Grilled Halloumi Veggie Skewers

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

With a rainbow of zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and red onions, these grilled veggie skewers are a fantastic vegetarian main dish. I also thread chunks of halloumi cheese in between the fresh vegetables. Quickly marinated in a fresh and herby mix of lemon juice, parsley, dried spices and olive oil, you can serve these healthy kabobs with couscous, hummus and pita bread. 

If you prefer a vegan grilling recipe, try these BBQ tofu vegetable kabobs.

Grilled halloumi veggie skewers on a plate.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Grilling season is the perfect time to show off vegetables. Burgers, hot dogs and chicken tend to be the first thing people think of for grilled main dishes. Summer is peak time for veggies, so they deserve attention too. 

Halloumi has the most wonderful salty flavor and when you grill it, the cheese gets smoky. Paired with grilled vegetables, couscous and hummus, this is how you make a special and easy vegetarian entree.

You can repurpose the leftovers into another meal. Reheating is always an option, but I like to eat the veggies and halloumi cold in a salad with leafy greens and/or grains. 

The Ingredients

Ingredients including halloumi, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, lemon, parsley, olive oil, mustard and seasonings.

This is what you need:

  • Zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and red onions: Having this rainbow of vegetables isn’t all about looks, but I do love these colors. More importantly, you get lots good flavor and different textures when you have summer squash, peppers and onions.
  • Halloumi cheese has a high melting point, which is why it’s great for grilling. Made from goat’s or sheep’s milk or a combination of both, it is a semi-hard cheese with briny and salty flavor.
  • Lemon adds freshness to the veggie marinade. Always use fresh lemon juice. Bottled citrus juice has all sorts of unnecessary ingredients and doesn’t have the same taste.
  • Parsley: To keep with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors, I stir chopped fresh parsley into the marinade.
  • Dried spices: I season the recipe with smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper. Garlic powder is better than minced garlic because it won’t burn on the grill.
  • Whole grain mustard helps to emulsify the marinade while giving it more flavor. This is the same reason why I use mustard in vinaigrettes. 
  • Olive oil: For the best taste, I whisk high-quality extra virgin olive oil into the marinade.

How To Make These Grilled Veggie Skewers

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or an indoor grill pan on medium high heat. If you’re using a stovetop grill pan, wait to preheat it until you have the vegetables and halloumi threaded on the skewers.

1. Make the marinade. Stir the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

2. Marinate the vegetables and cheese. Stir them together making sure they are all well coated.

Marinade in a small bowl. Vegetables and halloumi tossed in marinade.

3. Put the halloumi and veggies on the skewers. If you are using wood skewers, first you need to soak them in water for 30 minutes. Of course, this is not necessary with metal skewers.

4. Grill the veggie kabobs. Give them 8-10 minutes on the hot grill, turning every couple minutes until they are charred and grilled marked on the edges.

Veggie skewers on a rectangular platter before and after they are grilled.

Serving

To turn these skewers into a meal, I make couscous for a side dish and serve them with store-bought hummus and pita. For greens, try this crispy quinoa Mediterranean salad, lemony orzo salad, balsamic tomato peach salad or this green bean salad with tomatoes and olives. 

Leftovers & Storage

You can keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. They are easier and more compact to store when you take the veggies and cheese off the skewers. You can reheat them in a 350-degree F oven. I also like them cold in a salad with romaine, baby spinach or arugula and lemon vinaigrette.

Three grilled veggie skewers on a plate with couscous and hummus.

Recipe Tips

  • Try to cut the vegetables about the same size. The zucchini and same squash should be 1/2-inch thick. Both vary in diameter, so it may be necessary to cut the rounds into halves or quarters. You don’t want one really wide vegetable, to prevent the rest of the veggies on a skewer from making contact with the grill grates.
  • Pay attention to the hot spots on your grill. The goal is to get grill marks and char on the edges of the veggies and halloumi. I have an older gas grill, so I am very familiar with the hotter and cooler zones. I move the skewers around as needed.
  • I like the variety in these grilled vegetable skewers, but you can use more of one vegetable than another. It could be because of taste or what you have in your kitchen. I know some people will put cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes on their kabobs, but they can burst and slip off the skewers. Also, grilled tomatoes aren’t as good as roasted tomatoes.
  • A baking sheet is helpful to transport the skewers from the kitchen to your outdoor grill. Because it is rimmed, no marinade drippings will spill.

More Vegetarian & Vegan Grilling Recipes

Grilled Halloumi & Vegetable Platter
Grilled Tofu Shawarma
Corn Mushroom Pizza
Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
Grilled Vegetable Pesto Sandwiches

Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below, and I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus enjoy recipes and cooking inspiration each week.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Grilled Veggie Halloumi Skewers

No ratings yet
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
These grilled halloumi veggie skewers combine summer vegetables and salty, smoky cheese marinated in fresh lemon juice, parsley and spices.

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juice
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 pound halloumi, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds*
  • 2 yellow squash cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds*
  • 3 bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks 

Instructions 

  • If you are using wooden skewers, make sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes. I used (12) 7 1/2-inch skewers for the quantity in the recipe. 
  • Preheat a gas or charcoal grill on medium high heat. (You can also use a stovetop grill pan, just wait to preheat it until after you assemble the skewers.)
  • In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  • Stir the halloumi, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and onions with the marinade in a large bowl, so they are all well coated.
  • Thread the halloumi and vegetables onto skewers.
  • Grill the skewers for 2 minutes per side until the vegetables and cheese are charred at the edges and have grill marks, about 8-10 minutes total.

Notes

*If the zucchini and squash slices are wider than 1 inch, halve or quarter the rounds.
Serve the veggie skewers with cooked grains such as rice, couscous or quinoa. You can also use hummus for dipping and include warmed pita or naan.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat them in a 350-degree F oven or microwave.
You can also eat leftovers cold as a salad with baby arugula, spinach or chopped romaine and lemon vinaigrette.

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 1030mg | Potassium: 812mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3433IU | Vitamin C: 168mg | Calcium: 628mg | Iron: 2mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Did you make this recipe?Mention @lastingredient on Instagram and tag it #lastingredient!


Author photo

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.

Related Posts

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




1 Comment