Halloumi-and-Vegetable Skewers with Pomegranate-Tahini Sauce

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Pomegranate molasses is the secret ingredient in this simple marinade. Its punchy, sweet, earthy notes add long-cooked depth of flavor to cheese and vegetable skewers in just 30 minutes of marination, with pleasantly bitter tahini rounding things out. The pomegranate-tahini marinade goes the extra mile as a final drizzle for the skewers; thinned with fresh orange juice, it supplies the perfect, sweet-savory finish to the dish. Be sure to soak wooden skewers in water before threading on the cheese and vegetables to prevent flare-ups while grilling or broiling. 

By
Kelsey Jane Youngman
Photo of Kelsey Youngman
Kelsey Jane Youngman

Kelsey Jane Youngman is a New York–based cook, baker, writer, and editor for Food & Wine with over 7 years of experience in food media. Kelsey has developed recipes, worked in culinary production, starred in cooking videos, and baked cookies for Cookie Monster.

Expertise: recipe development, cooking, baking, food styling.

Experience: Kelsey Jane Youngman has spent her life in kitchens, and began her professional training at the San Francisco Cooking School before moving to New York City to attend the Natural Gourmet Institute. She completed an externship in the Good Housekeeping test kitchen and cooked on the line at several city restaurants before joining Food & Wine's test kitchen editorial team. There, Kelsey has managed the kitchens, tested and developed recipes, written feature stories, worked as a culinary producer on multiple video series, and starred in her own series, "The Best Way," as well as several episodes of "F&W Cooks."

Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on August 2, 2023
Tested by
Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time.
Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
Pomegranate Tahini Sauce with Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers
Photo: Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Active Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 5 mins
Servings:
4
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup tahini, well stirred

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 10 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from 2 oranges), as needed, divided

  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 medium (8-ounce) bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1 small (7-ounce) red onion, cut into 10 (1/2-inch-thick) wedges

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes

  • 1 pound Halloumi cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • Cooked white rice and chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

  1. Place 10 (8-inch) wooden skewers in a large bowl or sealed bag with water, and let soak 20 minutes; remove from water.

  2. Whisk together tahini, oil, 5 tablespoons orange juice, pomegranate molasses, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl until emulsified and smooth. Measure 1/2 cup sauce into a small bowl; cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use or up to 5 days. Thread bell pepper, onion, tomatoes, and Halloumi evenly onto wooden skewers. Place skewers on a large baking sheet, and brush evenly with remaining sauce (about 1/2 cup) in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

  3. Preheat grill to medium-high (400°F to 450°F). Place skewers on lightly oiled grates; grill, covered, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter with rice.

  4. Stir up to remaining 5 tablespoons orange juice into reserved 1/2 cup sauce as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over vegetable skewers and rice; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

Alternatively, to broil the skewers: Cover ends of skewers with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Arrange skewers on a greased baking sheet. Broil 4 1/2 inches from heat source until browned, about 8 minutes, flipping skewers halfway through broiling time.

Pomegranate molasses can be found at foodsofnations.com.

Make Ahead

Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Suggested Pairing

Tart, minerally Greek white: Gai'a Monograph Assyrtiko

Originally appeared: August 2022

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