Halloumi Sandwich with Grilled Vegetables

Deliciously filling and packed with veggies, this halloumi sandwich is great for a tasty dinner or lunch. Seared salty halloumi is stacked high with grilled vegetables, spinach and smashed avocado. This epic vegetarian sandwich will satisfy even the hardcore meat-eaters in your life!

This hearty sandwich is packed with grilled vegetables, salty halloumi and creamy avocado. We love halloumi, whether it’s halloumi burgers or wraps, halloumi is always on the menu. This sandwich is one of our favourite summer dinners.

Sweet romano peppers are flame-grilled for extra flavour. The courgettes (zucchini) and halloumi are griddled to add more flavour. They all come together with creamy smashed avocado served on toasted ciabatta. Great hot or cold this sandwich is halloumi heaven!

Why This Recipe Works

• Griddled halloumi – perfectly soft and salty, so good in a sandwich
• Flame-grilled peppers – sweet romano peppers flame-grilled for extra flavour.
• Smashed avocado – no need for sauces here, that creamy avocado is just delicious!

What You’ll Need

• Halloumi – for best results look for authentic Cypriot halloumi, I use full-fat halloumi.
• Romano Peppers – these are long sweet peppers, you should find them in all good supermarkets. If you can’t find them then you can use a couple of bell peppers (capsicum) instead.
• Courgette/zucchini – look for the smaller courgettes, they have the most flavour. One medium courgette should do.
• Ciabatta – I use one long ciabatta, but you can use ciabatta rolls too. You can also use French baguette if you prefer.
• Avocado – you will need about one and a half large ripe avocados. Depending on the size of your avocado, if they are on the small side I recommend using two.
• Coriander /cilantro – a small bunch of fresh coriander is all you need, remove most the stem and then chop roughly.
• Spring onions (scallion) – I used two medium-sized spring onions if you don’t have spring onions then half a small red onion will work well.
• Seasoning/cooking – sea salt, black pepper, olive oil and lime juice.

How To Make A Halloumi Sandwich

1. Make the smashed avocado – roughly mash the avocado with a fork. Add the chopped coriander/cilantro, chopped spring onions/scallions and lime juice and stir well, season to taste with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
2. Flame grill the red peppers – I do this on a gas hob, place the peppers on the burners and use a metal kitchen tongs to turn the peppers until they are blackened. Once blackened put the peppers in a large bowl and cover with cling film. Leave to cool. Once cool peel the skin off the peppers then carefully cut the ends off and scoop out any seeds and fleshy bits. Slice into long thick strips.
3. Griddle the courgettes/zucchini – cut the courgettes in half then slice them lengthways. Brush the griddle with oil then cook the courgettes until browned, flip them and cook the other side until they are slightly soft. Wipe the pan clean then toast the ciabatta.
4. Cook the halloumi – griddle the sliced halloumi on a dry griddle pan. Place slices of halloumi on the pan, cook until they are crispy and have brown strips then turn them over and cook the other side. Build your sandwich, by spreading a good dollop of smashed avocado over one side of the ciabatta, add slices of pepper, courgette, halloumi and finish with a handful of spinach.

Tips For Making The Best Halloumi Sandwich

This is just a quick visual guide, full instructions are in the recipe card below.

• Roast or grill your veggies – if you don’t have a gas hob you can roast the peppers in the oven. Roasting and grilling the vegetables for this sandwich really brings out the flavours of the veggies and adds more flavour to your sandwich.
• Dry the halloumi – I rinse my halloumi under the tap then pat it dry with kitchen paper/towel. This gets rid of the brine that the cheese is stored in. This will also get rid of some of the saltiness from the halloumi.
• Cooking the halloumi – there is no need to use oil in the pan to cook halloumi, this cheese has a high melting point and won’t melt easily. Dry frying the halloumi will give you the best results. I use a well-seasoned cast-iron griddle pan to cook the halloumi if you don’t have one of those you will still get very good results using a non-stick pan.

More Veggie Sandwich Inspiration

We love our sandwiches and there’s no need to miss out or settle for a boring sandwich just because you’re vegetarian. Try my Portobello Mushroom Sandwich for a tasty lunch or dinner. Want something a little different? Why not try my Falafel Wraps instead. If you want more halloumi then check out my Halloumi Fajitas, they make a very tasty quick and easy dinner.

Have you made this Halloumi Sandwich Recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!

Halloumi Sandwich

Deliciously filling and packed with veggies, this halloumi sandwich is great for a super tasty dinner.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Fusion

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 333kcal

Author: Michelle Alston

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 romano peppers
• ▢ 1 medium courgette/zucchini cut in half then sliced lengthways
• ▢ 1 1/2 large ripe avocados
• ▢ 2 medium spring onions/scallions white part chopped, green parts discarded
• ▢ 1 small handful of coriander/cilantro chopped, the long stems removed
• ▢ 1 medium lime the juice of
• ▢ 1 8 oz pack 250g of halloumi sliced
• ▢ 1 cup 30g baby spinach
• ▢ 1 large ciabatta or 4 ciabatta rolls
• ▢ sea salt, cracked black pepper and olive oil for cooking + lime wedges for serving.

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Instructions

Make the smashed avocado

• Remove the stone from the avocados and scoop out the flesh into a bowl.

  Using a fork roughly mash the avocado.

  Stir in the chopped coriander/cilantro, spring onions/scallions and the lime juice.

  Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

  Cover with cling film and keep in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Cook the vegetables

• To flame-grill the romano peppers - turn on two gas burners to low heat. Place the peppers on the outer rings of the burners. Using a metal kitchen tongs keep turning the peppers until they are blackened. Once both peppers are blackened carefully place them in a large bowl and cover the bowl with clingfilm. Leave to cool.

  To roast the peppers in the oven - preheat the oven to 200C/ 392F. Cut the peppers in half lengthways, remove the stem, pith and seeds. Place the peppers on a baking tray. Drizzle a little olive oil over the peppers then pop the tray in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn the peppers halfway through cooking. They should be soft and cooked through.

  To griddle the courgettes/zucchini - Brush a griddle pan with a little olive oil. Heat the pan over medium heat. Place the sliced courgette on the pan, you may need to this in batches, cook for a couple of minutes then turn them over and cook until the courgette is slightly soft. Keep them warm until you are ready to use them. If you don't have a griddle pan you can roast the courgettes in the oven with the peppers.

Cook the halloumi and make the sandwich

• Heat a griddle pan or non-stick pan over medium heat.

  Add the halloumi, again you may have to do this in batches, cook for about 5 minutes each side.
• Cut the ciabatta into 4 pieces then slice them open. Brush the inside of each piece of the bread with olive oil then place on a hot griddle pan to toast. Repeat for each one.

  If you don't have a griddle pan you can do this on a regular pan too.
• Spread the smashed avocado over one piece of ciabatta, top with some of the peppers, then courgettes. Top with a few slices of halloumi and some spinach. Squeeze a little more lime on the filling then top with the remaining ciabatta. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Bread - I use a long ciabatta for this which served 4 people for dinner. You could use 4 ciabatta roll if you prefer.
• Halloumi - I used full-fat halloumi.
• Griddle pan  - if you don't have a griddle pan you can use a non-stick pan to cook the halloumi and toast the bread. You can also roast the veggies in the oven if you prefer, I've included the directions for that in the recipe card.
• Storing/freezing - this recipe is best made and eaten fresh. I don't recommend freezing this sandwich. 
• Nutritional information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is for one sandwich.
• Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 25.9g | Protein: 9.5g | Fat: 22.1g | Saturated Fat: 6.2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 6.9g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 1mg

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