Did a vegan take on halloumi so here is the most refreshing tofu halloumi and cucumber salad! It has arugula, thin rolls of cucumber, tofu halloumi coated with za’atar, and a mint tahini dressing. I’m going to want this one all spring and all summer – it’s so flavorful and refreshing!
Literally all I want to do lately is make my veggies taste amazing so here’s a refreshing cucumber arugula salad with tofu halloumi and a mint tahini dressing! I have no clue what halloumi tastes like so I just went for the look. It’s coated with za’atar, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and miso! So so perfect for this warm weekend and it might turn into my top salad choice for the summer! The cucumber and mint really take refreshing to the next level.
How to make the tofu halloumi
There are two options for cooking this: on a pan on the stove or in a panini press. I mostly just used the panini press for the grill marks though and have to say that the version made on the stove was softer and better!
What you do is make a little mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, miso, and nutritional yeast. Coat the tofu with that and then sprinkle the tofu with za’atar. Let this marinate for an hour before making it! When you make it, it should take 10 minutes.
Tofu Halloumi and Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Persian cucumbers
- ½ an avocado, sliced
- 2 cups arugula
- sesame seeds
Tofu halloumi
- 1 14 oz. block of firm tofu
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tbsp miso
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- za'atar
- salt
Mint tahini dressing
- ⅓ cup mint leaves
- 1 tsp dijoin mustard
- 3 tbsp oat milk *it works! sub water or yogurt
- 1 tbsp tahini
- ½ tsp paprika
- sea salt
Instructions
- For marinating the tofu halloumi: Press tofu for at least 15 minutes. Cut it into pieces that are about 1/4 inch thick. In a small bowl, mix oiive oil, lemon juice, miso, nutritional yeast, and a little water to thin. Brush the liquid mixture on both sides of each piece and place it on a plate. Sprinkle the top with zaatar. Let it marinate for an hour or longer.
- For making the tofu halloumi: Heat a pan or a panini press over medium heat. Add a little olive oil to the pan or panini press. If using a pan, flip once the side on the pan has browned and crisped up, so about 4 minutes. Cook for the same amount of time on the other side. In the panini press, close the press and cook until brown and crisp. Check occasionally and after 5 minutes, flip the tofu. Close the panini press and cook for another 5 minutes, or until you like it!
- For the mint tahini dressing, simply add all the ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth.
- To assemble the salad, first use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to cut thin slices of cucumbers. Then add arugula, avocado, cucumbers, tofu halloumi, mint tahini dressing, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
If you like this refreshing salad, you’ll also love…
The BEST Kale Salad (with Lemon Miso Tahini Dressing)
Warm Broccoli Orange Lentil Salad
