Halloumi and Chickpea Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

I realise it’s been a while since I properly sat down and thought about what it was I was going to blog…Perhaps its time for a bit of an update!

Firstly, It’s going well guys! The diet is going well! We’ve been doing this for nearly 5 weeks and I’ve lost roughly 9lbs. Hopefully I will have shifted at least 1 more lb before I weigh in again on Sunday. We’re not following any diet or exercise per se. Just healthy eating, portion control, and attempting to fit in 25-30mins of exercise every day (though more often than not its 5 out of 7 days a week).

There are plenty of healthy recipes on Supper in the Suburbs, from:

Tabbouleh and rainbow food processor salad

to…

Skinny Moussaka and pearl barley risotto

not to mention…

Skinny carrot cake and almost fat free banana bread!

But you can never have too many healthy recipes in your repertoire can you? That’s what I thought, so today I’m going to attempt to jazz up your lunch with this awesome grilled halloumi and chickpea salad drizzled with a hot and tangy chilli and lime vinaigrette. This is guaranteed to put a spring in your step!

But the best bit about this recipe (beyond it being good for you and tasting awesome…), this is another quick and easy salad that can be whizzed up with the help of your food processor – simply chuck all of the veggies into your food processor, fitted with the slicing attachment, and watch your salad make itself!

Grill a few slices of halloumi, add a tin of chickpeas, whisk up you vinaigrette and you’ve got one hell of a salad.

Salad recipes don’t get easier than this.

I genuinely think making salads with my food processor has revolutionised healthy eating for me. Food processor salads are perhaps the most LAZY form of cooking (read: food assembly). And I will be eternally grateful to Jamie Oliver and his 15 minute suppers for introducing the idea to me! There really is no excuse for giving in to take-away. As fast food goes, this is the fastest and the healthiest!

But enough about speed – this salad is also about flavour. The lime an chilli vinaigrette is particularly inspired. It’s such a classic zingy flavour combination and will leave your taste buds tingling. The sweet chickpeas and salty halloumi then balance this out for a well-rounded dish that will leave you wanting more. The textures of this dish are also incredibly moreish. In any one bit you have the crunchy raw vegetables, creamy chickpeas and the bite of the halloumi drizzled with the cool lime dressing. Is your mouth watering yet?

We happily eat this as either a lunch or dinner. The chickpeas and protein give this salad more than enough substance on top of the thinly sliced veggies and lettuce. This isn’t a wallflower of a salad however… Nobody puts this salad in a corner! It would equally be good served up at a buffet or perhaps at a BBQ where you can grill the halloumi to order.

Do you have any salads that are made using a food processor? Do share them in the comments below! In the meantime I hope you enjoy this Halloumi and Chickpea Salad with Lime Vinaigrette.