Halloumi Sandwich with Roasted Red Peppers

The Most Delicious Halloumi Sandwich made with roasted red peppers, avocado, juicy tomatoes, and pan-fried halloumi. This one is a real treat!

I believe in this world there are two kinds of sandwiches.

There are lunch packing sandwiches – the kind that are sturdy, reliable, and survive being tossed into your backpack. (Related: 22 Vegetarian and Vegan Sandwiches)

And then there are what I like to call “weekend sandwiches”. These are the sandwiches you make when you’ve got a little more time on your hands, like this Falafel Sandwich Recipe. The kind of sandwiches that you eat standing over the kitchen sink with juices running down your elbows. 

When’s the last time you had a sandwich like that?

If you’re as overdue as I am for a weekend sandwich, you are in for a treat.

This Halloumi Sandwich is the stuff that dreams are made of. Delicious, warm, elbow-dripping, crunchy, satisfying sandwich dreams. I know you know what I’m talking about.

What’s in this halloumi sandwich?

Gather up your ingredients, friends, because this is a good one. Here’s what you need:

• Halloumi –-> I think that goes without saying.
• Sandwich bread –-> splurge on your favourite loaf.
• Tomato –-> One big juicy guy.
• Lettuce –-> Something nice and crisp.
• Avocado –-> Don’t mind if I do.
• Roasted red peppers –-> We’re going deluxe!
• Mayo –-> If you’re a mayo person, you’re my people.

How do I make this?

There are two elements that separate making this sandwich from regular sandwich making. First, roasting the red peppers - but I’m going to level with you… you could totally buy a jar of roasted peppers and save this step.

The second is cooking the halloumi. I’ll refer you to my friend Cassie’s guide to how to cook halloumi for all of the deets, but will of course talk you through it step by step here.

Step 1: Prepare the red peppers.

Pre-heat your oven and slice your red peppers nice and thick. Brush them with a bit of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange them on a tray, slide it into the oven, and let those babies roast while we’re preparing the other ingredients.

Step 2: Slice stuff up.

Slice your tomatoes nice and thick, wash and trim your lettuce, and slice up your avocado.

Step 3: Pan-fry the halloumi.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a bit of olive oil, then the slices of halloumi.

Pan fry for a few minutes on each side until they’re golden brown.

Step 4: Make your sandwich!

Slather a slice of good bread with mayo. Layer on lettuce leaves, tomato slices, avocado, and roasted red pepper. Top with halloumi, then the other slice of bread.

Step 5: Grab a napkin.

This sandwich is best eaten freshly made, elbows over the sink.

I can’t find halloumi

I’m very sorry. I have heard from readers around the world that halloumi is getting easier to find. We should really create a halloumi locator app so that people can identify the best places to find it. Is that a million dollar idea?

For readers in the US, I know that Trader Joes carries it, and you could also try a specialty cheese store.

I’m looking for a vegan sandwich

For a vegan sandwich I recommend replacing the halloumi with slabs of pan-fried tofu.

This sandwich actually reminds me a lot of one they made at my university deli, only with tofu, and it was delicious!

Can I make this sandwich in advance?

I do not recommend that. It will get soggy, and you will be sad.

This is a sandwich that’s best eaten right when you make it.

What's the deal with halloumi?

Halloumi is a semi-firm unripened brined cheese from Cyprus made from a mixture of goat, and sheep, and cows milk. It has a high melting point so it can be pan fried or grilled and does not melt or fall apart.

Fried halloumi is basically proof that there is a higher being, and is fantastic as a topping on salads (like this Spicy Mung Bean Salad), with pasta (like these Warm Zucchini Noodles with Halloumi and Tomatoes), or just eaten hot out of the pan.

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Air Fryer Grilled Cheese with Broccoli
Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Tempeh BLT Sandwich 
Vegan Sloppy Joes with Lentils
Baked Halloumi with Vegetable Ratatouille