By Ali Slagle
- Total Time
- 20 minutes, plus grill heating
- Rating
- 4(861)
- Notes
- Read community notes
The play between salty, hot cheese and sweet, juicy tomatoes is what makes this dish sizzle. Halloumi is a springy Cypriot cheese that bronzes when hit with intense heat, but you must pat it dry before grilling. Pile the singed cheese atop sliced tomatoes, which are seasoned here with salt and olive oil to concentrate their flavor. The salt will also extract water from the tomatoes, creating a light dressing. Finally, for texture, everything is sprinkled with a combination of crushed coriander and cumin seeds, red-pepper flakes and a touch of sugar. (You could also use a store-bought or homemade dukkah if you have it on hand.) Serve with grilled bread or pita, or embellish with herbs, cucumbers, grilled peppers, lentils, beans or grains.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2pounds ripe tomatoes (any variety), sliced ½-inch thick
- Kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1(8- to 9-ounce) package halloumi, sliced ¼- to ⅓-inch thick
- 1teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more as needed
- ¼teaspoon granulated or Demerara sugar, plus more as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
239 calories; 17 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 679 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking over medium-high heat by pouring the coals onto one half of the grill. For a gas grill, heat all of the burners to high, then turn off one of the end burners before cooking.
Step
2
While the grill is heating, arrange the tomatoes on a platter with an edge to prevent leaking and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Drizzle with olive oil. Set aside. Pat halloumi dry and drizzle with olive oil to coat on both sides. Set aside.
Step
3
In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red-pepper flakes, shaking often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and smash with the side of your knife until cracked. (You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.) Transfer to a small bowl, add the sugar, and rub with your fingers to further crush the seeds.
Step
4
When you’re ready to grill, take the halloumi, tomatoes, seeds, tongs and a tightly folded paper towel soaked with olive oil to the grill. Clean the grates with a grill brush, then oil the grates with the paper towel. Grill the cheese over the flame, flipping halfway through, until well browned and it releases easily from the gates, 4 to 6 minutes total. (For a gas grill, close the lid between flips, listening and keeping an eye out for flare-ups.) If the cheese sticks to the grates, give it another minute on the heat. Transfer the cheese to the tomatoes, then sprinkle with the seeds. Season to taste with more red-pepper flakes, sugar and olive oil.
Tip
- Medium-high is 375 to 450 degrees. You should be able to hold your hand 4 to 5 inches above the grates for 4 to 5 seconds. High is above 450 degrees. You should be able to hold your hand 4 to 5 inches above the grates for 2 to 3 seconds.
Ratings
4
out of 5
861
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Cooking Notes
zacko
Or you can sear the halloumi on a nonstick pan.
lee
This was so simple and so delicious. Just watch the time on the grill. Halloumi cooks rather fast. Spice mixture was a nice textural contrast. I had some soft Greek pita which I grilled for a few minutes and served with some olives scattered on the tomatoes. Nice summer dinner. I imagined I was in Greece (but was in Toronto during a thunder storm).
Mr. Arns
Make sure you have halloumi made from sheep's milk or a mix of sheep and goat milk. Cow's milk halloumi isn't as good.
wendy
This is delicious and the halloumi is perfect seared in a pan with olive oil.
Minos
Cypriot here. Skip the slicing. Put a whole head of halloumi on medium-high charcoal and let it char evenly. You get a crispy outside and the warm insides soften. Yours will too.
Julia, London
I’m not crazy about the crunch of coriander seeds and also feel the tomatoes don’t need the extra sugar. But scattering torn basil leaves on top was delicious; a sprinkle of urfa chilli, in lieu of normal chilli flakes, was also lovely.
Liz
Use a grill pan on the stove top if you don’t have a grill.
Jennifer
Wonderful! I served with Puy lentils and topped with grilled (used grill pan) wedges of fennel brushed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Allison
Made this with proper Cypriot Halloumi and heirloom beef tomatoes. So good!
