How to Make Dairy-Free Halloumi for Veggie Burgers, Salads, and Beyond

Halloumi is a Mediterranean classic. Known for its salty, savory taste and slightly squeaky texture, the cheese has long been a staple in Cyprus. There, it is often enjoyed as a raw snack alongside refreshing fruits like watermelon or fried with eggs and tomatoes for breakfast.

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In recent years, it has become a favorite in the US and the UK, too, where it is often served in burgers and wraps as a vegetarian alternative to meat. Per Global Market Insights, this demand has helped to propel the halloumi market to a value of more than $446 million. Halloumi isn’t vegan, of course, because it’s made with milk. But good news: there are many ways to make this salty, umami-rich cheese with plant-based ingredients.

What is halloumi made of?

Halloumi—known for its firm, crispy outside and creamy inside when cooked—was first created in Cyprus, but it has also long been popular in neighboring countries like Turkey, Greece, and Lebanon. While modern recipes sometimes include cow’s milk, the semi-hard cheese is usually made with a mix of sheep’s and goat’s milk. Mint is usually added to the recipe for a hint of fresh flavor, which helps to balance out the saltiness. 

My Vegan Minimalist

How to make vegan halloumi

Most vegan recipes for halloumi—which is called hellim in Cyrpus and Turkey—use firm tofu as a base, because it has a similar shape and texture to the cheese, especially when it’s grilled or baked. Lemon juice is a staple in the marinade, thanks to its tang, while salt and nutritional yeast bring the signature savory, umami-rich flavor. According to this recipe from The Vegan Larder, you can also add a little chili to the mix if you like your halloumi spicy, and dried herbs are another great addition, too.

The Vegan Larder

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But not all vegan halloumi recipes use tofu. This tasty recipe from My Vegan Minimalist, for example, uses raw cashews as a base ingredient, which are gelled together with the algae-based thickening agent agar agar. After that, the marinade ingredients are pretty similar: nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and a little mustard help to maximize the flavor. “I know it isn’t a cupboard stable, but I strongly urge you not to skip agar agar,” says recipe developer Tajda Ferko. “It’s the key ingredient for mimicking the halloumi texture.”

5 vegan recipes with halloumi

Once you’ve perfected your halloumi, you can enjoy it the Cypriot way, alongside fresh fruit or grilled tomatoes, or maybe as part of a delicious Greek mezze spread. For more vegan halloumi recipe inspiration, find some of our favorite dishes below.

Best of Vegan

1 Loaded Mediterranean Halloumi Salad

This tasty salad from Best of Vegan is a combination of hearty Middle Eastern and Mediterranean favorites, including chickpeas, tomatoes, and manzanilla olives. Tying it all together is crispy, homemade, dairy-free halloumi made with a mix of ingredients like cashews, agar agar, and tapioca starch. “Halloumi cheese to Middle Eastern cuisine is kind of like what mozzarella is to Italian cuisine,” says recipe developer Noha Elbadry-Cloud. “This recipe is the product of many trials (a few of which were catastrophic failures) at creating a vegan version just as delicious and comforting.”
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It’s Liv B

2 Vegan Maple BBQ Fried Halloumi

Made with Daiya’s vegan halloumi, this recipe from It’s Liv B takes the flavors to the next level by mixing maple syrup, sriracha, red pepper flakes, lime, and soy sauce to make a truly tantalizing glaze. The crispy coating gives it that delicious crunch, too. “This Vegan Maple BBQ Fried Halloumi on its own is one of the best-tasting dishes I’ve made yet,” says recipe developer Greg Bellefontaine. “Mix that with the crunchy BBQ chip exterior and the drizzle of spicy maple glaze makes this appetizer out of this world good.”
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The Vegan Lunchbox

3 Vegan Halloumi and Spinach Borek

Borek is a traditional Turkish and Middle Eastern pastry that is typically filled with ingredients like mushrooms, spinach, and cheese. You can easily make the flaky treat plant-based by swapping in vegan halloumi, just like The Vegan Lunchbox. For extra creamy goodness, add some vegan feta into the mix, too.
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Bosh!

4 Plant-Based Quinoa Halloumi Salad

Bosh!’s simple recipe for vegan halloumi combines firm tofu with olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt, and lemon, and the result is delicious—especially when it’s enjoyed with quinoa, pomegranate seeds, and pistachios like in this nourishing salad. “This recipe is fantastic, the flavors and texture of the halloumi are perfect and it’s complimented perfectly by the zippy salad,” notes the blog.
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Elly’s Plate

5 Hot Honey Vegan Halloumi Burger

Content creator Elly Smart, the founder of Elly’s Plate, is a pro at burgers. In this recipe, she turns her hand to a meatless favorite: the halloumi burger. The cheese is made with tofu, herbs, lemon, and nutritional yeast, but all the flavor comes from the delicious vegan hot honey sauce. “If you make nothing else [please] just try the hot honey,” says Smart. 
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