No BBQ or summer party should be complete without some kind of halloumi dish and these Vegetable and Halloumi Kebabs are our favourite way to serve them. Coated in a flavour bursting Greek marinade, these vegetable skewers can be prepared in advance and will wow even your meat eating guests. It's time we started showing more love for this delicious salty cheese!
We can't get enough of these Halloumi Kebabs, and they aren't just for summer as we even make them in the colder months to bring a bit of sunshine in to our life.
It's a great way to use this delicious "squeaky cheese" and a must at any BBQ you are hosting. Don't just give vegetarian guests a dull veggie burger - wow them with these.
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Why should you try it?
- A delicious way to eat halloumi
- Perfect for a BBQ
- A great way to eat more vegetables
- Easy to adapt
- Can be made in advance
What you will need
- Halloumi - this really is the star of the skewers. However, if you didn't have halloumi then you could use paneer instead.
- Courgette - we cut these in to ribbons, as they look nicer on the skewers, but you can cut them in to chunks instead. They need to be big enough to stay on the skewers, but small enough so they cook through.
- Bell Pepper - we used red pepper, as it's nice and sweet. However, you could use any colour pepper.
- Cherry Tomatoes - they add a burst of flavour to these halloumi skewers.
- Olive oil - you could swap this for sunflower or vegetable oil.
- Red wine vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Oregano - a mixture of oregano, thyme and marjoram work well.
- Garlic - this adds lots of flavour. If you don't have fresh garlic then you could use dried garlic granules.
Step by step
One: Slice the courgettes into ribbons and dice the red pepper. Keep the cherry tomatoes whole.
Two: Cut the halloumi into cubes of about 2cm.
Three: Put everything in to a bowl and mix well.
Four: Thread on to 8 skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure soak them for at least 30 minutes first, so they don't burn when cooking.
Four: Put the skewers under the grill for 5-6 minutes, turning every minute.
What is halloumi?
If you haven't had halloumi before, then you are seriously missing out. The semi-hard cheese originated from Cyprus and although it doesn't taste like much straight from the packet, 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 makes it perfect for these skewers, as it won't melt off them.
Is halloumi healthy?
Halloumi is high in protein and calcium, but it is also high in fat and salt, so keep and eye on portion size. That's why we like to add cubes to skewers, because you get all the flavour without having to use too much of it.
Ways to cook halloumi kebabs
There are a few different ways that you can cook these halloumi skewers. You can throw them in the oven and everything will get cooked, but you won't get the crispiness on the halloumi. Want that crispy halloumi? Pop them under the grill, turning them every couple of minutes.
If you have the weather for it, then my favourite way to cook these is on the BBQ. Make sure the grill is oiled first, so that the cheese doesn't stick. But they will go down very well with you BBQ guests who will be fighting over them. A great option for vegetarians too.
Greek marinade
These skewers are taken to another level with the marinade. Not only is it bursting with flavour, but it's so easy to make and made with ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
A really good quality olive oil is the base, and then some red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Simple and delicious!
What to serve with these skewers
To be honest, I could eat about 8 of these in row without anything else, but there are lots of other ways to serve them too. These skewers would be great served with some homemade tzatziki or hummus.
We also make a big batch of Easy Homemade Flatbreads and then stuff the vegetables in them with some hummus and tzatziki for an epic sandwich alternative.
Can these be made in Advance?
Yes, and they taste even better when prepared in advance. You can put the halloumi and vegetables in to a bowl with the oil and seasoning, mix well and then leave in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This allows the flavours to really come together. You then just need to thread everything on to skewers when you are ready to cook them.
FAQ
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.
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.
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.
When put under the grill or on the BBQ, the vegetable skewers get nice and crispy, which really changes the flavour. You can get creative and use a variety of different vegetable like some baby corn, red onion or aubergine.
You don't really want to use a root vegetable, as that would take longer to cook, so stick with softer vegetables.
Extra tips
- If you are using wooden skewers, make sure soak them for at least 30 minutes first, so they don't burn when cooking.
- These skewers would be great served with some homemade tzatziki.
- If you are cooking for someone that can't have a meal without meat, then you can thread some chicken on to them. But cooking times will vary.
- You can cook these halloumi skewers under the grill, in the oven or on the BBQ.
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Recipe
Vegetable and Halloumi Kebabs
Ingredients
- 250 g halloumi cut in to 16 cubes
- 24 cherry tomatoes
- 1 red pepper cut in to squares
- 1 courgette cut in to ribbons
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 lemon juice only
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 pinch sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Slice the courgettes into ribbons and dice the red pepper. Keep the cherry tomatoes whole.
- Cut the halloumi into cubes of about 2cm.
- Put everything in to a bowl and mix well.
- Thread on to 8 skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure soak them for at least 30 minutes first, so they don't burn when cooking.
- Put the skewers under the grill for 5-6 minutes, turning every minute.
Notes
- If you are using wooden skewers, make sure soak them for at least 30 minutes first, so they don't burn when cooking.
- These skewers would be great served with some homemade tzatziki.
- If you are cooking for someone that can't have a meal without meat, then you can thread some chicken on to them. But cooking times will vary.
- You can cook these halloumi skewers under the grill, in the oven or on the BBQ.
Tracy Anderson
Prepped these the day before to give the marinade time to be absorbed. They were absolutely delicious and they’ll definitely be a bbq staple from now on.
Dannii
Happy to hear that you enjoyed them :)
Emily @amummytoo
Deliciousness! I would gladly eat these tonight. In fact, I think I shall.
Joanne T Ferguson
What a healthy, delicious snack or perfect at a BBQ Pinned and shared!
Florian @ContentednessCooking
This looks fantastic, love all the veggie! Perfect for summer gatherings or BBQs!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
I love halloumi, I'd put it on everything if I could! Love that you used it on these skewers! This is BBQ perfection - simple and absolutely delish! Cheers and thanks for sharing!!♡
Savita @ ChefDeHome
Halloumi sounds like Indian paneer to me, but I have never tried Halloumi before! Let me see if I can find it here to try :) thanks for sharing, Dannii!!
nadia
Looks so yummy :D I was thinking of making a halloumi recipe today. It's such a great substitute for meat!
Sona
Halloumi vegetable skewers sounds very interesting, will love to try this sometime..
Mina Joshi
Halloumi cheese with vegetables on a BBQ sound like a perfect combination. My kids love this combination. Simple and healthy way to enjoy a meal.
Alison
I did that the other day, took the dog out and half way though the walk got soaked. Love your cats! The skewers look nice, I still have to try halloumi
Jemma @ Celery and Cupcakes
Isn't halloumi great! I had some last week and was sad when he packet came to an end. Love the skewer idea.
Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat
I must say, I had never heard of halloumi before. It sounds like a very interesting ingredient, I'll have to keep on the lookout for it!
Gingi
These look so good!! And the kitties are cute, hehe!
Laura @ KneadWhine
I'm excited to hear that there will be more veggie meals on the way. I love halloumi - and the way you've presented the courgette here.
We've just bought some more gas for the barbecue - hoping the summer isn't over before we get a chance to use it!
Dani @ DaniCaliforniaCooks
Been wanting to try grilling with halloumi! This looks delicious!
Beckie Rackham (@BeckieIone)
Some of my housemates made very similar ones for a BBQ before our end of semester, look yummy!!