This flavourful salad has an amazing texture, with the soft roasted peppers and the squeaky fried halloumi. The Honey Chimichurri dressing is tangy, herby and sweet.
Is it a salad or a side dish?
This Warm Roasted Pepper & Fried Halloumi Salad can be both! You can serve this both at room temperature or hot. Drizzle on the chimichurri dressing just before serving it, then top it with crunchy pumpkin seeds. You can even skewer the peppers and halloumi (cube it for this), drizzle them with oil, salt & pepper, then grill them for an appetizer-style kabob.
Jump to RecipeRoasting the peppers
Use only sweet bell peppers for this dish. Any combination of red, orange and yellow bell peppers will do. You can also use the mini bell peppers if you wish. Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds, then slice each half in 4 wedge-type slices. Place them on a parchment covered baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper and roast at 425F for 25 minutes. Roasting at a high temperature gives you a nice char which adds tons of flavour to this salad. No need to peel the peppers once they have been roasted. Simply arrange them on a plate or in a bowl with the halloumi, dress and top with the pumpkin seeds.
Meal prep tip: Roast extra peppers and use in another meal, like this Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup or add them to a grain bowl for lunch.
Cooking the halloumi
Halloumi is a type of cheese that doesn’t melt like other cheeses. Pan-frying it at medium-high heat caramelizes it and gives it a nice crispy texture. Watch it closely so that it doesn’t burn. I like to slice it in 1/4 inch slices, so that they are quite crispy. Slicing the halloumi a little bit thicker will give it a crust on the outside and a squeak on the inside. I like to use the PC Herb and Garlic Flavored Halloumi, but you can certainly use an unflavored brand as well.
Making the chimichurri dressing
This chimichurri recipe makes a good amount of sauce. You only need 1/4 cup for this dressing, but you can also thin it out with vinegar and olive oil and use it as a dressing for a grain bowl or pasta salad. I also love to use is in chicken fajitas or to drizzle over sheet pan meals. Chimichurri is also a great marinade for beef, pork, chicken or seafood and you can also use it to top almost any grilled protein.
Liquid honey is the key to this dressing. If you find that the honey has solidified, place your jar in some hot water to let it melt slowly or melt a few tablespoons in the microwave before combining it with the chimichurri.
How to meal prep warm roasted red pepper and fried halloumi salad
This recipe is meal prep friendly if you want to make it ahead of time. You can make all the components ahead of time and simply assemble the roasted pepper salad before serving. Roast the peppers, make the chimichurri dressing and fry the halloumi. Fried halloumi surprisingly keeps it’s crisp texture when made ahead of time.
Warm Roasted Pepper & Fried Halloumi Salad Recipe
This flavourful salad has an amazing texture, with the soft roasted peppers and the squeaky fried halloumi. The Honey Chimichurri dressing is tangy, herby and sweet.
Ingredients
- 4 sweet bell peppers cut in 8
- 1 pkg. PC Herb & Garlic Halloumi cut in 7-8 slices, can use unflavored halloumi
- 4 Tbsp olive oil for roasting and frying
- salt & pepper
- 1/3 cup chimichurri see recipe linked in this post
- 2 Tbsp liquid honey
- 1/3 cup salted pumpkin seeds
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425F.
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Slice peppers in 8.
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Toss peppers in 2 Tbsp olive oil and season with salt & pepper to taste.
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Spread out peppers on parchment covered baking sheet and roast in the oven for 25 minutes.
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Prepare the chimichurri according to recipe instructions.
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Combine 1/3 cup of the chimichurri with 2 Tbsp liquid honey and set aside. Use remaining chimichurri in other recipes or freeze it for future use.
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Slice the halloumi in 7-8 slices.
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Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the halloumi sliced approximately 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Watch them closely so they don't burn.
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Arrange roasted peppers and halloumi in a serving dish.
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Drizzle with the chimichurri dressing and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.
Recipe Notes
If you’re prepping the components of this dish ahead of time, arrange the peppers and halloumi in an oven-safe dish and reheat them in the oven at 350 for about 5 minutes before adding the dressing and pumpkin seeds.
