Name: Halloumi Watermelon Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 600 g watermelon; 200 g Halloumi cheese; 2 tsp pine nuts; 1 tsp honey; fresh basil (handful)

Home to Mediterranean cuisine, Halloumi has become a huge food trend in many parts of the world.

The cheese is famous for its high melting point which makes it perfect for anything from salads to burgers. Besides, the pleasant salty taste of Halloumi cheese pairs excellently with sweet food. That’s where this delicious Halloumi watermelon salad comes into play.

Contents

What is Halloumi?

Halloumi is a semi-hard brined cheese made of sheep’s and goat’s milk. It originates from the Mediterranean region. Most probably native to ancient Egypt, it’s widely produced in Cyprus today. Halloumi is a common ingredient in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. What makes Halloumi special are its high melting point and its salty taste and gooey texture.

By the way, today Halloumi is mainly produced in Cyprus. The European Union has introduced a protected designation of origin for Halloumi in 2021. That means that only grilling cheese made in Cyprus can be called Halloumi. That doesn’t apply for other parts of the world though.

Ingredients

For this quick and easy Halloumi watermelon salad recipe, you only need a handful of ingredients:

Halloumi cheese
Watermelon
Fresh basil. If you don’t have any fresh basil available, you can use fresh mint instead. Fresh herbs do really level up the recipe.
Pine nuts
Honey. It gives an additional hint of sweetness to your salad.

I really like to limit the ingredients in this salad so as not to overpower the sweet flavor of the watermelon. The salad is perfect during summertime. If you’re looking for a hearty Halloumi salad, check out my classic Middle Eastern Halloumi salad.

Note: The exact quantities (according to the amount of servings) can be found in the recipe card at the end of this recipe.

How to Make Halloumi Watermelon Salad

Step 1: Slice the watermelon

To make sure your salad is warm and fresh, I first prepare the watermelon. Depending on the size of your watermelon, you want to cut it into halves first. You can use parts of it for your salad, and parts of it later (e.g. to snack or to make watermelon juice).

Cut the watermelon half into slices. Trim off the rinds with a sharp knife, then cut into the desired shape. Depending on your preference, you can chop the watermelon slices into small cubes or wedges. Transfer onto a plate.

Step 2: Grill the Halloumi cheese

Remove the Halloumi cheese from the packaging and drain the brine. Remove any excess brine with kitchen paper. Cut the Halloumi cheese into slices (about 1 cm / 0.4 inch thick). If you like, you can cut the slices into halves (make sure they don’t break further). Place the Halloumi cheese into a pan and grill on medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Add the grilled Halloumi to the watermelon.

By the way, when using a grilling pan, you don’t need to add any oil. You can add a thin layer of olive when using a conventional frying pan.

Step 3: Toast pine nuts

Add pine nuts into a small frying pan (without oil). Toast briefly (1-2 minutes) until slightly golden. Don’t make them too dark! Sprinkle the pine nuts over the watermelon and Halloumi.

Step 4: Add basil

Add fresh basil to your salad. Depending on the size of your leaves, you can either add whole leaves or roughly chop them.

Step 5: Add honey

To round off your salad, drizzle a bit of honey on top. Serve immediately.

What to Serve with Halloumi Watermelon Salad?

Halloumi watermelon salad makes a wonderful starter or a light meal. You can serve it with pita bread.

It can be paired with other Middle Eastern salads such as Tabbouleh, as well as many meat dishes such as grilled chicken.

How to Grill Halloumi

Grilling Halloumi is quite easy, once you know how it works. If you’d like to know more about how to grill Halloumi (and overcome common pitfalls), check out my grilled Halloumi recipe.

How to Cut a Watermelon

There are many ways to cut a watermelon, depending on how you prefer it. For salads, you can best make small cubes or wedges. To do so, cut the watermelon into halves. Place one half in front of you. Cut the watermelon half into slices. Trim off the rinds with a sharp knife. Then, cut into cubes or triangles.

Make Ahead & Storage

Grilled Halloumi tastes best when served right after grilling. It’s not a dish you’d prepare in advance, as Halloumi gets rubbery once it cools down. If you have any leftovers however, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge to consume the next day.

Cut watermelon can be kept in the fridge for a few days. Once your watermelon is cut up, cover with a plastic wrap to avoid it from drying out.

Any Questions or Feedback?

If you liked this recipe, I’d appreciate it if you could leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. In case you’ve any questions or feedback, please leave me a comment (down the page). I’m happy to help you make delicious Middle Eastern food at home.