Hands up, who loves cheese? That salty, umami taste, the melty, gooey consistency… It’s one of the most versatile and most enjoyable foods. You may remember me changing my diet to dairy-free at the start of this year, and while I’m a little more relaxed with it now (milk extract in tomato soup won’t stop me from eating it on a cold day!), I still avoid dairy, despite the occasional yearning for a milkshake or a slice of cheese on toast.
Well, no more! Over the last few weeks I’ve discovered the full Violife vegan cheese range: from sandwich slices to creamy spreads, they pretty much do it all. Not only is their range dairy-free, it’s 100% vegan, lactose-, gluten-, nut-, and GMO-free too. I’ve enjoyed trying their different options, but I was really impressed with their new Greek White Block, which even goes melty when cooked.
Now that I’m settled into my new home, I’ve been cooking a lot more and this weekend I decided to give a warm cheese salad a go, akin to a Greek salad with halloumi. It was so, so good (if I do say so myself) with the cheese being the star of the show alongside lightly fried piccolo tomatoes and red onion on a bed of mixed quinoa. If you’ve got a spare 25 minutes, give it a try!
Vegan Halloumi Salad Recipe
Serves: 2
220g mixed quinoa
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 Violife Mediterranean Block packet
2 handfuls of piccolo tomatoes
1/2 red onion
Sprinkle of cracked black pepper
Handful of fresh herbs (I used coriander)
- Boil 400ml water, decant into a sauce pan and add your quinoa
- Leave to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the qunioa is soft
- Meanwhile, on a chopping board, slice your cheese, red onion and herbs
- In a frying pan, heat your coconut oil, and add the red onion, tomatoes and cheese
- (To be extra healthy, you could grill the cheese and vegetables instead, no oil needed)
- Turn your cheese once lightly cooked to melt both sides
- Plate up your quinoa, cheese, red onion, and tomatoes
- Sprinkle over some cracked black pepper and herbs of your choosing
- Enjoy!
This post is sponsored by Violife.