Chrisp
This comes together quickly, and delivers a lot of flavor in that amount of time. I didn’t want to spend 30 minutes getting charcoal lit and the grill to temp for 5 minutes of grill time, so I opted to cook the halloumi on my cast iron grill pan. It worked well, though I’m sure getting some grill smoke on the cheese would have been excellent. Served with pita and some kalamata olives.
LaurenE
This was so delicious and so easy! More than the sum of its parts. We didn't grill the tomatoes because we're lazy. I just cut them up, salted them, and let them drain for a few hours. We made David Tanis's pita bread to go with it, and then sauteed some spinach in the tomato juice. Even with making the pita bread, this was a fantastic easy dinner (dreaming now of grilled halloumi).
Lynn
you can sear the halloumi on a nonstick pan
JBBMillar
I have a cast iron pan with those ridges that leave grill marks. Grilling the halloumi in the pan is much easier than using the grill.
Jeff
In Nafplion, we enjoyed halloumi served flambe with a shot of ouzo, which nicely grilled and slightly melted the cheese. I imagine that would work well with this recipe and would add "fireworks" to the table-side presentation.
Gwen
I couldn't source halloumi on the small island we're on so used queso blanco instead. Delicious!
AF
Spice blend really makes this. Served with grilled fennel as suggested by another cook. Really great addition to the summer rotation.
HSK
Like others, I don’t understand why my grill should have two zones…?
Denise
So delicious even though I mangled it. The grocery store was out of halloumi but had a whole display of other cheeses that were good for grilling. I used a Halal cheese called "Best Spanish Cheese". I use a gas grill and some pieces overcooked and many stuck to the grill even though I was carefully watching and following the tips suggested in the recipe. It wasn't pretty but the flavors were so nice. I will definitely do it again but will use my cast iron pan instead of grill.
Ashleigh
I cooked the halloumi on the stove instead of on the grill. I also tossed the tomatoes with za’atar and skipped the toasted seed blend. Also nixed the sugar because I have no idea why you would add that.
P. ALF
Recommendation: do NOT add the red pepper flakes to the hot, dry pan! When I did that, the pepper fumes irritated everyone's airways and coughing ensued! It was a few minutes with it off the heat before the air cleared. Fortunately, the windows were open and there was a fresh breeze. Side note: the meal was excellent. I added grilled salmon to the plate as well.
Mary Thorpe
Great with true Cypriot halloumi and tomatoes just picked from the garden. I use a little Aleppo pepper rather than crushed red chili flakes.
KAK
This was especially delicious with the addition of halved kalamata olives and a sprinkling of fresh basil leaves, as others have suggested
SS
Used paneer because WF had no halloumi and some dukkah brought back from Israel. A delicious and very quick summer lunch! Next time I will try to find halloumi because I think the dish could use the salt, but paneer is a good emergency sub
Susan Williams
Depsite being careful with the grilling, I found the cheese dry. The rest was delicious
Laura Potter
Reading this recipe, it appears that only the halloumi goes on the grill; so why do we set the grill up for two-zone cooking?
great, easy dinner
I added a heirloom black bean from Ranchi Gordo to make a complete meal. My 3 year old approved!!
Minos
Cypriot here. Skip the slicing. Put a whole head of halloumi on medium-high charcoal and let it char evenly. You get a crispy outside and the warm insides soften. Yours will too.
Jeannie
My family destroyed this salad in moments. It's a nice alternative to all the insalata Caprese(s) we eat when my tomatoes are ripe.
cwpaynr
This was delicious! I didn't use sugar and didn't have any cumin seeds but sprinkled freshly chopped basil mint and green onions on top and served with Farro! Will definitely make again!
Connilynn
This was so delicious! We doubled the spices and added zucchini, onions, okra, and peppers to the grill. But the best bite by far was the soft sweet tomato with the salty chewy cheese. A perfect end of summer feast.
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