Do I serve the cauliflower bulgur salad warm or cold?

Both work, and each tastes good in its own way. Straight from the oven it is a warm summer salad with the roasted vegetables and the halloumi still steaming. Cold or at room temperature it firms up, the dressing soaks in and the roasted flavours come through more clearly. Either way, fry the halloumi just before serving.

Can I prepare the salad ahead and how long does it keep?

Yes, this salad prepares well. Covered, it keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, after which the leaves go soft. Store the leaves, the bulgur with the roasted vegetables and the dressing separately and combine them just before eating. Add the halloumi and the sunflower seeds freshly fried and freshly toasted on top.

What can I use instead of bulgur?

Couscous, quinoa or millet all work here, just follow the instructions on the packet. Quinoa and millet are also gluten free, while bulgur is not because it is made from wheat. For something more filling, cooked pearl barley or rice work too. For a couscous version of the same idea, take a look at my couscous salad with apricots.

Why is my halloumi rubbery and how do I fry it properly?

Halloumi turns chewy when it stays in the pan too long or sits around before it reaches the plate. Pat the strips dry before frying, otherwise they steam instead of browning. Then fry them over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side without moving them, until a golden crust forms, and serve straight away. Warm halloumi is soft inside; once it cools it firms up again.

What do I use outside asparagus season?

Green asparagus is only in season here until the end of June, so outside that window simply use another green vegetable. 250 g (8.8 oz.) green beans, broccolini or small broccoli florets go on the same tray as the cauliflower for the same roasting time and crisp up just as nicely. Just cut the pieces to roughly the same size so everything finishes at once.

30 JULY 2026

Roasted Cauliflower Bulgur Salad with Halloumi

Name: Roasted Cauliflower Bulgur Salad with Halloumi
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 head of cauliflower; 1 bunch green asparagus; 3 Tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp paprika powder; 1 tsp garlic powder; salt and pepper; 100 gr (3.5 oz.) bulgur; 150 gr (5.3 oz.) mixed green salad leaves; 1 yellow bell pepper; 1 bunch parsley; 1-2 spring onions; 3-4 Tbsp sunflower seeds; 200 gr (7.1 oz.) halloumi; 2 Tbsp lemon juice; 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard; 2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup; 3 Tbsp olive oil

By Verena Frei

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Prep: 25 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4 servings

Hello lovelies, in the height of summer nobody here wants to stand at the stove for long, but a salad of lukewarm leaves and a little dressing is not enough for me either. That is exactly what this roasted cauliflower bulgur salad with halloumi is for: a whole head of cauliflower goes onto the tray with cumin, paprika and garlic powder and comes back out golden and crisp at the edges. Add nutty bulgur, plenty of green, a lemon Dijon dressing and golden pan-fried halloumi on top. 23 g of protein per portion, and it still feels like summer.

Roasted cauliflower florets with bulgur, sunflower seeds and halloumi strips on a wooden board

The whole character of this salad comes out of the oven. Raw cauliflower is too well behaved for me in a salad, while roasted cauliflower turns sweet and nutty and picks up those dark, crisp edges you keep stealing straight from the bowl. What matters is small florets and enough room on the tray, so the vegetables roast instead of steaming. At 200°C (392°F) that takes 20 to 25 minutes, and in exactly that time the bulgur is cooked and cooled again.

Why halloumi and bulgur work so well together

Bulgur is mild and nutty, it soaks up the dressing and turns a salad into a proper meal. Halloumi adds the salt and the bite that nothing else here delivers. It does not melt but only browns on the outside, so the strips sit firm and golden on top. At our table they regularly disappear off the salad first, before anyone has taken a single spoonful from the bowl.

Pan-fried halloumi on cauliflower bulgur salad with roasted green asparagus and cress

A bunch of green asparagus goes onto my tray as well, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces. It needs exactly as long as the cauliflower and brings colour into play. Outside asparagus season I leave it out and use 250 g (8.8 oz.) green beans, broccolini or small broccoli florets instead, which go onto the same tray for the same roasting time. That way the salad works all year round, because cauliflower is available anyway.

Plated cauliflower bulgur salad with golden halloumi and cress on a wooden table

The dressing is whisked together in no time and is still the secret star. Lemon juice for the acidity, Dijon mustard for the bite, honey or maple syrup for a gentle sweetness and olive oil to hold it all together. Finally the sunflower seeds, which I toast briefly in a dry pan until they smell fragrant. Served warm this is a summer dinner for an evening on the balcony; cold the next day it makes a lunchbox other people envy.

Overhead view of cauliflower bulgur salad with sunflower seeds, lemon Dijon dressing and halloumi

Close-up of golden halloumi, roasted cauliflower and sunflower seeds with mustard dressing

I hope I have tempted you to make a salad that genuinely fills you up. If you love roasted cauliflower as much as I do, do try my Caesar salad with chickpeas and crispy cauliflower, and for a version with no cheese at all my Colorful oven vegetables with bulgur is just the thing. If this recipe has given you a taste for halloumi, put my Grilled zucchini halloumi skewers with peach on the grill next.

Yours, Verena

TIPS

Verena's notes

Outside asparagus season, simply leave out the green asparagus and use 250 g (8.8 oz.) green beans, broccolini or small broccoli florets instead. They go on the same tray as the cauliflower for the same roasting time and crisp up just as nicely. For a vegan version, use maple syrup instead of honey and swap the halloumi for pan-fried tofu or vegan grilling cheese. If you leave it out altogether, scatter over a few extra sunflower seeds. Bulgur, roasted vegetables and dressing keep separately for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Add the leaves, the halloumi and the sunflower seeds just before eating. Pat the halloumi strips dry before frying and only turn them once a golden crust has formed by itself.