Grilled Halloumi Black Lentil Salad

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Fresh veggies and pantry-foraged ingredients come together in this grilled halloumi black lentil salad with zucchini, red peppers and lemon vinaigrette.

Grilled Halloumi Black Lentil Salad

Pantry foraging is not my go-to strategy when I am making a salad.

I usually start with the fridge on the hunt for crisp, fresh ingredients with plenty of color. 

Salads are not known for their long-shelf life components.

I found myself standing on a dining chair carefully going through the contents of one my high shelves. 

My dream kitchen has no upper cabinets for this reason. I have nightmares about injuring myself falling a chair in this exact scenario.

Grilled Halloumi Black Lentil Salad

Also, when you put anything on a high shelf itโ€™s pretty much a guarantee that youโ€™re not going to use it before itโ€™s past its expiration date.

I doubt I will ever live anywhere that I will have the luxury of all storage spaces at an armโ€™s reach. 

While I stood on the chair, I found a lonely jar of black lentils. I used them a while ago in a summer salad with peaches.

Grilled Halloumi Black Lentil Salad

Grilled Halloumi Black Lentil Salad; The Ingredients

Lentils are high in fiber and great at making soups and salads more filling. They have such a satisfying chewy bite.

I ended up making this halloumi lentil salad with zucchini and red peppers.

To use lentils in a salad, you have to cook them until they are just tender. You donโ€™t want them to be too soft or fall apart. 

Halloumi is a wonderful cheese from Cyprus. Itโ€™s firm, salty, and the best part is that it can be grilled. Iโ€™ve used it in veggie skewers.

I grilled the halloumi, zucchini and red peppers in larger slices. Then I diced them for the salad.

The lentils and vegetables needed more flavors, so I stirred in baby arugula and scallions.

Grilled Halloumi Black Lentil Salad

For dressing, I whisked together a simple lemon vinaigrette.

This grilled halloumi black lentil salad was a nice, unplanned changed to my summer salad routine. I will definitely be raiding the pantry again even if it is for a salad.

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Grilled Halloumi Black Lentil Salad

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Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Fresh veggies and pantry-foraged ingredients come together in this grilled halloumi black lentil salad with zucchini, red peppers and lemon vinaigrette.

Ingredients 

  • For salad
  • 3/4 cup black lentils
  • 1-1/4 cups water
  • 1 medium zucchini cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 1 small red bell pepper cut into 3-inch wide strips
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 pound halloumi cheese cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • For vinaigrette
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions 

  • Combine the lentils and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are tender. Transfer to a strainer and rinse with cold water. Transfer the lentils to a large bowl.
  • Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on high heat.
  • Toss the zucchini and peppers in olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables until they are grilled marked, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Grill the halloumi until it has grill marks, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  • When they are cool enough to handle, dice the zucchini, peppers and halloumi. Combine with the lentils. Fold in the scallions and arugula.
  • For the vinaigrette, stir together the lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil until fully combined.
  • Drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 1567mg | Potassium: 205mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 626mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salads
Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Hi, I'm Paige.

Welcome to Last Ingredient where you will find simple seasonal recipes with plenty of fruits and vegetables, all for the home cook.

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