We had fallen into bad eating habits recently so I renewed my efforts to add some healthier meals to our repertoire. Both Dave and I love fresh food packed with veggies, but sometimes it is so easy to default to pasta when you are too tired to think of what to make for weekday suppers.

This naturally gluten free quinoa salad is really filling and yet full of goodness. Avocado, tomato and pomegranate seeds are mixed with quinoa, baby salad leaves and a delicious dressing before being topped with salty halloumi cheese.

This gluten free quinoa halloumi salad is one of our new favourites and I have already made it a couple of times. You can vary the ingredients depending on what you have in your fridge, just use this recipe as your base and then add whatever you fancy.

I buy my quinoa from Lidl, as their tricolore variety is currently safely gluten free – please check the quinoa packet wherever you buy yours from as sometimes they have “may contain wheat” warnings on the back due to manufacturing methods.

Gluten Free Quinoa & Halloumi Salad (Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side)

Ingredients

  • 100g quinoa
  • 400ml veggie stock
  • Seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
  • A spring of mint (apporx 10 mint leaves)
  • 125g tomatoes, diced
  • Zest of half a lemon
  • Black pepper
  • 1 avocado, stone removed, peeled and chopped
  • 80g mixed leaf salad baby leaves (pea shoot salad is ideal)
  • 1 tbsp mixed seeds
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar (you could use white wine vinegar instead if you don’t have cider vinegar)
  • 1 tbsp walnut oil (if you don’t have walnut, olive oil or rapeseed oil also work well)
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • 1 block halloumi (approx 200g)

Method

  1. Rinse the quinoa then place in a small saucepan with the stock and cook according to the instructions on the packet. Once cooked, drain and set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.
  2. Remove the seeds from the half pomegranate and place them in a large bowl. Tear the mint leaves and add to the bowl, along with the diced tomatoes, lemon zest and black pepper.
  3. Next add the cooled quinoa to the bowl and pour over the vinegar, oil and lemon juice – given the contents a really good stir to combine all the ingredients and ensure the dressing coats all the quinoa.
  4. Now add the salad leaves, chopped avocado and mixed seeds to the bowl and give everything one final stir. Serve the salad into two large bowls.
  5. Just before serving, place a small frying pan on the heat and add the halloumi (either sliced or in cubes). Cook for a few minutes until the halloumi has begun to colour on the outside and has become soft. Then tip the halloumi on top of the salad – dinner is served!

If you enjoyed this recipe why not try one of my other gluten free midweek meal ideas:

Bon appetit! x