Fresh and sweet tomatoes with soft and slightly mushy eggplant plus tangy capers and olives. Oh, and not to forget about the good herbs and the Goey fried halloumi with fresh pita. Hard not to get hungry when reading this right?!
To be honest I have never had Halloumi until a few months ago. I spent a day with my besties in Bratislava and we were so tired after this super long day and went into a super cute little café. We just ordered some small snack like avocado toast and a greek bowl and in this bowl there was halloumi. And let me tell you, I instantly loved it. Maybe it is because I am a huge salt-addict (I know, that’s not very healthy but I just love it). Halloumi is pretty salty but tbh, that makes it real good right?
What goes well with Halloumi?
So I believe that everything that is with Mediterranean flavours goes super well with it! And everything with lots of herbs because herbs + halloumi is just the best combination. It tastes really yum with tomatoes, cucumber, olives, eggplant (=aubergine). Also, this might sound a little weird but believe me, it is also really good with oriental things like curry, hummus, falafel. Yes curry and halloumi goes with with each other. Might sound a little off but it is really good. If you want another halloumi recipe you can check out my Honey Eggplant and Chickpea Salad with Grilled Halloumi because that’s also really good!
Why Eggplant & Tomato?
Well because this combination with Halloumi is just so good. And Eggplant works so well in stews because it has a rather soft texture and makes it a little creamy-ish. Also it adds such a nice flavour. And tomatoes are always good. Especially in sauces or stews they are a must! They kind of build a „base“ for it and makes it saucy. And they are coming into season, so why not?
Fresh or canned tomatoes?
This really is up to you. They both work perfectly fine. If they are in season and you have them on hand, I would always recommend using fresh produce! But if you used canned ones make sure they are not all puréed. The best is if you mix them both. So use some fresh ones and some puréed sauce. That way you get some texture and sauciness. All the good things in it.
30-minute meal
You thought this couldn’t get any better? Well, it can! Because this comes together in less than 30 minutes. I know, so easy. Which means, it is perfect for a quick and healthy lunch or a cozy and simple dinner. Also, making it is not complicated at all! Actually the opposite is the case. It essentially comes down to chopping the ingredients and throwing them all together into a pot plus frying the halloumi in an extra pan. Yes, that simple.
What to have it with
Pita is my favourite go-to here because it is perfect to soak up the sauce and it has such a nice texture and taste. But if you do not like it or are intolerant to gluten or cannot find a good one you can also substitute it out for other things. Something like Quinoa, Pasta, Couscous or Rice would also work really well here. If you want to on the lighter side, you can also just serve it with a salad, which also is really good!
This is such a tasty meal for whenever you ar craving something comforting but healthy. Comes together really quick, is super family friendly, has lots of vitamins (& cheese ofc) and tastes amazing!
I hope that you will love this recipe as much as I do and that it will become a staple in your household!
Italian Tomato and Eggplant Stew with fried Halloumi and Pita
Healthy, comforting and so full of flavor. A 30-minute, super quick and good weeknight dish!
What you will need
- 1 red onion
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 650 g Eggplant about 2 medium sized ones
- 300 g tomatoes fresh ones (best is a mxi of large ones and cherry tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 200 g canned tomatoes (puréed)
- 2 tbsp rosemary
- 2 tbsp oregano
- juice from 1/2 lemon
- 60 g Capers about 3-4 tbsp
- 40 g Olives about 3 tbsp, sliced olives
- 300 g Halloumi
- 2 Pita
How to
-
Finely dice the onion. Heat up the olive oil in a pan and add the onion when hot. Sautée for about 2 minutes until fragnant.
In the meantime chop the eggplant and tomatoes into about 2 cm sized chunks or half the cherry tomatoes, if using. Add them into the pan and sautée for another 2 minutes on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and stir in the tomato paste and sauce and the herbs. Let simmer for 10 minutes and then add in the juice from half a lemon, the capers, olives, some freshly cracked black pepper and some salt. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.
While this is simmering slice the halloumi into about 1/2 cam thick slices. Place them on a grill or a preheated (grill)pan and fry them on medium high heat for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Heat up the Pita in the oven.
When everything is ready add the stew onto the plates and place the fried halloumi on top. Serve with the fresh pita and enjoy!
Happy cooking,
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière <3
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