This grilled corn and halloumi salad is the perfect side dish for your summer BBQs! Tender grilled corn, delicious grilled halloumi cheese, avocado, cilantro, and lime – Minimal ingredients, full of flavor!
What is corn halloumi salad?
This is the perfect recipe to take to a cookout or picnic. It’s so nutritious and filled with gut-healthy ingredients. The salad combines charred corn, crispy halloumi cheese, fresh avocados, and a homemade cilantro lime dressing.
It is the perfect summertime salad that nourishes your body!
Why this recipe works
Corn is in season from May until September (a.k.a. grilling time too)! There are so many ways to prepare corn, but grilling corn is my favorite way to enjoy this summer vegetable.
Everyone has their own preference for grilling corn. Some grill in the husk, and some grill the corn naked on the grill. I personally don’t like grilling it in the husk because you don’t get char on the corn. Plus, peeling hot husks is difficult.
Note: You can also wrap it in foil, then remove it to char the corn at the end.
How to grill corn
To prepare the corn for this grilled halloumi salad:
- Remove the husks and silk from the ears of corn.
- Then, lightly brush them with a thin layer of olive oil, followed by kosher salt and black pepper.
- On a medium heat grill, place the corn on the grill grates and grill for 10-15 minutes, rotating every 5 minutes.
- Remove from grill.
How to grill halloumi cheese
Now for the halloumi cheese! If you have never had halloumi, you are in for a treat! It’s a brined cheese made out of a combination of sheep, goat, and sometimes cow milk.
For this recipe, slice it up and grill it on each side for about 5-10 min until you achieve grill marks (use a spatula to help flip them over).
Halloumi tip:
Do not eat it raw – grill it or fry it!
After it’s done grilling, I eat about two whole pieces because I have no self-control, then dice up the rest for the corn and halloumi salad.
Remember, the cheese is salty due to the brine, so be mindful of adding additional salt if you use it in a dish.
Chopping avocado
The final main ingredient is freshly diced avocado. I cut the avocado in half, then peel the skin off (if the skin doesn’t easily peel off, it’s probably not ripe).
Once the skin is off, I lay it flat, cut it horizontally in half, then dice.
Assembling the corn halloumi salad
To assemble the corn and halloumi salad:
- Cut the corn off the cob and add it to a large bowl.
- Add in the diced halloumi, diced avocado, fresh cilantro, and lime juice.
- I added some fresh ground black pepper, and that’s it!
Mix all the ingredients together and give them a taste. You can adjust the seasoning if necessary or add more lime juice.
Salad tip:
The halloumi cheese is salty and we pre-salted the corn, so don’t add more salt.
Salad substitutions
There are a lot of different ingredient substitutions that you can make.
- Instead of halloumi cheese, use either feta cheese or Indian cottage cheese (paneer).
- There isn’t a perfect substitute for avocado – it is so unique! Silken tofu might work, and so would some cooked butternut squash. I prefer avocado because it tastes delicious.
- You can always use lemon juice instead of lime juice. If you don’t like how cilantro tastes, either leave it out or use fresh parsley instead.
- You can also grab some frozen corn and pan-fry kernels instead of grilling fresh corn. As long as the corn is cooked and crispy, it will taste delicious in this corn and halloumi salad.
How to store corn halloumi salad
This corn and halloumi salad is best served fresh due to the avocado. If making ahead, wait until you’re ready to serve to add in the avocado, so it doesn’t brown.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Since the avocado has lime juice on it, it should last a day or so before it turns brown.
This grilled corn halloumi salad is the perfect side dish to round out your summer BBQs and to take advantage of fresh in-season corn. See below for what to pair this recipe with!
Looking for other cookout recipes?
- Fall-off-the-Bone Ribs
- Smash Burgers
- The Best Grilled Chicken Marinade
- Marinated Steak Skewers
- Carne Asada
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Grilled Corn and Halloumi Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8.8 ounces halloumi cheese sliced 1cm thick
- 4 avocados peeled and diced (about 2 ½ cups)
- 4 ears corn shucked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Juice of 2 limes
- ½ cup cilantro roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium heat (350F-400F) for 10 minutes.
- Corn: Shuck corn and remove silk. Evenly brush a thin layer of olive oil onto each piece of corn and discard the excess. Sprinkle salt/pepper over the corn.
- Place on the grill and close for 10-15 minutes, rotating every few minutes. Corn should be slightly charred and easily pierced with a fork.
- Halloumi cheese: While the corn cooks, you can use the other half of the grill to cook the halloumi (if your grill is small, just wait till corn is done). Place the sliced cheese directly on the grill, cook for about 3-4 minutes each until golden and slightly charred on each side, using a spatula to flip.
- Carefully cut the kernels off the cob using a knife or a corn peeler, add to a large bowl. Dice the halloumi cheese and add to the bowl with corn.
- In the bowl with the grilled corn and halloumi, add the diced avocado, roughly chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice. Mix to combine and taste, can add fresh ground black pepper to finish or more lime. Salad is best enjoyed freshly made.
Notes
- You can use your own preferred way of grilling corn for this recipe.
- Halloumi is naturally salty, be aware of adding extra salt to this dish.
- You can also pan sear the halloumi in a skillet over medium heat.
- Avocado may brown when storing. To assist in preserving, seal the top of the dish with plastic wrap, eliminating any air in between the ingredients and the plastic wrap. Or if making ahead, wait to add the avocado to the salad until ready to serve.
Cami
I have never left a food review on any blog but had to with this recipe. It was SO good! I did everything as stated, except I was out of cilantro and I added a diced jalapeño. Will be making this again and again!