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Greek Halloumi Skewers on a plate With Hazelnut Pesto and a lemon wedge.

Greek Halloumi Skewers With Hazelnut Pesto

Greek Halloumi Skewers With Hazelnut Pesto are an easy summer starter or snack that always goes down well.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 532 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 230 grams (8 oz) Halloumi cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 200 grams (7 oz) Baby zucchini/courgettes

For the pesto

  • 75 grams (⅔ cups) Hazelnuts
  • 50 grams (⅓ cups) Pinenuts
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 50 grams (2 cups) Basil leaves
  • 40 grams (½ cup) Parmesan cheese or Pecorino (grated)
  • 30 ml (⅕ cups) Olive oil
  • ½ Lemon Juice and zest
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

For the pesto sauce

  • Preheat the oven to 170C/340F and place the hazelnuts on an oven tray. Roast hazelnuts for around 10 minutes or until fragrant. Remove them to a bowl to cool and replace with the pine nuts. Roast the pine nuts for 5 minutes until browned.
  • Once the hazelnuts have cooled, rub them between slightly damp hands so the skins flake off.
  • Blanch the basil leaves by dipping them in a saucepan or bowl of freshly boiled water, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate and pat dry.
  • Blend all the pesto ingredients until you reach your desired consistency, adding more oil to loosen the pesto into a sauce. Leave some hazelnuts and pine nuts whole to garnish.

For the Halloumi skewers

  • Top and tail the zucchini/courgettes and slice each one into 3 evenly sized pieces.
  • Drain the halloumi and pat it completely dry with paper towels. Cut it into chunks around the same size as the zucchini.
  • Heat olive oil in two frying pans over medium heat until it glistens. Saute the zucchini in one, and the halloumi in the other, turning occasionally with tongs until browned on all sides.
  • Thread the halloumi and zucchini onto skewers and plate, drizzling with the hazelnut pesto sauce and a few extra pine nuts and chopped hazelnuts.

Notes

You can also make this dish on the BBQ grill. Soak the skewers in water first to prevent them from burning. Then thread the zucchini and halloumi onto the skewers, but take care with the halloumi as it can split and break apart easily. It is much easier to thread onto skewers once cooked. 
Store the pesto in the fridge in an airtight container with plastic food wrap covering the surface and use within 3-4 days. 
You can use chunks of full-size zucchini or courgettes, but they will contain more water and may not have the same firm texture after frying, so will be harder to thread onto skewers. 

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 23gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 853mgPotassium: 499mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 993IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 754mgIron: 3mg
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