Summer calls for BBQs. And when I’m bbqing, I’m all about skewers, kebobs, kabobs, whatever you want to call them…and I’m all about keeping it super basic. These grilled garlic lemon Halloumi and veggie skewers are my basic summertime meal life right now. And dipping my toes in the kidlet’s inflatable pool. With a glass of rosé in hand. Duh.
See picture above. It’s a visual representation of how basic I’m suggesting your cooking should be this summer. VERY basic. I forgot to include the olive oil and Italian herbs in the pic, but don’t let that deter you. Olive oil and herbs are basic.
Here’s how very basic this recipe is. Chop up all of your veggies and cube your Halloumi. Throw it in a bowl with all the bright and joyous flavors of lemon, garlic, olive oil, and Italian seasonings. Then let it take a siesta in your fridge until grillin’ time. Once you’re ready to fire up the grill, skewer everything (except your hand, be careful), and then place the skewers on the grill for a handful of minutes on each side. Aaand done. Too basic?
Initially I questioned if this recipe was too basic to share.
But then I came across an article from Bon Appetit where they explain how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I raised one eyebrow and understood why they turned off the comments for that post.
If BA has the guts to share the refined and complicated art of making a pb&j, well then by golly I can share my basic summertime skewers.
Maybe I should turn off the comments for this post. Especially if I say golly again.
Here’s what I love about these skewers.
- They are a great way to make use of all of those zucchini overflowing in your garden as well as the other farmer’s market summertime produce.
- HALLOUMI CHEESE. PERIOD. You don’t have to include the cheese if you don’t want to, but why wouldn’t you want?! That’s just crazy talk. Sign me up for Cheese Club of the Month.
- A fantastic and flavorful way (I heart lemon and garlic) to get more vegetables into our lives. Eat the rainbow friends.
- Did I mention that we are grilling some CHEESE with these veggies?! Halloumi cheese is a tasty semi-hard, salty, amazing grillable cheese that doesn’t make an oily mess all over the place when you grill it. Will the real grilled cheese please stand up.
- SIMPLE. Dinner could not possibly get any easier. Simple meals and summer go hand in hand. Along with inflatable kiddie pools and rosé. Duh.
- These skewers can be easily paired with some grilled protein. Steak, chicken, shrimp, salmon. You pick.
That’s it folks. Welcome to summer. Welcome to basic. Summer vacation is officially beginning in 3…2…1…
Grilled Garlic Lemon Halloumi & Veggie Skewers
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes to marinate- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8-10 skewers
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Pin RecipeDescription
These grilled garlic lemon halloumi & veggie skewers are a basic summertime bbq staple. A no fuss, easy meal that can stand alone or be served alongside grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or salmon.
Ingredients
- 9 oz. Halloumi cheese, cut into squares about 3/4 inch thick
- 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
- 8 oz. fresh mushrooms (I prefer Baby Bella mushrooms)
- 10 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
Instructions
- Place the Halloumi and all of the veggies into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss until the Halloumi and veggies are evenly coated with the garlic, seasonings, lemon juice, and olive oil.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or foil and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes before it’s time to bbq. (I’ve also let it marinate for as long as overnight as well.)
- When you’re ready to bbq, thread the Halloumi and veggies onto skewers. I use metal skewers but bamboo skewers will work fine as well.
- Over a medium heat bbq grill, grill the skewers for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Serve and marvel over how basic and tasty of a dinner you just made.
Notes
After you’ve skewered all of your cheese and veggies, use the extra olive oil, lemon, garlic mixture in the bottom of the bowl as a baste for any meats you may be serving alongside it. Think steak, chicken, shrimp, salmon.
And don’t leave out the CHEESE. Duh.
Thanks for sharing. And as basic as this recipe is, you shared some valuable knowledge that not everyone knew–halloumi cheese can be grilled. And should be grilled. Yum.
Thank you Modern Proper : ) That grilled Halloumi is definitely a bbq game changer.