Halloumi & Za'atar Veg Salad with Pickled Onion & Pesto Dressing

Halloumi & Za'atar Veg Salad with Pickled Onion & Pesto Dressing

Bring the sunshine to your plates with this vibrant summer salad. Starring tangy halloumi, pan fried till golden - and paired with roasted sweet potatoes and peppers, coated in fragrant za'atar and roasted to perfection. Garnish with dollops of creamy pesto, tangy pickled onion and crunchy pumpkin seeds for the perfect bite. It’s summer on a plate.

1/3 daily fibre 5 of 5 a day

Serving size

Cook time: 35 mins
Cuisine: European
Food group: Dairy
Allergens: Milk, Mustard
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Cooking Instructions

The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.

As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.

Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.

Before you start

  • Preheat the oven to 240C / fan 220C / gas mark 9
  • Line a large baking tray with parchment paper
  • Pull out a large non-stick frying pan, a large bowl, a medium bowl & a grater

Roast the veg

  • Dice the sweet potato into 2cm chunks. Thinly slice the pepper. Cut half the onion into 4 wedges
  • Place the prepped veg onto the lined baking tray. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil, sprinkle with the za'atar, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat
  • Roast for 25-30 mins, until soft and golden

Pickle the onion & marinate the halloumi

  • Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining onion. Zest and halve the lemon
  • In the large bowl, add the sliced onion, the juice from half the lemon and a pinch of salt. Leave to pickle
  • Cut the half pack of halloumi into 3cm cubes, then add to the small bowl, along with the lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside to marinate

Finish the prep & make the pesto

  • Halve the tomatoes. Finely chop the pumpkin seeds and half the rocket
  • In the medium bowl, combine the pesto with the chopped rocket and pumpkin seeds. Season with salt

Fry the halloumi

  • Heat the large non-stick frying pan with 1 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the halloumi and cook for 5-6 mins, until golden on all sides

Assemble & plate up

  • To the pickled onion bowl, add the halloumi, tomatoes, salad leaves, remaining rocket, the roasted veg and the maple mustard dressing. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine
  • Share the salad between bowls. Top with dollops of pesto

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