Greek Salad with Grilled Halloumi
This is a Greek salad that eats like a full dinner. Crisp cucumbers, ripe tomatoes, briny olives, and creamy feta get a protein upgrade from seared halloumi — a firm Cypriot cheese that grills without melting. The halloumi is the only thing that touches heat, and it's done in one skillet in under 4 minutes. Serve with warm pita or crusty bread for a complete no-cook-adjacent summer meal. Serve this with Mason Jar Greek Salad.
Dinner · One-Pan, Vegetarian • 20 min
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup Kalamata olives
- ¼ cup capers, drained (optional)
- 4 ounces feta cheese, cut into thick slabs or crumbled
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- For the dressing:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For the halloumi:
- 8 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced into ½-inch thick slabs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- For serving: warm pita bread, fresh oregano or mint leaves
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Steps
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large serving platter or wide shallow bowl, arrange tomato wedges, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, olives, and capers (if using). Drizzle with about two-thirds of the dressing and toss gently.
- Cook the halloumi: Pat halloumi slabs dry with a paper towel — this helps browning. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add halloumi slabs in a single layer (don't crowd). Sear for 1½ to 2 minutes per side until deeply golden and crusty. Transfer to a plate.
- Finish: Nestle the warm halloumi slabs and feta pieces into the salad. Drizzle with remaining dressing and sprinkle generously with dried oregano. Serve immediately with warm pita on the side.
Tips & Variations
Make Ahead
Chop all vegetables and prepare the dressing up to 4 hours ahead; store separately in the refrigerator. Wait to dress the salad and cook the halloumi until just before serving — halloumi is at its best hot off the pan.
Storage
The dressed salad without halloumi keeps for 1 day in the refrigerator, though cucumbers will soften. Store halloumi separately. Reheat halloumi in a dry nonstick skillet for 30 seconds per side — microwave makes it rubbery.
Substitutions
No halloumi? Use paneer (similar non-melting quality), bread cheese (juustoleipä), or extra-thick slabs of feta dusted with flour and pan-fried. For a dairy-free version, use grilled tofu or just double the olives and add chickpeas. Cherry tomatoes work beautifully when beefsteaks aren't in season. Add sliced pepperoncini for heat.
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