With Grilled Halloumi Recipe: Sunshine on a Plate: This Tabbouleh

This is a with grilled halloumi recipe, the kind that sits at the heart of the Cyprus table. > Affiliate disclosure: Some product links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you. We only recommend things we’d use ourselves. See our editorial policy for details.

In the limestone hills above Paphos, Yiayia Eleni measures her tabbouleh by the handful. Two cups of parsley hit the bowl first. Then comes the part that would make a Lebanese purist blink: slabs of halloumi, blistered on a charcoal grill until the edges turn to lace, chopped and folded through the grain while still warm.

The cheese does not melt. It squeaks.

This is not the delicate, herb-forward salad of Beirut. This is farmer’s-kitchen tabbouleh, built from what grows between the olive trees and what the goats produce that morning. Eleni soaks fine bulgur in lemon and cold water until it swells. She mixes in diced tomato, mint from the courtyard, and pomegranate seeds that bleed ruby juice into the bowl. The grilled halloumi goes in last, so the charred edges stay intact.

The heat of the cheese wakes up the parsley. That is the trick.

She never measures olive oil with a cup. She pours until the surface glistens like a wet stone.

This is not a secret. It is not a miracle. It will not cure anything, and it does not prove that Cypriot tabbouleh is better than Lebanese. Eleni is one woman in one village. Her method works because her parsley is young, her lemons are local, and her grill is hot. Use supermarket parsley and pre-sliced cheese, and the magic thins.

But the bones are there.

The pomegranate is non-negotiable. The sweet-tart burst against the salty cheese creates a flavor neither ingredient achieves alone. She serves it in a deep ceramic bowl, under the grape arbor, at noon.

The grilled cheese does not belong there, by the classical rules. That is exactly why it works.

How to make this with grilled halloumi recipe

This Lebanese | Greek with grilled halloumi recipe takes about 25 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook. The flavor comes from Cyprus, where Yiayia Eleni, a local farmer’s wife from Paphos has made it the same way for years. The Mediterranean diet pattern this dish belongs to was recognized by UNESCO in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, with Cyprus as one of its emblematic communities.

Ingredients for tabbouleh with grilled halloumi and pomegranate seeds

• 1 cup fine bulgur wheat
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 2 packed cups)
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 250g halloumi cheese, cut into 1cm thick slices
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• Optional: A pinch of Aleppo pepper flakes for a little heat

Method, the Cyprus way

1. Step 1: Rinse the bulgur wheat under cold water. Place in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
2. Step 2: Prepare the Tabbouleh: In a large bowl, combine the cooked bulgur wheat, chopped parsley, mint, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion. Yiayia Eleni always says ‘the finer you chop, the better it blends!’
3. Step 3: Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper (and Aleppo pepper if using). Pour over the tabbouleh mixture and stir gently to combine.
4. Step 4: Grill the Halloumi: Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Grill the halloumi slices for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown and slightly softened. Don’t overcrowd the pan, work in batches if necessary.
5. Step 5: Assemble & Serve: Gently fold in half of the pomegranate seeds into the tabbouleh. Arrange the grilled halloumi on top of the tabbouleh. Sprinkle with the remaining pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately, or chill for later.

Tips from Yiayia Eleni, a local farmer’s wife from Paphos

The traditional way in Cyprus is to keep it simple. Researchers behind the PREDIMED trial found that the with grilled halloumi recipe pattern, anchored in olive oil and short ingredient lists, cuts cardiovascular risk roughly 30%. Crete, Sardinia, and the Aegean islands are blue-zone communities where dishes like this are eaten weekly.

Serving, storage, and what to drink

Serves 4. Best the day it’s made. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days. For more Lebanese | Greek recipes see our salads and recipes sections, or pair it with a glass of regional wine from Crete or Sicily.

The Mediterranean diet pattern this dish belongs to was recognized by UNESCO (2010) as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of communities including Crete, Sicily, and Andalusia. The evidence base comes from the PREDIMED trial and earlier work at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.