Aubergine and Halloumi Salad

5 from 2 votes

This fabulous Aubergine and Halloumi Salad looks impressive, but it's actually really easy to make and tastes amazing! Perfect as a starter, a side dish or a delicious vegetarian meal in its own right. (Serves 4 as a main, 6-8 as a starter or side dish.)

Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine Fusion, Middle Eastern

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings people

Calories 692kcal

Author Eb Gargano

Ingredients

Salad:

150 g bulgur wheat
300 ml boiling water
Salt and pepper to taste
⅓ cucumber diced
A handful of cherry tomatoes diced
A large handful mint chopped finely
A large handful parsley chopped finely
400 g tin chickpeas drained
Olive oil
1 medium aubergine sliced thinly
250 g halloumi cheese sliced thickly
100 g pomegranate seeds

Dressing:

Juice of 2 lemons
2 cloves garlic crushed or grated
2 teaspoons tahini (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
6 tablespoons olive oil (ideally extra virgin)

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Put the bulgur wheat, salt, pepper and boiling water in a saucepan and bring back to the boil. Turn the heat off, put a lid on the saucepan and leave to one side until all the water is absorbed (roughly 10 minutes). Tip the bulgur wheat out into a large bowl and leave to cool.
Chop the cucumber, tomatoes, mint and parsley and add to the cooled bulgur wheat. Add the drained tin of chickpeas and stir.
Put a griddle pan on the hob to heat up.
Mix together all of the dressing ingredients in an old jam jar, then screw on the lid and shake until combined. Pour ⅔ of the dressing into the salad and stir to combine. Set aside while you griddle the aubergine and halloumi.
Brush the aubergine slices with olive oil on both sides and place on the griddle pan. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side. Try not to move them, so you get lovely char lines. You will, most likely, have to do this in batches.
Brush the halloumi slices with olive oil on both sides and cook on the griddle pan for approximately 1 minute on each side. Again you will probably have to do this in batches unless you have a very large griddle pan!
Finally, assemble your salad. Give the bulgur wheat mixture a good stir and then tip out onto a large serving platter. Arrange your griddled aubergine and halloumi slices on top and then scatter over the pomegranate seeds and drizzle over the remaining dressing.

Notes

This salad will feed 4 hungry people well, however if you do have any leftovers, it will keep very well in a plastic lidded box in the fridge for a couple of days. It would also make a great picnic dish.
Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition