I was introduced to Halloumi cheese in Turkey and I loved it. It's maybe just a bit more flavorful than mozzarella but what makes it special is that you can grill it or heat it in a skillet and it doesn't melt. This makes it great for adding to warm dishes when you don't necessarily want gooey cheese, like soup.
Servings: About 8
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 14.5 ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
3 medium carrots, finely diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup cold water
1 225 gram package Halloumi cheese, cubed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
Directions:
Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot. Add celery, onions and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
While soup simmers, whisk corn starch and cold water together until smooth. Set aside. Brown the Halloumi in a seasoned cast iron skilled until brown. Set aside. After carrots become tender add cornstarch mixture to soup.
Simmer, stirring constantly, until soup begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in warmed almond milk, salt, and pepper. Simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. If you'd like a smoother consistency remove from heat and pulse with an immersion blender. Serve, topping with the Halloumi and basil.
Nutritional Info:Calories 215.4 Total Fat 15.2 g Saturated Fat 7.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g Cholesterol 7.6 mg Sodium 1,080.7 mg Potassium 181.5 mg Total Carbohydrate 14.4 g Dietary Fiber 3.1 g Sugars 5.5 g Protein 7.6 g
