Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers Recipe

Yes, there's a cheese that's perfect for grilling.

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
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Updated May 05, 2024
A close up of vegetable and halloumi skewers with zucchini, tomatoes, and red onion.

Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Why It Works

  • Halloumi is a Greek cheese that doesn't melt when grilled, but becomes soft and flavorful.
  • A vinaigrette featuring Greek flavors garlic, oregano, and mint, marinates the vegetables for added flavor.

Living in a predominantly Greek neighborhood for over ten years now, I'm well versed in the awesomeness of halloumi—a salty and squeaky semi-soft cheese that transforms into one of the most delicious things on the planet after being pan-fried or grilled. Hailing from Cyprus, it's usually made of goat or sheep's milk. The cheese is so ingrained in my life at this point that I often forget that many people have never heard of, let alone tried, this wonder before.

I recently cubed a couple blocks of halloumi and threaded them onto skewers with onions, zucchini, and tomatoes that were tossed in a Greek-influenced vinaigrette of oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, and mint. I grilled these up at a barbecue, and for the uninitiated, it was nothing short of a revelation.

I meant for these skewers to be served with warm pita and tzatziki to be made into instant sandwiches, but instead I watched the golden crusty cheese get picked clean from the skewers, leaving the vegetables sadly passed up. Consider that fair warning—this veggie and cheese combo works great as cohesive skewer, but the all-encompassing power of halloumi will certainly steal the show.

June 2013

Recipe Details

Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 35 mins
Active 45 mins
Total 40 mins
Serves 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon, plus 1 additional lemon cut into wedges for serving

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons freshly minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)

  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 pound halloumi cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

  • 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

  • 2 medium red onions, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes

  • Tzatziki, for serving (optional)

  • Pita, warmed, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Whisk together oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, oregano, and mint in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

    Whisking ingredients for the Greek vinaigrette.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  2. Add cheese, zucchini, onion, and tomatoes, and toss to combine.

    Tossing vegetables and cheese in the vinaigrette.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  3. Thread cheese, zucchini, onion, and tomatoes on pre-soaked skewers.

    Skewers with zucchini, halloumi, red onion, and cherry tomatoes lined up next to each other.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

  4. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Grill skewers over direct heat until cheese browns and zucchini has slightly softened, 3-5 minutes per side. Remove skewers from the grill to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon wedges over skewers and serve immediately with tzatziki and warm pita.

    A close up of grilled skewers with vegetables and halloumi with a little char.

    Serious Eats / Joshua Bousel

Special Equipment

Charcoal grill, chimney starter, wooden skewers (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes prior to use)

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
219 Calories
16g Fat
7g Carbs
14g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 219
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 45mg 15%
Sodium 439mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 13mg 66%
Calcium 312mg 24%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 312mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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