This grilled corn and tajin roasted chickpea salad with halloumi croutons is the perfect way to celebrate Summer! It’s loaded with seasonal veggies and is absolutely delicious.
This salad recipe is perfect as a side dish, or you can enjoy it on top of your favorite protein. For example, fish, chicken, shrimp or tofu would all taste great with this salad. It’s incredibly versatile and easy to make!
I absolutely love this recipe. If you’re new to halloumi it’s a Mediterranean cheese made from goat or sheep’s milk. It’s stored in a brine that adds a delicious salty flavor to the cheese. Since this cheese has a high melt point, it’s great for frying or grilling! It’s almost a hybrid between feta and mozzarella. It’s fantastic!
There is another ingredient in this recipe I love as well! It’s the Tajin spice. Tajin spice is a Mexican spice blend made from dehydrated lime, chili peppers and salt. The spice level is mild, but it is loaded with flavor. I love roasting my chickpeas with the Tajin spice because it adds such a delicious layer of flavor to the chickpeas.
Pair all of this with the sweet grilled corn, shallots, lime juice, jalapeño and fresh herbs and you’re in for a delicious meal! Finish the dinner with a cool sweet treat! Try my homemade chocolate NICE cream with homemade maple vanilla marshmallows. It’s delicious!
Grilled Corn and Tajin Roasted Chickpea Salad with Halloumi Croutons
Equipment
- baking tray
- large mixing bowl
- 3 plates
- satue pan
- colander
- serving platter
Ingredients
- 6 ears corn grilled and removed from cobb
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed. remove loose skins
- 1.5 tablespoons Tajin spice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 jalapeño remove seeds and mince – about 1/4 cup
- ⅓ cup shallots diced small
- 3 tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley chopped small
- 2 tablespoons cilantro choppped small
- Scallions for garnish
Halloumi croutons
- 8 ounces halloumi cut into 16 cubes 1/2 ounces per cube
- 2 eggs beaten
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Cracked black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying canola oil will work too
- Finish with a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Preheat the grill to 400 degrees.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Grilled your corn for 5-10 minutes or until it has a light char on the kernels. Remove from the grill and set aside. Once the corn has cooled, use a knife to remove the kernels from the cobb.
- Place the charred corn kernels in a large mixing bowl.
- Next, you will drain and rinse the chickpeas. Remove any loose skins. Pat the chickpeas dry using a paper towel.
- Place the chickpeas on the prepared baking tray and dust them with the Tajin spice and a 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Toss them around on the tray so they are evenly coated on the spice and oil.
- Roast them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they are nice and crispy.
- Remove them from the oven and them set aside until they cool.
- Next, you’ll dice the jalapeno and shallot. Add them into the bowl with the cooled corn kernels.
- Chop the fresh parsley and cilantro. Add it into the bowl with the corn, shallots, and jalapeno.
- Next, you’ll add the fresh squeezed lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss everything together until well combined.
Prepare the halloumi croutons:
- Cut the halloumi into 16 even-sized cubes.
- Add the cornstarch to a plate. Add two whisked eggs onto a second plate. And on a third plate you will combine the panko breadcrumbs, paprika, garlic powder and a few cracks of black pepper.
- Take one cube of halloumi and dust it in the cornstarch. Next, you’ll dredge it through the egg wash and finally you will toss it in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat until all of the halloumi cubes are breaded.
- In a medium sauté pan add the vegetable oil. You’ll want the oil nice and hot before you fry the halloumi. If you add the halloumi before the oil is hot, the croutons will get soggy and not crispy. You can test the oil by adding a small piece of the breadcrumb into the pan. If the breadcrumbs sink the oil is not ready, but if they begin to fry and bubble the oil is ready.
- Fry about 4 of the breaded halloumi cubes at a time. Overcrowding the pan will reduce the oil temperature and also result in soggy croutons.
- Place the croutons on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Season with a small pinch of salt when they are still hot.
Assemble the dish:
- Grab a large serving platter and add the corn, shallot, jalapeno, herb mixture. Top with the chickpeas.
- Add the croutons and finished the dish with some fresh sliced scallions and wedges of lime.
- Serve and enjoy!
Author: Sarah Thomas-Drawbaugh
Sarah Thomas-Drawbaugh is a recipe developer and creator of the brand, Healthyish Foods®. Sarah makes plant-based, fish and chicken recipes that are simple and delicious. Her work can be seen in Healthy-ish by Bon Appetit and Bon Appetit Magazine (digital), Women’s Health Magazine (digital) and Mind Body Green. Sarah is a Pittsburgh, PA native but currently lives in Vail, Colorado with her husband, Dan and rescue dog, Graci!
I have trouble finding halloumi, what’s a good substitute?
goat cheese would work well and can be fried. Another option would be to use crumbled feta on top. (not fried)
Wow! This is the perfect summer salad. Sarah has me at halloumi cheese and I could have eaten a bowl of just croutons, they were that good! So many great flavors in one bowl. My husband loved it too. Will definitely be making this one again soon!