Spiced Lentil & Chickpea Salad with Halloumi and Spiced Tahini Dressing

Very few ingredients, some really good halloumi and a killer dressing – this is how I like my salads. I made this a while ago and then the weather turned, I can’t even think of a salad when its cold and rainy even though this salad has all sorts of cold weather warming vibes to it. 

A Quick Dinner:

This will be the perfect quick dinner served with some quick greens on the side and my yogurt flatbread.

Big LOVE for the first of the organic cherry tomatoes are here! At a push tinned cherry tomatoes (drained) will do, we all have those days, but the texture of freshly cooked lentils will be better.

Homemade Harissa Paste:

Harissa, a spicy Middle Eastern dip made with chillies and red peppers is such a great way to add smoky flavour to your food. I always have a jar handy in my fridge, making your own is super easy and un’faffy’, here is my recipe.

Alternatively you can try to source Belazu’s Rose Harissa which I get from Olive Branch Deli in Cape Town or online .

A Note on Halloumi:  

Halloumi, man I have had some bad halloumi in my life, this semi-hard cheese with its high melting point can easily taste very rubbery and bland, I would recommend a good halloumi which has been salted, I like the Babylonstoren one. There might be more halloumi than needed but there is worst things in life than extra oozy golden halloumi. 

Hero ingredient here is store bought Harissa. The dressing would work well over a cabbage slaw too. 

• 3 tbspn olive oil
• 3 shallots, halved & sliced (use any onion)
• 200g cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 red cabbage, very finely shredded
• 2 tspn harissa paste
• 250g cooked brown lentils
• 1/2 lemon, juiced & zest
• halloumi, 1 small block, cut into 1/2cm slices
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
• handful mint, roughly chopped
• handful Italian parsley, roughly chopped
• pretty micro herbs to garnish

Dressing

• 1 generous tbspn tahini
• 3 tbspn Greek style yogurt of your choice
• 2 tspn harissa
• 1 tspn honey
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 1/2 garlic clove, crushed

1. Heat olive oil in a pan, cook the onions until soft. Stir in the tomatoes & cook until they start to burst open, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the harissa, lentils and lemon zest and juice (to taste), season well with salt and pepper.
3. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, I find, when honey is involved, blitzing the dressing in a NutriBullet works best.  Add a little water to the mixture if the dressing is too thick, season well.
4. Fry the halloumi in batches with a little olive oil in a good non stick pan, until golden on both sides, drain on kitchen towel.
5. To serve: Toss the chickpeas, cabbage and halve the herbs into the lentil mixture. Plate on a platter, top with the halloumi, dressing and the remaining herbs. Enjoy!