During our wedding in Worcester and honeymoon in Edinburgh + Inverness last September, my husband & I ate our weight in grilled halloumi. It was on nearly every menu we encountered in the UK and quickly became one of my obsessions. 

Halloumi, FYI, is a semi-hard, unripened, brined cheese that has a high melting point & can easily be fried or grilled. It’s an import in the US, so a package (about 8 slices) is a pricey $14, but so worth it. We bought it at Uptown Grocery, but I'm sure it's available at Whole Foods, etc. too.

As a vegetarian, summer grilling season always leaves me wondering: what to eat? Grilled veggies are an obvious choice, of course, but can get quite boring. My never-ending quest is for interesting vegetarian foods to grill, and halloumi definitely fits the bill.

Sunday nights are often reserved for experimental cooking. I'm incredibly grateful to have a husband who is [1] an amazing chef (not remotely being facetious...he could have his own restaurant) and [2] is always excited and up for cooking creative vegetarian food. I've been a vegetarian for 11 years, but Ed is most certainly a carnivore; luckily he's an adventurous eater and loves to cook dishes that surprise and delight. 

Enter in last night's dinner. Ed totally made up this recipe: grilled halloumi on rosemary focaccia bread topped with curry slaw, balsamic onions, bibb lettuce and feta crumbles.

Halloumi is awesome because it's a simple base that goes with so many different flavors. We've done it with barbeque sauce, we've done it with curry sauce...literally any flavors go great with it. I definitely encourage you to get grilling and get creative!

Rough recipe and ingredients included below.

MAIN INGREDIENTS

1 package of halloumi

Crusty bread

Red onion

Bibb lettuce

Slaw mix

Feta crumbles

SPICES & MORE

Rosemary

Thyme

Oregano

Summer savory

Curry powder

Mint

Pepper

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar 

Balsamic vinegar

Light mayo

STEPS

1) Slice halloumi and add to a plastic bag. Toss with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, summer savory, mint and pepper. Let sit for a few hours to marinade. 

2) When you're ready to eat, slice up the bread and brush with olive oil. Lightly toast on the grill or stovetop. 

3) Grab a bag of pre-made slaw and toss in curry powder, light mayo, lime juice, fresh cracked pepper, red wine vinegar.

4) Sautée sliced red onions in balsamic vinegar until translucent and/or crispy.

5) Grill halloumi until it crisps up a bit. Put on bread and top with slaw, bibb lettuce, red onions and feta cheese crumbles.