This herby barley couscous with chipotle halloumi and grilled apricots it’s just a dream dish, it’s an absolute beauty and the exact type of food that I would eat again and again. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, any day, any season. Peaches and apricots are one of my top favorite fruits to throw on a grill as an addition to almost any savory salad. I do like strawberries, mango, or pineapple too.
All the flavors and aromas they bring to any dish are exceptionally good. Despite these stone fruits no longer being in season apricots are still easy to find, at least for a while. I have replaced them many times, especially around Christmas time with grilled oranges, grapefruit, or even pineapple.
Turning to eating healthier doesn’t mean that food has to be bland or tasteless, on the contrary, the food is less processed offering more nourishment, it’s a lot more vibrant and it also means that it gets prepared much, much quicker.
I’m not saying traditional food isn’t good, it is, but it tends to get cooked for much longer and loses color as well as nutrients and quality.
And, if you like halloumi cheese and would like more recipes with this magnificent cheese, here are some other recipes that may be of interest to you, like this beautiful orzo and halloumi cheese salad, or this tantalizing and very exotic salad that’s sweet and savory or something that is more unusual like these halloumi burgers. How do those sound to you? I do hope you will enjoy it, there are just three examples but do tap in the search bar halloumi and you will find quite a few other options there, I did not realize what a halloumi cheese lover I am.
You could do many things to this salad to make it your own but one thing I suggest since I have tried it myself and absolutely loved it, it is to add some boiled chickpeas spiced up and cooked for a few minutes over medium heat into a pan with a drizzle of coconut oil, some chili flakes or cayenne pepper and some sea salt drizzled generously with lemon juice. Mix into this and enjoy! Delicious.
Herby barley couscous with chipotle halloumi and grilled apricots
Ingredients
- 220 g halloumi cheese sliced
- 210 ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 190 g barley couscous
- 180 g tenderstem broccoli
- 6 apricots halved and grilled
- 5 leaves fresh mint bruised and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chipotle paste
- 1 small bunch mixed fresh herbs*
- 60 g pecan nuts toasted and roughly chopped
- 2 handful pomegranate seeds
For the dressing:
- 3-4 tablespoon olive oil
- 3-4 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chipotle paste
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 5 mint leaves brushed and super finely chopped
Instructions
- Put the dry couscous into a slightly larger bowl and pour over the boiling stock. Cover with a plate or clingfilm and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
- Slice and brush the halloumi cheese with a coat of chipotle paste and set aside for a few minutes.
- While the couscous it’s getting infused, and the halloumi a little confused
- , grill the apricots and the broccoli on a griddle pan for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side then remove and put on a plate aside.
- Grill the halloumi cheese too for 2 minutes on each side and set aside once finished.
- Toast the pecan nuts in a pan for literally 2 min tossing almost constantly and make sure you’re not abandoning that pan till you take them off that pan. Warning
- : They burn fast! After toasting, take them out from that pan and place them on a chopping board ready for a rough chopping once they are cool enough to handle which should be 1 min or so.
- In a jar, place all dressing ingredients and give those a good old shake. Shake it, shake it, and shake a little bit more until you think enough is enough.
- Get the couscous fluffed up with a fork, season and add half of the dressing, the washed and finely chopped herbs including the mint leaving a pinch of two aside for sprinkling at the end, add the chopped nuts and most of the pomegranate seeds. Give it all a nice mix.
- Serve the barley couscous mixture onto the serving plates and top with the grilled apricots, halloumi and the broccoli.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing sprinkle some more pomegranate seeds and few more chopped herbs and serve.
Notes
Mayuri Patel says
What a wonderful combination of flavors for this filling and attractive salad, sweetness from apricot, saltiness from halloumi and the subtle taste of chipotle. Adding fresh mint or any herb just completes the overall taste. I love using barley couscous.
Ramona says
Than you dear Mayuri, I am so glad you like this recipe, barley couscous is delicious too and I do prefer it to the normal couscous, so lucky to get it over here too.
Vidya Narayan says
What a delicious platter! Love the fruits and halloumi cheese combo with generous amount of herbs. Wholesome, filling and a great treat for the entire family.
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Vidya. A true healthy treat indeed.
Kelly Anthony says
I love cooking meals like this one because they make the most yummy leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ramona says
That is so true dear Kelly, I absolutely agree.
Lesli Schwartz says
This looks so delicious! I had a lot of halloumi in Israel this summer, and picked apricots right off the trees! Wonderful combo!
Ramona says
Thanks Lesli, halloumi cheese is absolutely amazing indeed, I can never have enough of it. Being able to eat the fruits freshly picked off the trees it’s simply the best, I wish I could say the same thing but hopefully my apricot tree (planted by my mum a year or two ago) will begin to give me some my favourite fruits 😉 I will be so happy indeed.
Jeannette (Jay Joy) says
This couscous with chipotle halloumi and grilled apricots look like the flavors will explode with every bite. The colors look amazing. What a wonderful dish for company.
Ramona says
Indeed! Fab for any occasion, you’re so right. Thank you so much Jeannette ?
Swathi says
I like the spicy sweet combo of apricot and chipotle int his salad that to with herbs and cheese. Awesome combo.
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Swathi ??
Danielle says
It is such a fabulous way to enjoy halloumi and use apricots. I love how you combined everything together - can't wait to make this dish myself now!
Ramona says
Thank you Danielle, it’s a super nice dish indeed. Let me know if you try it, how you found it.
Jo says
This looks absolutely delicious! I love a bowl of salad with so many different and interesting ingredients with different textures. Makes salad eating full of fun.
Ramona says
Thank you Jo. I cannot agree more with you on that.
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
I love all of the spice in this salad! The fresh herbs with the grilled halloumi and apricots sounds incredible as well!
Ramona says
Thank you Asheley, it is a beautiful combination, all in all a salad that I would have 7 times a week with no moaning 😉
Pinelopi Kyriazi says
Couscous is my favorite one! I am sure this combination will taste great!
Ramona says
Thanks, it really does Pinelopi.
Alexandra says
I lovee halloumi but never thought to grill it and put it on a salad! This looks so fresh and delicious! Yummmmm!
Ramona says
Thank you Alexandra, oh grilled halloumi is soo nice - you really have to try it and add it to a nice salad like this - it’s delicious indeed!
Julie Running in a Skirt says
This looks amazing! Love the flavor you added with the apricot and chipotle. I really need to try grilled halloumi! Such pretty pics too.
Ramona says
Thank you soo much Julie, I really appreciate your nice comment.
Michelle says
Wow this is an amazing dish. This is so colorful and full of flavor! A perfect healthy meal. I love the apricots and pomegranates in it.
Ramona says
Thanks Michelle, I love the fruit addition into my salads, it is something that I almost cannot help myself but do in almost all savoury salads for extra flavour and texture. The great thing it’s that my kids enjoy those too, one more reason for me to carry on 😉
Caroline says
This looks so pretty and sounds delicious I love halloumi and like the idea of pairing it with apricots as well as more savory veg etc. Yum!
Ramona says
Thank you Caroline, a healthy and good looking salad, not to mention the taste 😉 Delicious.
Amanda says
WOW I love how colorful and simple this salad is! Wonderful photos too!
Ramona says
Thank you ever so much Amanda!
Alexis says
What a gorgeous dish! This looks absolutely delicious, I'll be adding this to our meal plan for this week.
Ramona says
Thank you Alexis, I do hope you will enjoy it and maybe if you have a minute, let me know how you have found/liked it.