grilled zucchini and halloumi pitas

Dinner

Grilled Zucchini & Halloumi Pitas

This grilled halloumi pita is summer-ready with tender-crisp zucchini, fresh tomatoes and smoky halloumi cheese. You can prepare this sandwich inside using a grill pan, or outside using a gas grill. You can grill halloumi cheese just like you would any other protein (it doesn’t melt); letting it cook undisturbed makes it release from the grill pan easily.

Ingredients

1 cup whole-milk plain strained (greek-style) yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 medium clove garlic, grated
1 (8-ounce) block halloumi cheese, cut lengthwise into 4 planks and patted dry
1 small zucchini, cut into 3 (about ½-inch-thick) planks
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado, plus more for grilling
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 (6½-inch) whole-wheat pita rounds, halved crosswise
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato

Directions

Heat a grill pan over medium heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, mint and garlic in a small bowl.
Gently toss halloumi and zucchini with oil and pepper in a medium bowl until just coated. Brush the grill pan with additional oil. Cook halloumi, uncovered and turning once, until grill marks appear on both sides, about 4 minutes total. Remove to a cutting board. Add zucchini to the pan; cook, turning once, until lightly charred and tender-crisp, about 6 minutes total. Cut the halloumi and zucchini into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup each).
Spread 2 tablespoons yogurt mixture inside each pita half; fill with 1/4 cup halloumi, 1/4 cup zucchini and 2 tablespoons tomato. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons yogurt mixture. Repeat the process with the remaining pita halves, yogurt mixture, halloumi, zucchini and tomato.