Halloumi and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich

Name: Halloumi and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 slices wholewheat bread; 2 tbsp tomato chutney; 150 g lighter Halloumi; 1 avocado (sliced); 2 roasted red peppers; 10 sun blushed tomatoes (sliced); 20 g rocket lettuce

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This Halloumi Sandwich is a next level sandwich. Kind of like a vegetarian BLT, it is stacked up high with fillings and showing you that a sandwich never needs to be boring. Perfectly cooked halloumi, peppery lettuce, chutney, creamy avocado, sun-dried tomatoes and some sweet roasted red peppers in between your favourite bread. Sandwich perfection!

A halloumi sandwich stacked up on a wooden board.

I am a firm believer that a sandwich should never be boring! Forget about those dull and limp supermarket sandwiches that don't actually taste anything like what they are meant to.

Sandwiches deserve more than that! You deserve more than that! This halloumi sandwich has got it all, and then some.

It's kind of like a vegetarian BLT and the halloumi gives it a really meaty texture, with that saltiness that you know and love from the squeaky cheese. Because halloumi has such a high melting point, it is the perfect cheese for a sandwich. It holds together and doesn't melt, but cooking it really brings out the flavour.

If you have some leftover halloumi to use up, why not try our Halloumi Pasta recipe.

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Why should you try it?
What you will need
Step by step
How to cook halloumi
Halloumi wrap
Extra fillings
FAQs
More halloumi recipes
Recipe

Why should you try it?

An easy way to try halloumi
A delicious sandwich option
Easy to customise
Filling enough for dinner

What you will need

Whole wheat bread - Any bread will work, but we went for a simple whole wheat bread, which we toasted first to make it more stable.
Halloumi - The star of the show! Dry fried to give it that wonderful texture.
Roasted red peppers - Either roast your own or you can buy them already roasted in jars.
Chutney - An optional extra, but we used a nice apple and tomato chutney. You could use hummus or just your favourite condiment.
Salad items - We went with rocket (arugula), avocado and sun-dried tomatoes. See below for more tips on fillings.

All the ingredients needed for this sandwich.

Step by step

One: Cut the halloumi in to 1cm thick slices. Dry fry in a non-stick frying pan for 1-2 minutes each side.

A frying pan with slices of halloumi cooking in it.

Two: Toast the bread and spread with chutney or hummus. Add the halloumi, peppers, avocado and tomatoes.

A slice of toasted bread topped with chutney, halloumi, red pepper, avocado and tomatoes.

Three: Add the rocket (arugula) and another slice of toasted bread.

Rocket salad leaves on a bottom half of a sandwich.

How to cook halloumi

The best way to cook halloumi is actually the easiest way. You simply dry fry it in a non stick pan. No need to put it under the grill, or fry it in a lot of oil, as it has a high fat content so it doesn't need it.

Just cut the halloumi in to 1cm thick pieces and dry fry in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. It will take about 1-2 minutes each side and will be cooked when it starts to go brown and crisp.

How can cook it on the grill (BBQ) or under the grill (broiler) or even on a griddle pan to get those charred lines.

Halloumi wrap

Whilst this is a halloumi sandwich, there is no reason why you can't turn it in to a wrap to mix thing up a bit. Either use a thick flatbread type wrap, which would hold together a bit better with the chunky ingredients, or use a thinner tortilla type wrap.

If you want a low carb option, then go for a giant lettuce leaf to use as the wrap. It will fall apart a little and get pretty messy, but it's worth it if you want a lighter option.

Halloumi, red peppers, avocado and lettuce spilling out of a sandwich.

Extra fillings

Here is where you can go crazy! Use the halloumi and roasted red peppers as a base, and then get really creative. You definitely need some kind of green in here, which is why we added rocket (arugula) lettuce, as it's nice and peppery. You could use crunchy iceberg instead, or even some spinach.

My favourite addition to this sandwich is some avocado - it adds colour and creaminess. However, it does bump up the calories, so you can leave it out.

What is a sandwich without some kind of sauce? We spread a spoonful of chutney on the bread, as it adds a nice chunky texture to the sandwich.

But, if you want more of a creamy sauce then I can definitely recommend some hummus. Halloumi and hummus are an epic combination, especially if it's a flavoured hummus with sun dried tomato.

If you wanted to add a lot of extra flavour, then spread some pesto on the bread. It adds a nice herby boost to the sandwich.

A good way to give the sandwich a veggie boost is by adding some leftover roasted vegetables.

FAQs

What is halloumi made of?

If you haven’t had halloumi before, then you are seriously missing out. But this recipe is a great place to start. You are in for a treat!
The semi-hard cheese originated from Cyprus and although it doesn’t taste like much straight from the packet (that's a waste in my opinion), it tastes amazing once cooked and has a whole different texture.
It can be made from cow, sheep or goat’s cheese, and has quite a salty flavour – which is what we love about it. Because of its high melting point, it’s great for grilling and frying and it keeps its shape meaning it is great for a sandwich.

Is halloumi good for you?

Halloumi is naturally a great source of calcium, and one portion has 70% of an adults recommended daily allowance. It is also a good source of zinc, selenium, magnesium, vitamin A and many of the B vitamins.
Halloumi is also high in protein, with one serving providing 19g per portion, making it a good vegetarian option when it comes to a sandwich.
It is however high in salt and fat, so moderation is key.

How many calories in halloumi?

Halloumi isn't low in calories by any means, but once it is cooked it has so much flavour which means a little goes a long way. You don't need it use much of it to make an epic sandwich. 50g of halloumi has about 160 calories, but you can get lighter halloumi that is about 120 calories for a 50g serving.

Can you make a gluten free halloumi sandwich?

Halloumi is gluten free, so you are all good there. Providing all the other ingredients you put in the sandwich are gluten free, you just need to use your favourite gluten free bread to hold everything together.

Can you make a toasted halloumi sandwich?

You can totally make this in to a grilled/toasted sandwich. We just used toasted bread for a bit more structure, but you could just load everything up and put it in a panini press or toasted sandwich machine.

Can you eat raw halloumi?

You can eat raw halloumi, however we wouldn't recommend it. Cooking halloumi vastly improves the taste and texture, and it is less salty after cooking.

Why is halloumi squeaky?

Halloumi is known as the squeaky cheese, but do you know why it makes that noise? The protein clumps created by the rennet in Halloumi are what give it its famous squeak. The sound comes from the long protein strands rubbing against the enamel of your teeth.

More halloumi recipes

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