Halloumi Breakfast Bowl (VG)
My cravings for sweet and savory flavor combinations never end, and this is most prevalent at breakfast time! My recently added ‘Miso Mushroom Breakfast Bowl’ was such a hit, that I decided it’s time to create another. Afterall, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day! The strong, savory, salty flavor of the halloumi, pairs beautifully with the sweet caramelized onion and softness of the poached egg. This halloumi breakfast bowl really is delicious, easy to make, and full of flavor!
Notes
The best thing about bowls is they are easily adaptable, and you can add as many, or as little ingredients as you like to them! The only meat I eat is chicken/turkey, or seafood – which is why these bowls tend to be vegetarian. So if you’re a meat lover (like my husband), feel free to use bacon instead of the halloumi (I’d encourage both, but they are both so salty, and we are all looking out for our health here, right?!)
Halloumi – hands down one of my favorite cheeses! You won’t actually find cheese in my fridge very often, I tend to stay away from dairy.. but when I feel like a treat, I always go for halloumi (mozzarella and feta a close contender). Halloumi is a cheese of Cypriot origin made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk, and sometimes also cow’s milk. It’s texture is perfectly described as squeaky, but in the best way. It has a high melting point and therefore easily fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat substitute! There is actually a similar cheese in Brazil called queijo de coalho, which I ate so much of for this very reason. You can actually buy queijo de coalho on skewers perfectly ready for the bbq! Look for something like the below if you’re interested in trying it!
Caramelised Onion – although very simple to make, the key is not to rush this. Best results are achieved with a low heat, and a slow cook time regularly stirring. You can use either red or yellow onions here!
Quinoa – I like the idea of a healthy grain in this dish, so to keep GF I’ve gone with quinoa. If gluten doesn’t mess with your gut like me, barley or couscous would work great here as an alternative.
Eggs – I always prefer to use pasture raised organic eggs, because the hens are free to scratch and peck, therefore are able to get a lot more natural nutrition from the grass, bugs and worms. Unfortunately, commercial chicken feed is sprayed with harmful pesticides, which I prefer to stay away from. If you don’t have access to pasture raised, go with organic as the next best option. Feel free to add a 2nd egg to the portion, I will often have two eggs with my breakfast.
Spinach – use it, lose it, up to you! I always like to add some greens to my meals. When possible, it’s always good to opt for organic when purchasing fruit and veg, my number one reason being less pesticides. If you prefer kale, that will be a great choice too!
What You’ll Need
- 1.5 large onions, ends removed, chopped in half and finely sliced
- 3 organic, pasture raised eggs
- quinoa (organic if possible)
- 1 x 8oz halloumi, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- baby spinach, x 2 large handfuls, finely chopped
- 2 – 3 tsp brown sugar
- 1 – 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Halloumi Breakfast Bowl (VG)
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 3 1x
Description
Grilled halloumi, paired with sweet caramelized onion, chopped baby spinach, quinoa, and a poached egg
Ingredients
- 1.5 large onions, ends removed, chopped in half and finely sliced
- 3 organic, pasture raised eggs
- quinoa (organic if possible)
- 1 x 8oz halloumi, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- baby spinach, x 2 large handfuls, finely chopped
- 2 – 3 tsp brown sugar
- 1 – 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- White vinegar (optional – for poaching the eggs)
Instructions
- Because the onions take most of the time, it’s best to start with these. In a non stick frying pan, add a good dash of olive oil and your chopped onions. Fry on a low, slow heat for about 20-25 mins, stirring regularly.
- While your onions cook in the background, get your quinoa on the boil in a small put, portioning out for three people and cooking according to packet instructions. Set a timer as to not burn. Once done, keep the lid on and set aside.
- In another large non stick frying pan, fry your halloumi on a high heat. I used some coconut spray as my ‘oil’ element. These will cook for about 5 minutes on each side – pay close attention to it and remove from the pan once browned.
- While the hollumi cooks in step 3, boil the kettle and add your hot water to a small pot. Add a dash of vinegar and bring it to a gentle boil. Crack your egg into a small shallow bowl, and gently slide it into the boiling water.. the small bowl allows you to get closer to the bottom of the pot without dropping the egg in from a distance and breaking it. Repeat for the 2nd and 3rd egg. Place the lid on and let the water come back to a gentle boil. For soft eggs, cook for about 4-5 minutes, removing from the water once done.
- While the eggs cook in step 4, you can finish the onions, which should be nice and soft by now. Season with salt and pepper, and add your sugar and balsamic vinegar. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, adding more sugar/balsamic if needed. Remove from the heat once done.
- To assemble, equally portion out your quinoa, chopped spinach, halloumi, caramelized onion, and poached eggs. I topped with some spring onion I had in the fridge, but you could use parsley as well, up to you! Enjoy!
Notes
The best thing about bowls is they are easily adaptable, and you can add as many, or as little ingredients to them! The only meat I eat is chicken/turkey, or seafood – so if you’re a meat lover (like my husband) feel free to use bacon instead of the halloumi (I’d encourage both, but they are both so salty, and we are all looking out for our health here, right?!)
Halloumi – hands down one of my favorite cheeses! You won’t actually find cheese in my fridge very often, I tend to stay away from dairy.. but when I feel like a treat, I always go for this (mozzarella and feta a close contender). Halloumi is a cheese of Cypriot origin made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk, and sometimes also cow’s milk. It’s texture is perfectly described as squeaky, but in the best way. It has a high melting point and therefore easily fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat substitute! There is actually a similar cheese in Brazil called queijo de coalho, which I ate so much of for this very reason. You can actually buy queijo de coalho on skewers perfectly ready for the bbq! Look for something like the below if you’re interested in trying it!
Caramelised Onion – although very simple to make, the key is not to rush this. Best results are achieved with a low heat, and a slow cook time regularly stirring. You can use either red or yellow onions here!
Quinoa – I like the idea of a healthy grain in this dish, so to keep GF I’ve gone with quinoa. If gluten doesn’t mess with your gut like me, barley or couscous would work great here as an alternative.
Eggs – I always prefer to use pasture raised organic eggs over anything else, because the hens are free to scratch and peck, and they’re able to get a lot more natural nutrition from the grass, bugs and worms, rather than from commercial chicken feed (which is sprayed with harmful pesticides). If you don’t have access to pasture raised, go with organic as the next best option. Feel free to add a 2nd egg to the portion, I will often have two eggs with my breakfast.
Spinach – use it, lose it, up to you! I always like to add some greens to my meals. I will also always opt for organic when it comes to fruit and veg, for so many reasons but the optimal one being less pesticides. If you prefer kale, that will be a great choice too.
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
Keywords: eggs, halloumi, breakfast, caramelised onion
If you liked this, why not try my Miso Mushroom Bowl
Anonymous
Lyndon Vogan
I’ll be sure to share this with my network.