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Grilled Halloumi & Watermelon Salad
Recipe

Grilled Halloumi & Watermelon Salad

Main • South Africa

A fresh, satisfying salad that balances sweet watermelon with warm grilled halloumi, peppery rocket and a simple lemon-olive dressing. Great for hot days or an easy light dinner.

Why smarter

Uses a big volume of high-water fruit and greens for fullness, keeps the dressing light, and relies on halloumi (measured portion) for satisfying protein and richness without heavy creamy add-ons.

Chef tip

Pat the halloumi dry before grilling and keep the pan really hot—this helps it brown quickly without sticking and stops it from turning rubbery.

Soft line

Fresh, salty-sweet and dinner-worthy.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Halloumi, sliced into 1 cm pieces 250.000 g halloumi Pat dry with paper towel
2 Seedless watermelon, cut into bite-size cubes 800.000 g watermelon Chilled if possible
3 Rocket (or mixed salad leaves) 120.000 g rocket
4 Cucumber, sliced into half-moons 1.000 medium cucumber
5 Red onion, thinly sliced 0.500 medium red onion
6 Fresh mint, roughly torn 15.000 g mint About 1 loose cup
7 Fresh basil, roughly torn (optional) 10.000 g basil Optional but great if available
8 Avocado, sliced (optional) 1.000 small avocado Optional for extra creaminess
9 Canola oil (for grilling) 2.000 tsp canola oil
10 Extra-virgin olive oil 1.000 tbsp olive oil
11 Lemon juice 2.000 tbsp lemon juice Fresh is best
12 Honey or maple syrup 1.000 tsp honey Optional; helps balance the saltiness
13 Dijon mustard 1.000 tsp Dijon mustard
14 Black pepper 0.250 tsp black pepper To taste
15 Toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds 2.000 tbsp pumpkin seeds For crunch

Method

  1. Prep the salad veg: cube the watermelon, slice the cucumber and red onion, and tear the herbs. Keep the watermelon chilled while you finish the rest.
  2. Make the dressing: whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey (if using) and black pepper. Taste and adjust with more lemon or a pinch more honey if needed.
  3. Heat a grill pan or non-stick pan over medium-high heat until very hot.
  4. Lightly brush the pan (or the halloumi) with canola oil. Add halloumi slices in a single layer.
  5. Grill the halloumi for 1–2 minutes per side until well browned. Remove to a plate.
  6. In a large bowl or platter, layer rocket, cucumber, red onion, watermelon and herbs.
  7. Add the warm halloumi over the top (and avocado, if using).
  8. Drizzle with dressing, scatter over the toasted seeds, and serve immediately while the halloumi is still warm.