Halloumi Salad with Butternut Squash

Name: Halloumi Salad with Butternut Squash
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash; 8 ounces halloumi cheese; 2 cups spinach; 10 cherry tomatoes; 1 small red onion; 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt

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This halloumi salad with butternut squash is packed with beautiful colors, flavors and textures. Serve it as a complete meal, or as a filling side dish. This is a fantastic salad for fall, and it pairs beautifully with any entree.

Close up of a plate with halloumi and squash salad.

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Why you'll love it
Ingredients
Instructions
Top tips
Serving suggestions
Variations
Leftovers
Frequently asked questions
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Recipe

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Best way to make a salad more interesting? Add some warm, delicious cheese to it! This is definitely a salad for those that don't necessarily like salads, as the texture and flavors are quite different from your typical crunchy veggies and leaves.

As with any salad, this recipe is really easy to adapt to suit your preferences, and perfect for using up the leftover vegetables from the back of your fridge.

Why you'll love it

Amazing flavor
Really filling salad
A great way to use seasonal vegetables in the fall
Easy to customize - use your favorite veg!
Gluten free and nut free
Suitable for meal prep
Eat it as a complete meal or side dish

Ingredients

Butternut squash: Roasted butternut squash is sweet, juicy and delicious. Alternatively, you can use other types of squash or pumpkin.

Halloumi: This semi hard squeaky Cypriot cheese is salty, tangy, and delicious. It has a high melting point, which means that if you cook it in a pan, it will maintain its shape. You could substitute this with feta cheese, but the feta would have to be added to the salad uncooked.

Olive oil + salt: Used to roast the squash. This will give it a great flavor and texture.

Spinach: My favorite leafy green for salads! Substitute with kale, arugula or other leafy greens like lettuce if you prefer.

Tomatoes and red onion: A great vegetable combination for salads.

Ingredients for halloumi salad with butternut squash, spinach and tomatoes.

Instructions

You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page

One: Slice the halloumi, and cook in a griddle, skillet or pan on high heat until it's soft and golden on the surface. Set it aside.

Two: Peel and dice the butternut squash into bite sized pieces, and lay it out on a baking pan. Coat with olive oil and salt, and roast in the oven at 360 F / 180 C for about 20 minutes, or until the chunks are soft throughout.

Three: Allow the halloumi and butternut to cool down. Add them to a plate or salad bowl, along with the remaining ingredients.

Step by step images showing how to make halloumi butternut squash salad.

Top tips

You can also cook the halloumi in an air fryer or oven. Alternatively, serve it cold, as halloumi doesn't strictly have to be cooked.
The exact time it takes for the squash to roast can vary, depending on the size of the chunks as well as the temperature in your oven. Pierce them with a fork to ensure that they are soft throughout before serving.
Allow the halloumi and roasted butternut squash to cool down slightly before serving. Placing warm ingredients directly on spinach will make it wilt.

Serving suggestions

Halloumi salad is perfect as a filling side dish, or as a delicious main for lunch or dinner. I also love to pair it with a main or side, and optional salad dressings.

Serve this salad with any of these dishes:

Here are my favorite salad dressings to serve with my halloumi and butternut squash salad:

Mixed butternut squash salad with halloumi.

Variations

With other vegetables: Feel free to add any vegetables that you like, such as peppers, cucumber, arugula, radishes or roasted beetroot.

Added protein: Add roasted chickpeas, butter beans or shredded chicken for a little extra protein. This is a great option if you're serving this salad as a complete meal for lunch or dinner.

Leftovers

You can store leftover halloumi salad for up to 4 days in a sealed container in a refrigerator. You can store the salad mixed, or you can alternatively store the ingredients separately to keep them fresh for longer.

If you like to serve your salad with a dressing, I recommend storing this separately, and adding it the salad immediately before serving.

A plate of halloumi salad, with tomatoes on the side.

Frequently asked questions

Can you eat halloumi without frying it?

Yes, you can, however it's more commonly enjoyed cooked because this improves the flavor and texture of the cheese.

Do you need to soak halloumi?

No, halloumi cheese does not need to be soaked before cooking. Some people prefer to do this, but as most halloumi cheese is packaged in liquid, it's not necessary at all.

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