Crispy Grains and Halloumi With Smashed Cucumbers Recipe (2024)

I made this with pearled farro, and it was easy and very good. I dried the farro by spreading it on a clean kitchen towel, which was a little messy (it stuck) and probably not necessary. I did find it a bit dense; next time I think I would try to stretch it by adding some sautéed or roasted vegetables, maybe broccoli and/or mushrooms? That would lighten it and make for more generous-looking servings in the same caloric footprint.

I made this with ruby grapefruit. I was afraid it would be too bitter, but it was just right after mingling with the cucumber and cilantro for an hour in the refrigerator.

This is really delicious as is! On my second try at this, to distribute the oil and cumin more easily, I combined the chick peas, rice and farro in a bowl and tossed in the oil and cumin. I also added roast broccoli. This is going into my summer rotation!

I really liked this! I used dill and coriander (combo worked quite well). I added some toasted pepitas, sliced tomato, and avocado because I had them available and it sounded good (and was an excellent addition).

This was a hit. Maybe add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the cucumbers next time.

Delicious! Made this for my daughter who loves lemony tasting recipes. Surprisingly, my husband tried it and couldn’t stop raving about how delicious it tasted. He’s a carnivore so getting him to accept a vegetarian recipe for the main entree is a challenge. Made this as written and I agree with some reviews, you can add more vegetables to customize to taste and make it more filling. I’ll use broccoli and add heat towards the end. This is definitely a recipe I would make to bring to a party.

Added radishes to cucumber mixture and sunflower seeds to grain mixture

This is excellent! I added tomatoes to the cuke mix, as I had some on hand. I didn't have fresh herbs, so I used some dried dill and parsley in the cuke tomato mix. I used dried coriandor vs cumin. For cooking - I pre cooked the beans at 400, for about 10 minutes, then pulled them out, mixed them into the rice with the olive oil and spices. Then put them on the pan, added the cheese and broiled on high for 3 min increments, watching it almost the entire time, and mixed it in the pan 3-4 times.

This was fantastic. So fresh and cooling from the cucumbers, but still hearty enough with the halloumi and chickpeas; the only change I made was ras el hanout for the spice (the blend I have is mostly coriander anyway) and a few dashes of cumin for good measure. Made it for lunch on a Sunday afternoon as a thank you to my brother for helping assemble a new grill for summer. "Four servings" became two very fast!

Loved the halloumi and wild rice and liked the cucumber and grapefruit but didn’t love the two together. It was just a weird mix for me.

Refreshing and delicious dinner! We put the cheese on a separate sheet pan so that it wouldn’t burn. Also used leftover paneer and just salted it well. Highly recommend

I sliced eggplant I needed to use and pre-broiled one side for a few minutes before adding the rice and chickpeas and broiling them together for about 4 minutes then added the halloumi. I didn’t have any herbs for the cukes but everything was still delicious and a nice blend of textures with the eggplant added in.

Take the cheese out earlier, rice and chickpeas need more time

This recipe was meh. I used farro and for me, the ingredients cooked at different times. By the time our chickpeas popped and turned golden, the farro was very dry and difficult to chew, the halloumi was also dry and rubbery. I think if you start the chickpeas first and add in the other ingredients it could work better. The cucumbers gave a bit more moisture and flavor but didn’t help with the dry, rubbery texture.

This is delicious and a crowd pleaser! I’d broil the chickpeas and farro without the halloumi for a little longer — like 10-15 mins, adding the halloumi at the end for 3-5 mins. I found with the instructions as written, the halloumi burns before the rest crisps up.

Easy to breakdown into a smaller individual portion that can be done in the air fryer. Delicious!

Loved this dish. Made it as written with lime and it was delicious. Topped with some chili peanuts for crunch. Would definitely add some roasted veg next time!

This was great! I didn’t have enough cucumbers so I added bell pepper and cherry tomatoes which worked well. Also my cucumber wasn’t “seedless” so I just sliced lengthwise and scooped out the seeds. Used white rice because that was what was on hand. Really good!

Holy smokes this was delicious! I added a few ears of fresh corn because it's in season here, and then adjusted the oil and seasoning up a bit. Per other review recommendations I waited to add the halloumi. I broiled the grains/chickpeas for 7 minutes then added the halloumi and broiled for about 6 more minutes. For herbs I went to my garden and grabbed Italian parsley, dill, and some Thai basil. My kids prefer tofu to halloumi so I'd like to toy with subbing that soon.

After making this a few times I found that it helps to throw the cheese in a couple of minutes after the rice and chickpeas are going, as they tend to cook quicker and brown much more easily. Throwing it in a little bit later and you won’t risk burnt cheese while still getting the rice nice and crispy.

Easy, hearty, and delicious! My new favorite way to use halloumi.

Great dish. But I recommend not drying the grains. Dry only the halloumi and garbanzos. Drying the grains converts them back to dried grains. Hard on the teeth and flavorless

Add cut up cherry tomatoes

Yum! The crispy-crunchy texture is well worth the extra effort. Halloumi was too expensive so I used 4oz feta; added a handful of grape tomatoes; mixed wheat berries and brown rice; and mixed parsley, cilantro and dill. Will make again.