Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad with Grilled Halloumi

Chances are you won't be able to eat just one serving of this easy Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad. The grilled halloumi cheese on top makes it utterly crave-worthy. 102 calories and 3 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad with Grilled Halloumi

If I had to choose one type of salad to nosh on at a picnic or backyard barbecue, a simple cucumber tomato avocado salad would be it, closely followed by a great slaw. The beauty of this salad is that it can be dressed up in a thousand different ways, starting with a layer of briny, melty grilled halloumi cheese.

The vegetable portion of this salad holds up pretty well when made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The lemon juice in the Greek salad dressing slows the browning process of the avocado. I recommend making the salad no more than 3 to 4 hours in advance and adding the sliced basil at the last minute. If serving with the grilled halloumi, the cheese should be cooked right before serving for the ideal texture and flavor.

What is halloumi cheese?

• • Halloumi is a firm cheese that hails from the Greek island of Cypress.
  • Traditionally, it is made from a mixture of sheep and goat milk, though versions found in North American grocery stores sometimes include cow's milk.
  • What does it taste like? Since it is preserved in a brine, it has a wonderful briny flavor (no surprise there).
  • The texture? It's firm with a slightly springy texture. Since it has a high melting point, it is ideal for grilling or pan frying because it does not melt before achieving some wonderful golden brown grill marks on the surface.
  • On on a hot grill (a grill pan will do, too), it takes just a couple of minutes per side to cook halloumi. When you press on the cheese, there should be a little give without actually being fully melted.

Other ways to serve this cucumber tomato avocado salad:

• Other vegetarian options: Stir in white beans, chickpeas or feta cheese.
• Make it vegan: Grill or bake some marinated firm tofu and use it in place of the halloumi cheese. Alternatively, serve it with vegan cheese.
• Change up the protein: Swap out the halloumi cheese and add grilled shrimp or chicken.
• Wrap it up: Scoop some of the avocado and tomato salad into a sandwich wrap or whole wheat tortilla, along with some shredded chicken or sandwich meat for a light lunch.
• Taco Tuesday: Instead of a traditional slaw, tuck some of this cucumber and tomato salad into a corn tortilla, along with grilled shrimp and a creamy yogurt sauce, like in this recipe.

Other salads with avocado:

Seared Shrimp Avocado Salad with Strawberries & Jicama {Cookin' Canuck}
Quinoa, Blueberry & Avocado Salad {Cookin' Canuck}
Avocado, Apple & Chicken Salad {Paleo Leap}
Poached Egg & Avocado Breakfast Salad {Jar of Lemons}

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Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad with Grilled Halloumi

Chances are you won't be able to eat just one serving of this easy Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad. The grilled halloumi cheese on top makes it utterly crave-worthy.

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salads

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Avocado Salad, Grilled Halloumi, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes minutes

Total Time: 14 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 101.7kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

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Ingredients

• 2 cups diced European cucumber not peeled
• 1 ½ cups halved grape tomatoes
• ½ avocado chopped
• 3 large basil leaves thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoon Greek salad dressing
• 5 ½ ounces halloumi cheese cut into eight ⅓-inch pieces

Instructions

• In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the cucumber, tomatoes, avocado and basil. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving dish.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. If using an outdoor grill, lightly brush the grate with oil.
• Arrange the slices of halloumi cheese in a single layer. Grill until the cheese has golden brown grill marks and gives a bit when pressed, but is not melted, about 2 minutes per side.
• Arrange the grilled cheese on top of the salad. Serve.

Video

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 3 (Points+)

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup salad + 1 slice halloumi | Calories: 101.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.8g | Protein: 4.4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3.8g | Cholesterol: 12.5mg | Sodium: 205.2mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1.2g

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