Bean and Halloumi Stew : Vegetarian Choice

Have you heard of Halloumi? It's pronounced ha-loo-mee. It's a semi-hard chewy, white cheese originating from Cyprus and made from cow's, goat's or sheep's milk, or a combination. It has a mild salty flavour and lends itself beautifully to cooking due to its firm texture which is retained even when cooked and exposed to high temperatures. It has become a firm favourite in our household and sometimes we just cook a couple of slices and enjoy them as a snack! However Halloumi does lend itself so well to recipes such as this one ...

This 'BBC Good Food' recipe uses a can of mixed beans to make a tomato-based veggie stew with halloumi. You can make it in just twenty five minutes for a quick and easy lunch/supper.

Ingredients

Serves Two

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp red chilli, sundried tomato pesto or vegan alternative
1 heaped tsp ground coriander
400g can mixed beans, drained and rinsed
400g can chopped tomatoes
½ x 250g block halloumi*, sliced
½ small bunch of coriander, finely chopped
To serve (optional)

garlic bread, 

Low-carb bread made in a mug - see here

Method

STEP 1
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and pepper, along with a pinch of salt and fry for ten minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, pesto and ground coriander, and cook for one minute. Tip in the beans and tomatoes along with ½ can of water, then bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for ten minutes.
STEP 2
Add the remaining oil to a separate frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the halloumi for two minutes on each side or until golden brown.
STEP 3
Taste the beans for seasoning, then spoon into deep bowls. Top with the halloumi and scatter over the chopped coriander. Serve with garlic bread, if you like.

Nutrition Per Serving

Fat 25g Carbohydrates 36g Fibre 14g Protein 19g

Recipe Tips

Swap the halloumi* for fried aubergine slices and use a vegan friendly sundried tomato pesto. (also good for those who may not like Halloumi)

Add a little coconut milk if you don't like things with too much of a tomato taste.

Adding some meat free sausages and a little bit of curry powder also works well.

Of course you could choose to add meat sausages! Recipe choices are always a personal preference.

sharing these red berries seen on a recent walk

We bring a variety of recipe ideas to this blog, but please note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan