This Couscous Halloumi Salad is a simple side dish or main course that’s bursting with fresh summer flavors. With less than 10 ingredients, including fresh corn and toasted pine nuts, it’s a vegetarian recipe that’s sure to be a crowdpleaser.
Let us begin by announcing that this Couscous Halloumi Salad is the perfect summer salad. Every bite is filled with corn, pine nuts, and halloumi…plus you can also eat it with a spoon (a massive selling point in our book).
When it comes to making halloumi, it’s a semi-hard cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk that originated in the Eastern Mediterranean. It also happens to be a cheese you can griddle or grill and it won’t lose it’s shape! Pretty cool, right? We love it since it’s a delicious protein that makes this couscous salad vegetarian.
This recipe has all the pasta salad vibes just using delicious Israeli couscous instead, it’s a must-make summer dish, and better yet, it’s finished in 30 minutes! If you want to try more recipes using couscous, be sure to also make our Pesto Couscous Salad with Halloumi, Chicken and Pear Couscous Salad.
Ab’s Tip: Did you know halloumi is the only cheese you can sear or grill? This is what makes it unique! It’s mild in flavor and so delicious.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Hearty vegetarian salad. If you’re looking for a salad that can serve as a main course or a side dish, we’ve got you covered. This couscous halloumi salad will do the trick, plus it’s vegetarian too.
- Less than 10 ingredients. Salads can sometimes be annoying to make since they can have lots of ingredients, but not this pearled couscous salad, it’s simple and easy.
- If you’re a pasta salad lover, this recipe is for you. Couscous is a form a pasta, believe it or not! So for a fun twist, make this for your next meal.
Ingredients
- Pine nuts: Adds rich flavor and a nutty crunch.
- Pearl couscous: Also known as Israeli couscous, is larger in shape for more of a pasta-like quality than regular couscous. We love the texture paired with the substantial halloumi.
- Corn: Buy it fresh on the cob, it’s so much sweeter that way.
- Olive oil: The base of the dressing.
- Red pepper flakes: Adds a hint of spice, optional if desired.
- Halloumi cheese: Gives the salad substance, it’s acts like the protein in this case.
- Scallions: Have a mild onion flavor that adds so much to this salad.
- Shallots: Also in the onion family, but have a bit of a sweeter flavor.
- Basil leaves: Fresh, herby goodness in every bite.
- Lemon juice: Adds acid to the salad dressing which brightens all of the flavors.
- White wine vinegar: The vinegar is a great base for the vinaigrette to elevate all of the seasonal ingredients.
How to Make Couscous Halloumi Salad
1. Toast pine nuts in a small pan on medium heat until they get golden brown. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile cook pearl couscous. Once cooked, add about 1 count of olive oil to keep from sticking together and set aside.
3. Cook corn in boiling water for just a couple of minutes.
4. Using a knife, cut kernels into a bowl. You could use frozen corn but fresh tastes better imo.
5. Cut halloumi into cubes and add to a hot pan. Leave enough space between each piece so that it gets nice and crispy. Usually about 3 min per side. You can also cook halloumi on the grill but a pan works just as well.
6. Chop your herbs, scallions, shallots and combine with halloumi, corn, couscous and pine nuts. Add in a few tbsps of olive oil, white wine vinegar and lemon juice. I usually do about equal parts of each but depending on how tart you want it, you can adjust accordingly. Mix in salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Enjoy as a dinner, a side or whatever you want!
Expert Tips
- Use fresh corn if possible and only cook for a couple of minutes. When corn is in season, we all know it’s so flavorful on it’s own! When we cook the corn, it’s only for 2 to 3 minutes, then let it cool and slice it off the cob. This keeps it from becoming mushy.
- Add a protein, if desired, this salad is great with grilled chicken or steak as well. Make it a main course or serve it as a side dish.
- When making the dressing, make it as tangy as you desire! We love an acidic dressing so we usually make it with equal parts acidic ingredients (white wine vinegar and lemon juice) to olive oil. If you like it less tart, reduce the amount of vinegar and lemon juice.
- Toast the pine nuts for additional flavor. This is an ingredient that really shines when it’s toasted until golden brown in a skillet. It doesn’t take long, so keep your eye on the pine nuts and make sure you toast them over low heat.
- Feel free to personalize. This salad is great on it’s own or with adds like cherry tomatoes, a protein, alternative nuts like pistachios, walnuts or other fresh herbs.
Storage and Make Ahead
For any leftovers, store this halloumi salad recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just fluff with a fork and add an additional drizzle of olive oil before serving if needed.
We don’t recommend freezing the salad, it will change the texture. But if you want to make it in advance, it’s the perfect recipe for meal prepping for a busy week or for a gathering with friends.
FAQs
Pearled couscous or Israeli couscous is great! You can use regular couscous as well but we love the texture of the large sized. They also sell it in whole wheat which adds a nutty flavor.
Make sure you only sear it until just golden brown, if you overcook it, the tougher it gets.
No! Just add a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking too much.
More Halloumi Recipes
Couscous Halloumi Salad
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Pine nuts
- 2 cups Pearl couscous
- 3 Ears of corn, husked
- Olive oil
- Pepper
- Salt
- 1 Block of Halloumi cheese cut into cubes
- 3 Scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 Shallots
- 1/2 cup Basil leaves chopped
- 4 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Toast pine nuts in a small pan on medium heat until they get golden brown. Set aside.Meanwhile cook pearl couscous. Once cooked, add about 1 count of olive oil to keep from sticking together and set aside.
- Cook corn in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes and using a knife, cut kernels into a bowl. You could use frozen corn but fresh tastes better imo.
- Cut halloumi into cubes and add to a hot pan. Leave enough space between each piece so that it gets nice and crispy. Usually about 3 min per side. You can also cook halloumi on the grill but a pan works just as well.
- Chop your herbs, scallions, shallots and combine with halloumi, corn, couscous and pine nuts. Add in a few tbsps of olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. I usually do about equal parts of each but depending on how tart you want it, you can adjust accordingly. Mix in salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Enjoy as a dinner, a side or whatever you want!
Video
Notes
- Use fresh corn if possible and only cook for a couple of minutes. When corn is in season, we all know it’s so flavorful on it’s own! When we cook the corn, it’s only for 2 to 3 minutes, then let it cool and slice it off the cob.
- Add a protein if desired, this salad is great with grilled chicken or steak as well. Make it a main course or serve it as a side dish.
- When making the dressing, make it as tangy as you desire! We love an acidic dressing so we usually make it with equal parts acidic ingredients (white wine vinegar and lemon juice) to olive oil. If you like it less tart, reduce the amount of vinegar and lemon juice.
- Toast the pine nuts for additional flavor. This is an ingredient that really shines when it’s toasted until golden brown in a skillet. It doesn’t take long, so keep your eye on the pine nuts and make sure you toast them over low heat.
Made this recipe? Don’t gatekeep! Five stars? Chef’s kiss?
I’d love to hear it! Review or comment below.