Halloumi Bagel with Pesto Yogurt Sauce

My halloumi bagel combines Cypriot, Greek, and Italian-inspired flavors for a mouthwatering bite. It consists of squeaky fried halloumi in a toasted bagel with homemade pesto and Greek yogurt sauce, with chopped veggies.

Wrap it deli-style for a grab-and-go lunch, or enjoy it in the evening with fresh salads, potato wedges, or parmesan carrot fries.

Assemble Your Ingredients

• Bagels – 4 sesame bagels (or plain bagels or your favorite savory bagels)
• Halloumi – 16 oz (450 grams), cut into thick slices (about 12 slices, 3 per bagel)
• Pesto – 1/2 cup fresh basil pesto
• Yogurt – 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Garlic – 1 garlic clove, minced
• Tomatoes – 2 large tomatoes, sliced
• Cucumber – 1/2 English/seedless cucumber, thinly sliced or cucumber ribbons made with a vegetable peeler
• Red Onion – 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Oil – 1 tbsp oil, to pan-fry the halloumi

Make the Bagel with These Easy Steps

Step 1 – Mix the pesto with the plain Greek yogurt, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 2 – Cut the bagels in half and, optionally, toast them. You can toast them in the toaster or in a frying pan over medium heat for a couple of minutes. If using a pan, you can use a dry pan or add 1/2 tbsp of butter or a drizzle of olive oil.

Step 3 – To a large frying pan or grill pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot add the halloumi slices and pan-fry for about 2 minutes on each side until golden.

Step 4 – Prepare the halloumi bagel assembly board (toasted bagels, pan-fried/grilled halloumi slices, pesto-yogurt sauce, sliced tomatoes, thin slices or ribbons of cucumber, thin slices of red onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper).

Step 5 – Assemble the bagels. To each bagel, add pesto-yogurt sauce, a couple of tomato slices, thinly sliced red onion, cucumber ribbons, 3 slices of halloumi, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

How to Wrap Your Bagel to Go

Step 6 – Wrap the bagels tightly in parchment paper (or wrapping paper) so it’s all contained. Then, cut the bagel in half (see below).

To wrap the bagel, get a square piece of parchment paper/wrapping paper and then place the bagel in a corner. Then, fold the paper over the bagel from the corner on a diagonal until it’s all wrapped. Then, tuck the flaps under the bagel or use a piece of tape to tape the flaps to each other.

That pesto yogurt sauce delivers some seriously earthy and creamy flavor. It’s a lovely combination with the salty halloumi.

Often, bagel fillings contain deli or roasted meats. This is a great option for a vegetarian option or if you want something a little lighter that still fills you up.

Try Some of My Other Bagels

Once you’ve tried it, it’s easy to see why toasted bagels are a popular lunch and takeaway choice in many cities.

If you’re looking for more bagel ideas, try some of these. Try my loaded bagel with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, and more for breakfast.

For lunch, my salami and roasted pepper cream cheese bagels have some wonderfully rich, sweet, and earthy flavor. For dinner, go Italian-themed with my herby pesto and chicken bagel.

Add More Toppings and Fillings

Get creative with these toppings and fillings. There’s plenty here to load up your bagel with all kinds of yumminess!

Found a truly magical combination? Let me know in the comments, and enjoy!

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Want to try this halloumi bagel in the near future? Pin it to one of your lunch or dinner idea boards.