This Halloumi Couscous Salad with Lemon features colorful veggies, chickpeas, a fluffy lemon and herb couscous, and seared halloumi cheese. An easy, protein-packed vegetarian salad recipe. Leftovers keep well for lunch the next day. (Gluten free option)
Warm spices and chickpeas: In a large nonstick skillet (see note 2), combine olive oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and red pepper flakes. Warm over low heat until the spices begin to sizzle, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and cook, stirring frequently, until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
Prep couscous: Meanwhile, add couscous to a large bowl and pour the boiling water over top. Immediately cover the bowl with a baking sheet or plate, to trap in the steam. Let steam for 5 minutes undisturbed, or until water is fully absorbed and couscous is tender (see note 3). Pour in lemon juice. Use a fork to gently fluff the couscous.
Combine: Pour the oil and chickpea mixture over the lemony couscous (scrape as much oil as you can into the bowl, then set aside the skillet without wiping it down). Toss to mix. Add cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, parsley, basil, and mint. Toss again, to mix. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Sear halloumi: Reheat the nonstick skilletover medium heat. Arrange the halloumi in the skillet and cook until both sides are golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Tear halloumi into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle over the salad, then serve.
Notes
Nonstick skillet: We highly recommend using a nonstick skillet because it will help prevent the halloumi cheese from sticking to the pan. (You don't want to lose any of the beautiful crispy cheese to the skillet!). If you don't have a nonstick skillet, add more olive oil to the skillet after scraping out the spiced olive oil and chickpea mixture.
Tip for cooking couscous: Pour the water all over the couscous so that it steams evenly. If for some reason the couscous isn't tender after steaming, feel free to add another splash or two more of boiling water, then fluff with a fork, cover and let steam for another minute. But, be careful to not add too much water because there will be more liquid (lemon juice) added after steaming.
Gluten-free option: Substitute the dried couscous for cooked quinoa. Use 3 cups cooked quinoa to replace 1½ cups dried Instant couscous. In step 2, skip everything to do with cooking the couscous (no boiling water needed)...but do add the lemon juice to the cooked quinoa. Proceed with the rest of the recipe as written.
Storage tips: Store extra salad in a covered container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Leftovers can be served cold or at room temperature. If you wish to lightly warm the salad, use a microwave, or a toaster oven (or conventional oven) set to 300°F (150°C), just until warmed through. Avoid re-cooking the salad, since it'll soften the fresh veggies and herbs.