Summer Vegetable & Halloumi Kebabs with Cumin-Coriander Oil
Meet your new favorite grilling recipe: vegetable and halloumi kebabs in a seriously good cumin-coriander marinade. The halloumi turns deeply golden and squeaky-good, the veggies char to smoky perfection, and somehow it all comes together in under an hour. Simple, satisfying, and endlessly good.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 270kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- ¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp smoked or sweet paprika
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 medium lemon, juiced, about 3-4 Tbsp
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp Aleppo pepper
For the Veggie Skewers
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 medium red onions, cut into 1½ inch pieces
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds
- 2 bell peppers, red, orange, or yellow, cut into 1½ inch pieces
- 8 oz halloumi, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Soak the skewers. Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Metal skewers are easier — no soaking required.
- Make the marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, 1½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp coriander, ½ tsp paprika, a grated clove of garlic, the juice from 1 lemon, 1 tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp Aleppo pepper.
- Marinate veggies. Set the tomatoes to the side. To the marinade, add red onion, zucchini, bell peppers, and halloumi, then toss gently to combine. Let everything sit for 15 minutes.
- Assemble. Thread the main kebabs by alternating all ingredients (I do recommend putting two pieces of onion together since they’re so thin), leaving a little space between each piece. The halloumi should not be crowded. It needs contact with the grates to char properly. Next, thread the cherry tomatoes onto their own separate skewers, as they cook much faster.
- Grill the kebabs. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. When it’s hot, fold a paper towel into a small pad, grip it with tongs, dip in neutral oil, then rub all over the grates thoroughly. Place the assembled skewers over direct medium-high heat, turning every 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are charred, tender throughout, and the halloumi is deeply golden at the edges. This will take about 8-12 minutes for the main kebabs and about 5-6 minutes for the tomato skewers.
- Serve: You can either pile the skewers onto a platter or slide everything off the skewers first, straight onto a platter. Either way, scatter with chopped parsley, mint, and sesame seeds, then serve immediately. Halloumi is already quite salty, but I find the veggies benefit from a pinch of flaky sea salt regardless. Enjoy!
Tip: Halloumi is delicate and will break if handled roughly. You can always toss the veggies first, then add the halloumi near the end.
Don’t rush the first flip; let the halloumi release naturally from the grates. If you try to flip it and it doesn’t release, give it more time or you risk it crumbling.
Notes
- During testing, I found the best results for the tomatoes were when they were skewered separately. They cook substantially faster.
- Make-ahead: The spiced oil and chopped vegetables can be prepped several hours ahead.
- Storage: Leftovers keep 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm gently in a skillet—microwaving can make the halloumi rubbery.
- Serving cold: Also great chopped into a salad or grain bowl the next day.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 861mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1941IU | Vitamin C: 89mg | Calcium: 450mg | Iron: 2mg
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