Grilled Corn & Halloumi Salad
on Jul 24, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Tossed in an herby pesto vinaigrette, this grilled halloumi salad is peak summer. Grilling the cheese and corn adds wonderful smoky flavor to go with the diced peaches and halved cherry tomatoes. It’s the kind of of spoonable salad that you can serve as a barbecue side dish or as a make-ahead lunch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
With a base of grilled corn, this salad tastes like summer. Nothing beats salads that have both grilled and fresh ingredients, especially when they have fruit as an accent with all those savory vegetables.
It’s a no-lettuce salad that’s great for a meal-prep lunch or a side dish. When you leave out leafy greens, there are so many more ways you can enjoy a salad.
You can add grains or toss it with pasta to turn it into a vegetarian main dish. Try quinoa, barley or farro or short pasta shapes like orecchiette or fusilli.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Halloumi is one of my top summer cheeses. Because of its low melting point, halloumi is fantastic for grilling. It holds its shape while taking on all that grilled smoky flavor.
- Corn: I look for corn that’s tightly wrapped in its husk with damp silk. These are the best signs that the kernels will be plump and not dried out.
- Peaches: I do like a grilled peach salad, but here I keep them raw. I want that freshness to go with the tomatoes in this mix of ingredients.
- Tomatoes: Halved cherry tomatoes are good in salads because they aren’t too juicy tossed with the corn, peaches and fresh herbs.
- Chives add delicate onion flavor to each bite.
- Basil: Even though dressing is pesto-based, I still include ribbons of chopped basil in the salad.
- Pesto vinaigrette: If you can’t use homemade basil pesto, then buy fresh pesto from the refrigerator case at the grocery instead of shelf-stable pesto in a jar. The flavor is much brighter. The dressing also has whole grain mustard, white wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
How To Make This Grilled Halloumi Salad
1. Grill the halloumi and corn. Brush them with oil before grilling them over medium-high heat. The corn will take about 5-7 minutes. You want to see nicely charred kernels. The cheese will cook faster, just 2-3 minutes on each side for those grill marks. After that, slice the kernels off the corn and chop the halloumi.
2. Assemble the salad ingredients in a big bowl including the grilled corn and halloumi, peaches, tomatoes, chives and basil.
3. Make the dressing. Whisk the pesto, whole grain mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil in a small bowl.
4. Pour the dressing into the salad and stir everything together.
Serving
You can serve this salad with other recipes with Mediterranean flavors and ingredients. Pair it with these balsamic grilled veggie skewers, these grilled vegetable sandwiches or this grilled zucchini & yellow squash.
Check out my collection of simple seasonal salad recipes including some of favorite ingredients and tips for making better salads.
Grilled Corn & Halloumi Salad
Ingredients
For salad
- 5 ears corn
- 8 ounces halloumi, sliced 1/2-inch-thick
- Olive oil for brushing
- 2 peaches, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 1/4 cup chopped basil
For vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Save this recipe
Get it sent to your inbox plus new recipes every week.
Instructions
- Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on medium high heat.
- Lightly brush the corn and halloumi with olive oil.
- Grill the corn until lightly charred all over, about 5-7 minutes. Grill the halloumi 2-3 minutes per side until the cheese has grill marks.
- When they are cool enough to handle, slice the corn off the cobs and cut the halloumi into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Combine the corn, halloumi, peaches, tomatoes, chives and basil in a large bowl.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk the pesto, mustard, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad. Toss to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
