Lentil Tabbouleh Salad with Halloumi
We took a traditional tabbouleh and added an exotic blend of flavors, starting with Moroccan vadouvan, a French-Indian curry spice mix, that we paired with the earthy mix of green lentils and couscous. We topped it all with pan-fried halloumi, a brined Greek-style cheese (made locally!) that has the magical power to keep its shape when grilled or pan-fried.
Servings
Produce
Garlic (Organic)
2 1 Clove
Parsley (Organic)
0.5 0.25 oz
Mint (Organic)
0.25 0.13 oz
Cherry Tomato
8 4 oz
Spinach (Organic)
4 2 oz
Carrot (Organic)
3 1.5 oz
Green onion
1 0.5 oz
Protein & more
Green Lentils
1 0.5 cup
Couscous
1 0.5 cup
Halloumi
4 2 oz
Pantry items
Olive oil
2 1 tablespoon
Sea salt
1 0.5 teaspoon
Spice mix
Allspice
1/8 0.065 teaspoon
Cardamom powder
1/8 0.065 teaspoon
Cayenne powder
1 0.5 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder
1/4 0.125 teaspoon
Cloves
1/4 0.125 teaspoon
Coriander powder
1 0.5 teaspoon
Cumin powder
2.5 1.25 teaspoon
Fenugreek, ground
1/2 0.25 teaspoon
Garlic powder
1/8 0.065 teaspoon
Ground ginger
1 0.5 teaspoon
Mustard powder
1/8 0.065 teaspoon
Nutmeg
1/8 0.065 teaspoon
Onion powder
1/8 0.065 teaspoon
Sweet paprika
1 0.5 tablespoon
Black pepper
1/8 0.065 tablespoon
White Pepper
1/4 0.125 tablespoon
Prep ahead (optional)
a. Peel carrots into ribbons. b. Slice cherry tomatoes in half. c. Chop large spinach leaves bite-sized; leave small leaves whole. d. Mince garlic, mint leaves, and parsley leaves and stems. e. Thinly slice green onion, keeping white and green parts separate.
Instructions
1
Cook green lentils:
a. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil.
b. Add garlic (mince), white parts of green onions (thinly slice), and ½ tsp salt. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
c. Add green lentils and Moroccan vadouvan spice mix; stir to combine.
d. Stir in 2½ cups water (1¼ cup for 2-person portion); cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain excess water and set aside.
2
Meanwhile, cook couscous:
a. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add 1½ cups water (¾ cup for 2-person portion) and ½ tsp salt. Cover and bring to a boil.
b. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Steam, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff with fork. Set aside to cool.
3
Cook halloumi:
a. Slice halloumi into 1”-thick pieces. Blot dry with paper towels.
b. In a dry medium sauté pan (no oil!) over medium-high heat, add halloumi. Cook until golden, about 1-2 minutes each side. Set aside.
4
Assemble tabbouleh:
a. In a large bowl, toss together green parts of green onions (thinly slice), Italian parsley (mince leaves and stems), mint (mince leaves), cherry tomatoes (slice in half), and spinach (chop small bite-sized).
b. Add couscous and lentils. Toss to combine.
5
Serve:
a. Divide lentil tabbouleh among plates. Garnish with carrots (peel into ribbons).
b. Top with slices of halloumi. Pour the wine and enjoy.
Chef's notes
If your block of halloumi has a seam, keep the uncut edge perpendicular to the direction you are slicing — this will stop the pieces falling apart. You don't need to add oil when cooking halloumi as it has quite a high fat content.
All spice mixes and dressings made by Inner Chef from scratch with organic ingredients, local when possible.
This week’s local ingredients across all Inner Chef meal-kits come from:
Gundermann Acres,
Wharton County, TX
Wharton County, TX
Fagan Family Farm
Lone Star Herbs,
League City, TX
League City, TX
G&S Groves,
Mission, TX
Mission, TX
The Farm Patch,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
Kitchen Pride,
Gonzales, TX
Gonzales, TX
Fruitful Hill Farm,
Bastrop, TX
Bastrop, TX
J&B Farms,
Hondo, TX
Hondo, TX
Martinez Farms,
Pleasanton, TX
Pleasanton, TX
J&D Farms
Village Farms,
Marfa, TX
Marfa, TX