The UK now eats more halloumi than anywhere else in the world, apart from Cyprus where it's made. We can see why! Everyone loves this 'squeaky cheese' with its delicious salty taste and firm texture. It's particularly good in today's recipe, paired with nutty lentils and sweet balsamic onions.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
100
Baby Spinach
125
Baby Plum Tomatoes
1
Garlic Clove
12
Balsamic Vinegar
(Contains Sulphites)
250
Halloumi
(Contains Milk)
1
Croutons
1
Vegetable Stock Powder
1
Lentils
1
Red Onion
50
Water
Halve the tomatoes. Pop the tomatoes on a baking tray. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Halve, peel and thinly slice the red onion. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Cut the halloumi into three slices per person. Place the halloumi slices in a small bowl of cold water and leave to soak. Drain and rinse the lentils in a sieve.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large saucepan on medium heat and add the red onion. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until really soft, 5-7 mins. Add the balsamic vinegar, pop a lid on and turn the heat down to low. Cook until caramelised, stirring occasionally, 3-4 mins. Once cooked, stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the water (see ingredients for amount) and stir in the vegetable stock powder. Bring to the boil and simmer until reduced by half, 2-3 mins. Add the lentils. Bring to the boil and cook the lentils until piping hot, 2-3 mins. Taste and add salt and pepper if you feel it needs it.
While everything cooks, bake the tomatoes in your oven until the tomatoes softened. 8-10 mins. Once cooked remove from the oven and set aside. Once the lentils are piping hot, add in the spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted, 1-2 mins. When wilted, pop a lid on and remove from the heat. Set aside.
While the spinach wilts, put a frying pan on medium heat and add a drizzle of oil. Once the oil is hot, lay in the halloumi slices. Fry until golden, 3-4 mins on each side, then remove the pan from the heat.
Stir the tomatoes into the lentils, taste and add salt and pepper if you feel it needs it. Serve the lentils in bowls with the halloumi slices and croutons on top. Enjoy!