a quick and easy dish to prepare and is filling and satisfying. The addition of that salad, it’s very light but filling due to the fattiness of the cheese. It’s very easy to customise and you can switch out the salad and cheese to suit your preference. I love trying different cheeses and I’ve found that cheddar, mozzarella, halloumi and feta go really well within a pasta salad. They all bring their unique flavour profiles and you can customise the vegetables based on the cheese you pick. Mozzarella cheese goes really well with pesto, tomato and spinach. Feta goes great with olive, cucumber and tomato. Cheddar I have found goes great with a classic salad of tomatoes, cucumber, onion and iceberg lettuce.

Halloumi is arguably my favourite cheese and so I find myself eating it within so many different dished. It does go great within a middle eastern breakfast mezze, so using those flavours within a pasta salad is a great idea. Trying adding fresh herbs such as parsley, crumbled up falafel, hummus vinaigrette, olive and some fresh salad. The salad dressing brings a lot of flavour to the pasta so by switching out some of the ingredients, you can explore a whole new flavour profile. Try different vinegars, add spice for some heat and garlic for a richer flavour. These are also great as leftovers so you can make a big batch and eat it throughout the week.