This Grilled Halloumi and Chicken Salad With Watermelon is light, yet filling and can easily be made ahead of time! Finished with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, it hits all of the sweet, salty and fruity notes of a delicious summer salad.
In the dead heat of summer when it’s so hot that you barely have an appetite, let alone want to move (or heaven forbid, cook), salads are a great go-to. But while they can be a great light meal, they’re often lacking… whether in flavor, a balance of nutrients (i.e. protein, fat etc.), or just excitement!
So say goodbye to sad summer salads and give this Grilled Halloumi & Chicken Salad With Watermelon a try!
Why You’ll Love This Grilled Halloumi & Chicken Salad
- It’s filling. This salad feels like a light meal but has a good balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates, meaning it will give you lasting energy and you won’t feel hungry again thirty minutes later! It’s great for serving as a standalone meal or dished up alongside another main.
- It’s refreshing. Bites of cool juicy watermelon add a wonderful freshness to this salad! And paired with a rich, fruity balsamic glaze, this flavor combo just screams summer.
- It’s great for making ahead or meal prepping. Prepare and store each component separately, then compose and dress your salad right before eating for a quick “no-cook” meal on demand. If you want to portion out prepped salads for the week, I would leave the watermelon and dressing on the side until ready to eat so the salad doesn’t get soggy.
Grilled Halloumi & Chicken Salad Ingredients
For the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Halloumi cheese. See the FAQ section below for everything halloumi!
- Chicken breast. This recipe is great for using up leftovers or a rotisserie chicken.
- Watermelon. For a sweet refreshing bite in an otherwise savory salad.
- Mixed greens. The base of our salad.
- Balsamic glaze.
- Olive oil.
Ingredient Substitutions For Halloumi & Chicken Salad
- Protein. This recipe uses boneless skinless chicken breast, however you could use thigh meat in its place. You could also replace the chicken with another meat or your favorite vegetarian protein.
- Fruit. I love the refreshing summery feel of watermelon in a salad but other fruits can also work here. Sweet sliced peaches or nectarines would be lovely with the salty halloumi and fruity balsamic glaze.
- Greens. Feel free to use your favorite type of lettuce such as arugula, spinach or chopped romaine.
- Balsamic glaze. If you don’t have balsamic glaze, use 1-2 tablespoons of a good quality balsamic vinegar instead. Or try making a homemade balsamic glaze!
- Oil. Any light flavored oil can be used in place of olive oil, like avocado or canola oil.
FAQs: All About Halloumi
Halloumi is a Mediterranean cheese typically made from sheep’s or goat’s milk. It has a high melting point so it is perfect for grilling, frying or baking without losing its shape.
Halloumi has a mildly tangy, salty taste. Due to its firm yet elastic texture when cooked, it can have a pleasantly “squeaky” quality when chewed.
Halloumi can be grilled, baked, pan-fried, breaded and deep-fried, or even air-fried. For a simple grilled halloumi that is perfect for topping salads (like this one!), cook 1″ slices of halloumi on a hot grill or skillet for 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown on each side.
Halloumi contains important nutrients like calcium and protein. A 1-ounce (28g) serving provides 7g of protein and 25% of your daily calcium needs. On the other hand, halloumi is relatively higher in sodium and saturated fat, so is best enjoyed in moderation and as part of a balanced diet.
How To Cut A Watermelon
Cutting melons and other large irregularly shaped fruits can be a daunting task. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying a juicy watermelon, or worse, spending big bucks on pre-cut fruit. For this salad, we want to completely peel and dice our watermelon.
Here’s how I do it:
- With a sharp knife, carefully slice off both ends of the watermelon.
- Stand the watermelon up on one now-flat end. Carefully trim away the peel in small strips (cutting away from you), and following the curvature of the melon. Try not to cut away too much flesh, you can always trim any bits of white peel off after.
- Flip the melon onto its other end and trim away any peel you may have missed on the bottom half.
- Next, turn the melon horizontally onto its side and cut it into 1-inch thick round slices.
- Cut each round into 1-inch wide sticks.
- Finally, cut the sticks across the other way into 1″ squares. Perfectly bite-sized for salads, skewers or snacking!
P.S. For a good visual, take a look at this post on how to cut a pineapple. You can skip the step about removing the core, but the process for peeling and cutting a watermelon is almost the same!
P.P.S. Check out these handy tips for picking the perfect watermelon!
More Non-Sad Salads To Try This Summer!
- Summer Beet Salad with Simple Citrus Dressing
- Simple Spinach Salad with Oranges and Almonds
- Roasted Beet & Grapefruit Salad with Goat Cheese
Grilled Halloumi and Chicken Salad With Watermelon
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 to 4 servings 1x
Description
Grilled Halloumi and Chicken Salad With Watermelon is light, yet filling and can easily be made ahead of time! Finished with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, it hits all of the sweet, salty and fruity notes of a delicious summer salad.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pkg (150g) halloumi cheese
- 2 each chicken breasts, cooked & diced
- 2 cups cubed watermelon
- 5 ounces (150g) mixed greens
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze, plus more for serving
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Cut the halloumi cheese into 1″ slices. Place on the hot pan and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until the cheese is slightly softened and has nice dark grill marks. Remove halloumi from the pan and cut each slice into 1″ cubes.
- Pile the mixed greens into a large serving bowl. Top with cubed halloumi, chicken and watermelon.
- Drizzle the salad with the remaining olive oil, the balsamic glaze and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to mix.
- Finish salad with an extra drizzle of balsamic glaze and serve!
Notes
Cutting the watermelon: Cut off both ends of the watermelon. Stand the melon up on one end and slice away the peel in small strips, following the curvature of the melon. Flip the peeled melon onto its side and slice into 1″ thick rounds. Cut each round slice into 1″ strips, then each strip into 1″ square pieces.
Storage: A dressed salad is best eaten immediately as leftovers will become soggy overtime. To make the salad in advance, prepare and store each ingredient separately, then build and dress the salad right before consuming.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American