Harissa onion and halloumi burger with courgette ribbons recipe

Our Harissa-onion and halloumi burger with courgette ribbons is sure to become a new staple vegetarian barbecue dish.

Meat-eaters shouldn’t get all the good stuff when it comes to BBQ season! This burger recipe will make every carnivore out there jealous! To take these veggie-burgers to the next level, consider giving the halloumi and crunchy coating like in our indulgent halloumi dipper recipe. Harissa is a blend of different spices commonly used in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine. It’s delicious swirled in hummus to add a little heat but it also doubles up as a fantastic marinade ingredient.

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, zest and juiced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1tbsp za’atar
• 500g halloumi, thickly sliced

For the harissa onions

• 1/2tbsp olive oil
• Small knob of butter
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 2tbsp rose harissa paste

For the courgette ribbons

• 2 courgettes
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped
• 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4-6 brioche buns, to serve

Method

1. In a bowl, mix the lemon zest, juice, oil, garlic and za’atar together, add in the halloumi and marinade for 30 mins to 1 hr.
2. Meanwhile, make the onions by heating the oil and butter in a frying pan, toss in the onions with the harissa paste, coat evenly and turn down to low, allowing them to soften and caramelise for around 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
3. Peel the courgette’s using a potato peeler. Squeeze over the lemon, add the oil and fresh mint and toss together.
4. Take the halloumi from the marinade and cook on the BBQ over a medium heat for 2-3 mins, ensuring the grill is well greased to stop the cheese from sticking. Flip the halloumi and cook for a further few mins.
5. Grill the brioche buns for a min and assemble by adding the onions to the base of the bun, followed by the halloumi and then topped the ribbons of the fresh, minty courgette.