Harissa Halloumi and Roasted Pepper Grain Bowl with Whipped Yogurt

This bold grain bowl brings together everything great about Mediterranean weeknight cooking: whole grains, good olive oil, vegetables roasted until sweet and blistered, and a hit of squeaky, salty halloumi seared until golden. Smoky harissa paste is bloomed in olive oil to make a fragrant dressing that coats the warm bulgur and peppers, while a swipe of garlicky whipped yogurt underneath adds cool, tangy contrast to every bite. It comes together in about 35 minutes using one sheet pan and one skillet, making it an easy but impressive dinner that's equally good served warm or at room temperature for lunch the next day. Fresh herbs, lemon juice, and a scatter of toasted nuts or seeds at the end keep things bright and textured, while the halloumi delivers the protein and richness that make this bowl genuinely satisfying without any meat. True to the Mediterranean diet's emphasis on plant-forward eating, extra virgin olive oil, whole grains, vegetables, and moderate dairy, this bowl is a flavorful way to eat well without sacrificing excitement. It's the kind of dinner that proves "healthy" and "bold" aren't mutually exclusive.</long_description> <parameter name="meta_description">Smoky harissa halloumi, roasted peppers, and warm bulgur over garlicky whipped yogurt — a bold, 35-minute Mediterranean grain bowl.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cupbulgur wheat, coarse or medium grind
• 2.25 cupVegetable stock or water
• 2 wholered bell peppers, sliced into strips
• 1 wholeYellow bell peppers, sliced into strips
• 1 wholered onion, cut into wedges
• 5 tbspextra virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tbspharissa paste
• 9 ozhalloumi cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch slabs
• 1 cupplain Greek yogurt
• 2 clovegarlic cloves, 1 grated for yogurt, 1 minced for bulgur
• 1.5 wholelemon, juiced and zested
• 0.33 cupfresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbspfresh mint, chopped
• 0.25 cuptoasted pine nuts
• to tastesalt
• to tasteblack pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet and toss the red and yellow bell peppers and red onion wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
2. Roast the vegetables, stirring once halfway through, until softened and lightly charred at the edges. 20:00
3. Meanwhile, bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the bulgur, cover, remove from heat, and let stand until tender and liquid is absorbed. 15:00
4. Fluff the bulgur with a fork and stir in the minced garlic, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon olive oil while still warm.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the harissa paste and 2 tablespoons olive oil to make a smoky dressing.
6. In a mixing bowl, whip the Greek yogurt with the grated garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt until smooth and creamy.
7. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with no oil. Sear the halloumi slices until deep golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. 4:00
8. Toss the roasted peppers and onions and half of the harissa oil through the warm bulgur along with the remaining lemon juice.
9. Spread a generous swoosh of whipped yogurt into each bowl, top with the harissa bulgur and vegetables, then arrange the seared halloumi on top.
10. Drizzle with the remaining harissa oil, scatter with parsley, mint, and toasted pine nuts, and serve immediately.