Grilled Halloumi and Courgette Salad
- Savory
- Light
- Barbecue
Charred courgette ribbons, sweet grilled peppers and squeaky golden halloumi, finished with lemon and torn mint. A light, high-protein barbecue lunch.
- Total
- 38 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 23
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Grilling · Zesting
Instructions
-
Light the barbecue and let it burn down to a medium-hot, ash-covered fire, about 15 minutes.
~15 min
Waiting for a grey ash coating means the flames have died down, so food chars evenly instead of burning on the outside while raw within.
Grilling Build a medium-hot, ash-covered fire and turn food only once; too-hot flames burn the outside before the middle softens.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the barbecue heats, trim the courgettes and slice them lengthways into 0.5 cm strips. Cut the peppers into 2 cm wide strips, discarding the seeds and core. Peel the red onion and cut it into 1 cm thick rounds.
~8 min
-
While step 1 cooks
Slice the halloumi into 1 cm thick slabs and pat them dry. Brush the courgette strips, pepper strips and onion rounds with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, then season with the salt and black pepper.
~4 min
Patting the halloumi dry removes surface moisture so it browns and crisps rather than steaming, and the oil stops the vegetables sticking to the bars.
-
Grill the courgette, peppers and onion on the barbecue over direct heat, turning once, until softened and lightly charred at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Lift them into the large bowl.
~8 min
Turning only once lets each side sit undisturbed long enough to soften and take on char marks instead of drying out from constant fiddling.
Grilling Build a medium-hot, ash-covered fire and turn food only once; too-hot flames burn the outside before the middle softens.
-
Grill the halloumi slabs in the grill basket over direct heat until deeply golden and marked on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, 5 to 6 minutes in total.
~12 min
Halloumi holds its shape because it does not melt, so a hot direct heat gives a golden crust while the inside stays soft and squeaky.
Grill the halloumi last and serve it straight away: it turns rubbery once it cools.
Grilling Build a medium-hot, ash-covered fire and turn food only once; too-hot flames burn the outside before the middle softens.
-
Zest the lemon into the small bowl, then squeeze in 1 tbsp of its juice and whisk in the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Tear the mint leaves, add them to the grilled vegetables with the lemon dressing and toss. Lay the halloumi on top and serve.
~3 min
Whisking the lemon juice into the oil briefly emulsifies the dressing so it coats the vegetables evenly instead of pooling at the bottom.
Zesting Zest only the coloured outer peel, stopping before the bitter white pith, and use a light touch so you take just the fragrant oils.
