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. It's not rocket science, but I will of course talk you through it step by step.
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
Halloumi Sandwich with Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 large red pepper sliced into thick wedges
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 6 ounces halloumi cheese sliced pencil-thick
- 4 slices sandwich bread
- 1 medium avocado sliced
- 1 medium tomato
- 4 large lettuce leaves
- 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F/200°C
- Slice the red peppers into thick slices (I slice one pepper into four pieces typically) and brush with a bit of olive oil.
- Place the pepper slices onto a cookie sheet, and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, flipping once half way through.
- While the peppers are roasting take the time to prepare the other veggies. Slice the avocado, wash and dry the lettuce leaves, and slice the tomato.
- Heat a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the pan with olive oil, and add the halloumi slices. Fry for 2-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Toast the bread if desired. Spread with mayo, and layer on the roasted red peppers, avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, and halloumi.
- Grab a napkin or eat over the sink. This one is drippy!
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
Gail Hunt says
OMG, how perfect is this sandwich? AND we had ALL the ingredients on hand, even haloumi.
Thanks, Katie
Jenn P (yes, the evil one) says
Amazing! I love it all! Well done on the Haloumi sandwich (my personal fave) and all the rest. Now all I need to do is find a haloumi source on my new Southern Gulf Island of Saltspring. And I love the addition of eggplant!
Cammy says
Mmmmm, the only thing I love more than muffins might be sandwiches! Thanks.
Katrina says
Hi, Since I last had haloumi I heard a rumor. Perhaps you can verify it's authenticity. Haloumi is not vegetarian, because it has rennet in it which comes from dead cows? I also heard that Parmesan is in the same boat... 🙁
K
themuffinmyth says
Many hard cheeses have rennet in them, including Parmesan, cheddar, feta . . . even some soft cheeses. Many cheese makers use a 'vegetable rennet' or a microbial enzyme instead, which is similar to the enzymes used in yoghurt making. Basically rennet or rennet substitutes are enzymes that cause the milk to coagulate in the cheese making process. The only sure fire way to know whether a cheese has rennet or not is to read the label. I know which brands I can and can't trust in general, and if I'm trying something new I always do a thorough read of the ingredients list.
Dennis says
I want to lick the computer screen, your pix are so amazing. But what is haloumi? Where will I look for it?
themuffinmyth says
It's a greek style cheese. Most you could very likely find it at Capers, Urban Fare, or Granville Island. It's amazing pan fried and tossed in a salad too. It has a salty taste like feta, but milder, and more chewy.
Meg says
Thanks, this looks completely delicious! One thing maybe you can answer for me: I've never fully believed the hype about salting out eggplant before using it. Seems like a superfluous step that you probably wouldn't notice if you skipped it. True? Necessary? Cheers!
themuffinmyth says
I sometimes skip it. Don't tell anyone.
Meg says
What?!?! No instructions for this amazing sandwich?!!? I see eggplant in there, spinach, and is that breaded haloumi? Seriously Katie, don't leave me hanging like this when all I have to do all day is write papers and plan dinner!
themuffinmyth says
Here it is! I must have hit the publish button by accident last night when I was uploading the pictures. Enjoy!