Plant-Based Halloumi Salad — a plant-based Mediterranean recipe by BOSH!
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Plant-Based Halloumi Salad

We make this one whenever we want something that feels a bit fancy but doesn't take forever to pull together. The tofu halloumi is genuinely one of our proudest recipe moments; it goes golden and slightly chewy in the oven, just like the real thing, and the lemony marinade with nutritional yeast gives it that salty, savoury depth you'd expect from halloumi. Layered up with fresh Mediterranean veg, it's bright, satisfying and honestly just really good. If you've ever thought plant-based salads were boring, this one will change your mind completely.

Cook: 45 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Tofu press
  • Sieve
  • Baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  • Griddle pan
  • Microplane or box grater
  • Press tofu for 10 minutes before starting

Ingredients

  • 400g firm tofu
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 20g nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 Juice of 1 lemon
  • 200g quinoa
  • 400g water
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 15g dill
  • 20g pomegranate seeds
  • 20g pistachios
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 cucumber
  • 4 spring onions
  • 15 mint
  • Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1

Prepare the vegan halloumi 

  • Press the tofu in the tofu press for 10 minutes
  • Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the shallow bowl, catching any pips in your free hand
  • Add the olive oil, nutritional yeast and salt to the bowl and stir to form a smooth paste
  • Take the tofu out of the tofu press and cut it into 8 strips
  • Put the tofu strips in the bowl and coat in the marinade
  • Lay the marinated tofu strips in the baking sheet and drizzle over any remaining marinade
  • Put the tray in the oven and roast the tofu for 25 minutes
2

Making the quinoa

  • Rinse the quinoa in the sieve under cold water for 30 seconds
  • Add the rinsed quinoa, water and a pinch of salt to the pan, put the pan on the stove over a high heat and bring the water to a boil
  • Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and leave the quinoa to cook for 20-25 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all the water and is nice and fluffy
3

Preparing the salad ingredients

  • Halve the lemon
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Halve the cherry tomatoes
  • Trim the ends of the cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds with a spoon and finely slice
  • Trim the spring onions and finely slice at an angle
  • Pick the mint leaves
  • Pick the dill fronds
4

Griddle the halloumi

  • Warm the griddle pan on the stove over a medium high heat, lay the tofu strips on the pan and leave them to sear for 2 mins each side to create lovely dark griddle lines
  • Transfer the halloumi to a plate and season with a good pinch of salt
5

Build the salad and serve

  • Squeeze the lemon juice into salad bowl catching any pips in your free hand, add the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to the bowl and stir to combine
  • Add the tomatoes, cucumber and spring onions to the bowl and toss to combine and coat in the dressing
  • Add the quinoa, mint and dill (saving a little for garnish) to the bowl and toss to combine
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper
  • Spoon the quinoa salad into bowls, dress with rocket, top with vegan halloumi, sprinkle over the pistachios and pomegranate seeds garnish with the remaining mint and dill and serve immediately with lemon wedges

Tips & Variations

  • Press the tofu well: We can't stress this enough. Ten minutes in a tofu press makes a real difference to the texture. If you don't have a press, wrap the tofu in a clean tea towel and stack something heavy on top.
  • Don't skip the marinade rest: If you've got time, leave the tofu strips in the marinade for 20 to 30 minutes before baking. The flavour goes up a notch and the colour gets even better in the oven.
  • Make it a main: This works brilliantly as a side but if you want to bulk it up, throw in some cooked giant couscous or a handful of chickpeas. Ian does this pretty much every time.

Why This Works

The trick is pressing the tofu properly before it goes anywhere near the marinade. Get rid of that moisture and the tofu actually soaks up all those lemony, yeasty flavours instead of just sitting in them. That's what gives you those golden, slightly crispy edges that make this salad feel like a proper meal rather than an afterthought.