Grilled Zhug-Marinated Halloumi Pitas Recipe

These grilled halloumi pitas are incredibly bright and fresh, featuring grilled halloumi with an herby-spicy zhug marinade, tomato salad, and homemade tzatziki.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 hot chile pepper, such as Thai or Serrano, stemmed and seeded
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 cups cilantro leaves
• 2 cups parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 16 ounces halloumi, cut into even slices
• 1/2 cup grated cucumber
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 pitas, warmed and halved

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place a small skillet over medium heat.
2. 2Add the coriander and cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. 3Transfer the toasted coriander and cumin seeds to a food processor along with the chile, garlic, cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
4. 4Pulse until very finely chopped.
5. 5Slowly stream in the olive oil while pulsing until the mixture is combined into a pesto-like sauce.
6. 6Add the halloumi slices to a large bowl or bag and cover with zhug. Marinate in the fridge for 2-6 hours.
7. 7In the meantime, make the tzatziki. First squeeze out all moisture from the grated cucumber between paper towels.
8. 8Add the drained cucumber to a bowl with the yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and dill. Stir to combine and set aside.
9. 9Prepare the tomato salad by combining the cherry tomatoes, onions, parsley, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside.
10. 10Preheat the grill to medium-high, or between 400-450 F.
11. 11Place the halloumi pieces over direct heat and grill for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned. The halloumi should lift easily from the grates.
12. 12To assemble the pitas, carefully open each pita and add tomato salad about halfway. Add halloumi slices to fill, then drizzle with tzatziki sauce to serve.