Two tins of chickpeas make Hairy Bikers halloumi tray bake a full meal, with red onion, peppers, courgettes, halloumi and tomatoes in one tin. From One Pot Wonders, it serves 4 in about an hour at roughly 470 calories each by my count.
In their words it’s a “trayful of Mediterranean magic”, because veg, carbs and protein all go into the same tin. And where other halloumi tray bakes lean on paprika or potatoes, theirs uses rosemary, thyme and lemon, then wilts 100g of rocket through.
The staging is what makes it work, because the veg get 25 minutes alone to soften and char before anything else crowds the tin. Then the chickpeas get 10 minutes with the lemon before the halloumi goes on top, so everything finishes lightly browned together.
Hairy Bikers Halloumi Tray Bake Recipe
Description
A meat-free one-tin supper for four, with golden slices of halloumi, burst tomatoes and soft charred veg under a tangle of wilted rocket. So plan on 15 minutes of chopping, then 45 in the oven.
Ingredients
For the tray bake
Instructions
- Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan, Gas 6. Then put the onions, peppers and courgettes in a large roasting tin, spread out in a single layer. And if it’s crowded, split it between two tins, because packed veg steam instead of charring.
- Season and roast: Drizzle the vegetables with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter over the rosemary and thyme. Then toss everything together and roast for 25 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas: Stir the chickpeas through the vegetables and pour over the lemon juice. Then put the tin back in the oven for 10 minutes. While that roasts, cut the halloumi into slices about 1cm thick.
- Add the halloumi: Lay the halloumi slices and cherry tomatoes over the top and drizzle with the remaining oil. Then roast for another 10 minutes, until the halloumi and chickpeas are lightly browned and the tomatoes are ready to burst. And by now the vegetables should be tender and lightly charred in places.
- Wilt the rocket: Take the tin out and scatter the rocket over the top, so it wilts down in the heat of the vegetables. Then serve straight away.
FAQs
Which halloumi should I use?
Any 225g block works, though they write that some brands add mint or chilli, “which we rather like”. So either one swaps in slice for slice, with nothing else in the method changing. And they point out in Make It Easy that a light, reduced-calorie halloumi is sold too, which trims the 470 calories.
With plain halloumi, I add a pinch of dried mint before it goes in, as they do with roasted halloumi in Veggie Feasts.
Does the Hairy Bikers halloumi tray bake use paprika?
No, the One Pot Wonders tray bake has no paprika or oregano, and it leans on chickpeas rather than potatoes. So a halloumi tray bake with paprika and no chickpeas under their name is a different recipe from this one.
If you want potatoes in a tray bake, their chicken traybake from Ultimate Comfort Food roasts potatoes with fennel, spring veg and chicken thighs. And for lamb, their lamb tray bake from Meat Feasts softens new potatoes and aubergine under foil before two leg steaks go on top.
Do they have other halloumi recipes?
Yes, lots, from halloumi burgers in Everyday Winners to halloumi dippers with harissa mayo in Our Family Favourites. But the nearest to this tin is the Greek salad with roast tomatoes and halloumi in Veggie Feasts.
There, the halloumi slices roast on a bed of sliced tomatoes for about 20 minutes at the same 200°C. And then everything goes over a Greek salad of cos, cucumber, olives and capers, so the tomato juices become a warm dressing. And in Ultimate Comfort Food, they fry two blocks to top a Spanish-style escalivada of roasted aubergines and peppers.
Is it vegetarian, and does it keep?
Yes, as long as your halloumi is made with vegetarian rennet, so check the label before you buy. And they note in Veggie Feasts that vegetarian halloumi is easier to find than feta. For another meat-free main, their vegetarian chilli gets its protein from three kinds of beans.
Halloumi turns firm and rubbery as it cools, so this is best eaten hot from the tin. But leftovers keep in the fridge for a day, and I eat them cold as a salad rather than reheating.
What can I serve with it?
Nothing is essential, since the chickpeas make it filling on their own. But warm flatbreads are good for mopping up the lemony oil left in the tin.
And if you like cooking in stages, their salmon tray bake from the same book builds up the same way. And there the veg go in two rounds 20 minutes apart, while the salmon only goes on for the last 8 or 9.
