What I love about Tropical Halloumi Bowl with Coconut Rice
This Tropical Halloumi Bowl with Coconut Rice is the ultimate light meal for those hot summer days! It’s definitely been feeling like summer around here, and in this heat, all we seem to crave are fresh salads, juicy fruit, and ice-cold drinks. If that sounds familiar, you’ll love today’s recipe—a vibrant rice bowl that’s not only refreshing but also quick, easy, and satisfying.
This dish has everything you need in a balanced meal: colourful vegetables, protein and lots of bold, tropical flavour. Best of all, the only things you need to cook are the rice and the halloumi, so there’s no need to turn on your oven.
The base of the bowl is coconut rice, which couldn’t be simpler to make. All you need is canned coconut milk, rice and water and you’ll cook it just as you normally would. The result is soft, subtly sweet rice that pairs beautifully with all the fresh toppings.
Speaking of toppings, this is where the fun really begins! I like to load up my bowl with crisp cucumber spears, juicy pineapple chunks, shredded purple cabbage, sliced green onions, and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds for contrast. To finish it all off, a drizzle of homemade spicy mayo. It’s the ingredient that ties everything together and what makes this bowl so tasty.
This vegetarian dish comes together in just 20 minutes, making it an ideal option for busy weeknights. Plus, it’s a great way to get the whole family involved! Simply separate the toppings in small bowls and let everyone build their own custom creation.
If you’d like to mix things up, try adding shelled edamame, fresh mango, or even romaine lettuce to turn it into more of a salad-style bowl. However you serve it, this Tropical Halloumi Bowl is sure to bring a burst of sunshine and flavour to your table.
Recipe Notes
A few things to keep in mind:
- Rice – I like to use basmati rice as it is low-glycemic, but any long-grain white rice would work fine for this recipe!
- Coconut milk – To make the coconut rice, we want to use a really creamy canned coconut milk for optimal flavour. I like the Thai Kitchen brand, but any full-fat canned coconut milk will work.
- Halloumi – So, what is halloumi? If you’ve never had it you are definitely missing out! It’s a delicious, salty cheese that can be pan-fried without melting or losing its shape. It works great as the protein piece of this dish! You can find this is the specialty cheese section at most grocery stores.
- Cabbage – Purple cabbage adds vibrant colour as well as nutrients. It’s a “cruciferous” vegetable, which means that it is high in vitamin C, anti-inflammatory and even contains cancer-fighting properties. I used a mandolin to shred my cabbage thin, but you can also do it by hand with a sharp knife.
- Sesame seeds – I really love sesame seeds as a garnish on this bowl. The black sesame seeds add a little more contrast but white sesame seeds work just as good!
- Mayonnaise – Be sure to use a real, high quality mayonnaise for the base of the sauce. It will make a difference in overall flavour and delivery. I love the avocado oil mayonnaise with real egg yolks. It’s so good!
- Sriracha – Sriracha is the hot sauce of choice to spice up this spicy mayo sauce. You can really measure with your heart for this one. If you don’t like a lot of spice then keep it to a few teaspoons or if you like it hot, add a little more.
FAQ:
Yes, you can use light coconut milk if you prefer, but full-fat canned coconut milk delivers a creamier texture and richer flavour.
Yes — you could cook the coconut rice ahead of time, but it’s best fresh! All the toppings can be chopped and chilled in the fridge a day in advance and the spicy mayo can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Then, all you have to do is fry the halloumi when you’re ready to assemble the bowls and eat.
Any long-grain white rice will work for this recipe.
Creamy avocado, edamame beans or fresh mango would all be delicious toppings as well!
Tropical Halloumi Bowl with Coconut Rice
Equipment
- 1 Small Saucepan
- 1 Medium-sized Fry Pan
Ingredients
For the halloumi bowl:
- 2 cups white basmati rice
- 1 (400ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- avocado oil for cooking
- 2 (160g) packages halloumi cheese
- 1 cup cucumber cut into 1/4" thick spears
- 1 cup fresh pineapple cut into 1/2" chunks
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1/2 cup green onions thinly sliced
- black sesame seeds for topping
For the spicy mayo:
- 1 cup avocado mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 limes juiced
- 2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
- 1 pinch sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the rice, coconut milk, water and salt to a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cook covered for 15-20 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
- While the rice is cooking, make the spicy mayo: in a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, sriracha and salt and pepper until combined. Set aside.
- Slice the halloumi into 1/4” slices and pat them dry.
- Heat a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat and drizzle in a little avocado oil. Once the pan is hot, add the halloumi slices in a single layer and fry until golden on each side, about 1 minute per side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat until all of the slices have been fried.
- Prepare 4 shallow bowls. Once the rice is done, divide it among the four bowls.
- Top the bowls with cucumber spears, pineapple chunks, shredded cabbage, fried halloumi and green onions.
- Drizzle the spicy mayo all over and top with black sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Leave a Reply