Halloumi & Strawberry Skewers
Grilled halloumi, cucumber, and strawberry skewers, charred over the hot bbq and served on a bright strawberry-lemon dressing. Paired with a fresh herb salad and toasted pittas, it’s a sweet-savoury summer barbecue starter that’s ready in minutes.
Ingredients
SERVES 4
2 x 225g blocks of halloumi cheese
½ a cucumber (160g)
12 ripe strawberries
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of mixed soft herbs (30g), such as basil, mint, flat-leaf parsley
Olive oil
4 pitta breads
Thick balsamic vinegar, to serve
Method
1. Light the barbecue and give the grill a really good brush to clean it – this will help prevent the skewers from sticking. Chop each block of halloumi into six. Halve the cucumber lengthways, scrape out the seeds and chop into 8 pieces. Hull 8 strawberries. Gently skewer up the halloumi, cucumber and hulled strawberries across thin skewers, alternating as you go.
2. Finely grate the remaining 4 strawberries and lemon zest on to a platter. Squeeze over the lemon juice, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, mix together and season to perfection to make a dressing. Pick the herb leaves into a bowl, add a few drips of oil, and season.
3. Spritz the skewers with olive oil and cook on the hot zone for 5 minutes, or until golden and charred, turning with tongs and moving to the medium or cool zone if colouring too quickly. Lightly toast the pittas on the cool zone.
4. Sit the skewers on the platter of dressing, and serve with the herb salad and toasted pittas for satisfying scooping or stuffing. Drizzle with a little thick balsamic just before tucking in.
BBQ by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2026, BBQ). Recipe photography: © David Loftus, 2026.
More Recipes Ideas
Method
1. Light the barbecue and give the grill a really good brush to clean it – this will help prevent the skewers from sticking. Chop each block of halloumi into six. Halve the cucumber lengthways, scrape out the seeds and chop into 8 pieces. Hull 8 strawberries. Gently skewer up the halloumi, cucumber and hulled strawberries across thin skewers, alternating as you go.
2. Finely grate the remaining 4 strawberries and lemon zest on to a platter. Squeeze over the lemon juice, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, mix together and season to perfection to make a dressing. Pick the herb leaves into a bowl, add a few drips of oil, and season.
3. Spritz the skewers with olive oil and cook on the hot zone for 5 minutes, or until golden and charred, turning with tongs and moving to the medium or cool zone if colouring too quickly. Lightly toast the pittas on the cool zone.
4. Sit the skewers on the platter of dressing, and serve with the herb salad and toasted pittas for satisfying scooping or stuffing. Drizzle with a little thick balsamic just before tucking in.
BBQ by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2026, BBQ). Recipe photography: © David Loftus, 2026.
