Colorful, crunchy and full of bright flavors, this Mediterranean hummus bowl is full of creamy hummus, fresh chopped salad and the best bite of all, cubes of perfectly fried halloumi cheese. Have fun with the colorful toppings!
Mediterranean Hummus Bowls
These Mediterranean hummus bowls are a delicious and fun way to customize weeknight dinners. A little while ago I made Mediterranean bowls on a cooking segment on New Day Northwest and had all sorts of toppings to choose from, which makes creating a hummus bowl so much fun!
Have fun with the toppings and use what you have on hand! A few suggestions are, adding homemade falafel and a scoop of cooked quinoa or rice. Or making a chicken shawarma bowl with a drizzle of spicy zhug sauce on top of creamy avocado hummus!
and don't skimp on the creamy tahini sauce to drizzle over everything!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hummus bowls are vegetarian, gluten free and full of bold flavors!
- Customizable! Use pantry staples and vegetables you have on hand, such as adding quinoa or rice, roasted zucchini or eggplant.
- Easy and quick weeknight dinner!
Hummus Bowl Ingredients
- Hummus: To make this recipe even easier, use store bought hummus but if you feel inclined to make it yourself, here is a creamy homemade hummus recipe and for a pop of color and sweetness, roasted beet hummus recipe.
- Roasted Cauliflower: Cut into florets and simply seasoned with sumac, turmeric and garlic.
- Roasted Peppers: Store bought roasted peppers make this a breeze or make your own Italian style peppers flavored with garlic and oregano.
- Chopped Salad: Israeli chopped salad has diced cucumbers and tomatoes and I like to season with mint, lemon juice and olive oil.
- Halloumi Cheese: A semi firm cheese from Cyprus, halloumi holds up well to high heat, making it a great cheese to fry or grill.If halloumi isn't available, substitute with cubes of feta cheese.
- Tahini Sauce: Tahini is a sesame seed paste that can be found in the same aisle as peanut butter in grocery stores. Here is a recipe to make your own tahini sauce.
How to Make Vegetarian Hummus Bowls
- Season cauliflower florets with sumac, turmeric, garlic powder, salt and pepper and roast at 425 degrees until tender and slightly charred on the outside, then set aside.
- Fry cubes of halloumi in hot oil until golden brown on all sides, then set aside.
- Make the chopped salad by combining diced cucumbers, tomatoes and adding olive oil, fresh lemon juice and fresh chopped mint. Toss to combine and set aside.
- Make the tahini sauce by whisking together tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper until the sauce is a thick and pourable consistency.
- Assemble the bowls by spreading a layer of hummus onto the bottom of the bowl and topping with roasted caulif, roasted lower, fried halloumi, chopped salad, roasted peppers and drizzle everything with tahini sauce.
Yes, you can assemble hummus bowls up to 3 days ahead, but leave out the fresh salads until right before serving.
To make these hummus bowls vegan, omit the fried halloumi.
More Mediterranean Recipes to Try
- Chicken Shawarma Bowls
- Mediterranean Falafel Bowl
- Israeli Couscous with Roasted Vegetables
- Mediterranean Mezze Platter
Hummus Bowls with Fried Halloumi
LittleFerraroKitchen.com
Ingredients
Hummus
- 1 can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ½ cup tahini paste
- ¼ cup ice cold water + more if needed
- 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + more if desired
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Roasted Cauliflower
- 1 head of cauliflower cut into ½ inch florets
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup tahini paste
- 1 garlic clove roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼-1/2 cup water
Chopped Salad
- 2 Persian cucumbers diced
- 1 medium sized tomato diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh mint leaves finely chopped
- Fresh parsley leaves finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Fried Halloumi
- 8 ounces halloumi cheese cut into ½ -1 inch cubes
- Flour for dusting
- Avocado or vegetable oil for frying
Other Toppings
- Red cabbage thinly sliced
- Roasted peppers
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Pita bread
Instructions
For the Hummus
- To a food processor, add the chickpeas, tahini, chopped garlic, lemon juice, olive oil the spices and ¼ cup ice cold water with 1-2 ice cubes.
- Puree for several minutes until smooth and there are not large pieces of chickpeas left.
- Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed and continue pureeing until smooth.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. If the hummus is too thick, add a little more ice cold water as needed.
For the Cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Add cauliflower florets and season with spices and drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine.
- Roast the cauliflower for 25-30 minutes until tender and slightly charred.
For the Fried Halloumi
- Dry the halloumi cubes with paper towels and lightly dredge in flour.
- Bring a skillet up to medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Fry the halloumi cubes for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown on all sides. Then remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- For the Chopped Salad
- To a bowl, add the chopped cucumber, tomato, fresh herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss to combine.
For the Tahini Sauce
- To a small food processor, add tahini, water, garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper and blend until smooth and creamy. You can also whisk in a bowl until smooth and pourable.
Assemble the Bowls
- Spread a layer of hummus onto the bottom of a wide bowl and top with roasted cauliflower, fried halloumi, chopped salad, cabbage, roasted peppers and drizzle with tahini sauce.
- Serve with pita bread and lemon wedges for garnish.
Video
Notes
- To make this even easier, use store bought ingredients such as hummus and roasted peppers.Â
- Bowls can be assembled 3 days in advance, but leave the salad until right before serving.Â
BrightLemonyKitchen says
This is the perfect meal, it really is. We stuck close to the recipe but added some leftover roasted veggies we already had in the frig. Fried Halloumi was the best.
Tom says
This Hummus bowl is right up my New Years Resolution alley.... It really is a hearty dish filled with yummy food like beans, tomato and cucumbers. The Hummus is relatively easy to make and is way worth the time. We will be making lots of extra hummus just to have around for healthy 2023 resolutions snacks.