The creamy, lemony, garlicy dressing pairs perfectly with this halloumi Caesar salad, balancing out the intense, salty flavours of the halloumi. Now vegetarians can enjoy the best type of salad!
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When thinking of making a vegetarian Caesar salad recipe, I thought it would be super hard to replace the powerful flavour of parmesan.ย That was until I remembered my favourite cheese โ Halloumi. Like parmesan, halloumi is salty and strong so I knew with this substitute there would be no lack of flavour.
The Caesar dressing is stripped back using standard cupboard ingredients/ common foods that youโll have laying around. Itโs made with only 5 ingredients, so you get loads of flavour with minimal costs & effort!
Other Halloumi recipes: Nandoโs Fino Pitta, Halloumi and Avocado Sourdough Toast and Halloumi Burgers
Other salad recipes: Pesto Pasta Salad, Chicken Fajita Salad Bowl and Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
Halloumi
Iโve chosen reduced-fat halloumi, as I find that the texture and taste is very similar, so it enables us to enjoy more cheese per portion whilst keeping the calories down.
Mayonnaise
Hellmanโs mayo is obviously my go to here, no other brand competes in my opinion. I find the flavour of low-fat may isnโt as great and as the mayo is a huge element of the Caesar dressing, we donโt want to compromise on flavour.
Cherry tomatoes
Not traditional, but I love the sweetness and the burst of flavour that these tomatoes add to the halloumi salad. It adds brightness to a recipe that is quite rich.
Garlic
When minced and combined with salt and some pressure, we get the best garlic paste to flavour our Caesar dressing.
Wholegrain Mustard
You could also substitute with Dijon mustard, however I love the taste, texture and look of wholegrain.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
3. Then rinse the lettuce and wrap in a clean tea towel to remove the excess water (Image 3).
4. Then chop the lettuce & pop it in the fridge (wrapped in the towel), so it tastes super fresh, cold and crunchy when itโs time to eat (Image 4).
Meanwhile add the halloumi to a frying pan with a tbsp of olive oil. Rotate the pieces after around 3 minutes or until they have browned nicely. Once cooked, set aside whilst you prep the rest of the ingredients.
5. To make the dressing, finely chop the garlic then add a pinch of salt onto it. Using the side of your knife, apply pressure to form a paste and repeatedly chop. The salt will act as an abrasive to help get that smooth texture, you donโt wanna munch on a piece of raw garlic (this time) (Image 5).
6. Then itโs time to combine the garlic paste, mayo, lemon juice and mustard in a mixing bowl with a whisk. Once these have come together, sloooooowly drizzle in the oil whilst vigorously whisking. This will give it time to emulsify and become one smooth, beautiful Caesar (Image 6).
7. Add the Caesar dressing to a bowl (Image 7).
8. Now itโs time to assemble the salad by stirring the Caesar dressing into the cooled lettuce. Pop the tomatoes & spring onions into the mix & lay the halloumi on top. Garnish with some pine nuts and lots of black pepper and youโre good to go! (Image 8).
Homemade Caesar Dressing
Create a flavourful vegetarian Caesar dressing using ingredients like mayonnaise, lemon juice, wholegrain mustard and garlic. Adjust the ratios to achieve the desired creaminess and tanginess.
Anchovy Substitute
Traditional Caesar dressing contains anchovies, but for a vegetarian version, you can add umami-rich ingredients like capers or nutritional yeast to achieve a similar depth of flavour. I used halloumi for this vegetarian version.
Croutons
Prepare homemade croutons by cubing whole-grain or artisan bread and tossing them with olive oil, garlic powder, and dried herbs. Bake until they’re golden and crunchy. These add a satisfying crunch to the salad.
Balancing Flavours
The halloumi provides saltiness, so be cautious with the salt content in the dressing and croutons to avoid over-seasoning.
Serve Immediately
Once dressed, it’s best to serve the salad immediately to prevent the salad from wilting.
ย Yes you can! Simply prepare the ingredients (slice the lettuce/tomatoes, fry the halloumi, make the dressing) and store the elements of the salad in separate containers. We donโt want to combine the ingredients with the dressing ahead of time or the lettuce will turn soggy.ย
Of course! Iโve just opted for low-fat to keep the calories down whilst having lots of cheese for each portion.ย
You sure can. I find the flavour to be quite different which is why Iโve opted for full-fat.ย