Roasted Mushroom and Halloumi Grain Bowl
Updated September 21, 2022
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
8 to 9 ounces halloumi, torn into bite-size pieces
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
1 cup pearled barley or farro
1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 lemon
1 ½ to 2 cups thinly sliced raw vegetables (such as brussels sprouts, celery, fennel, cucumbers and radishes)
⅓ cup torn mint, dill or watercress
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a parchment-lined sheet pan, toss together the mushrooms, scallions, halloumi and 3 tablespoons oil; season with salt and pepper. (The pan might be crowded, but that’s OK.) Roast on the bottom rack until crisp and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the barley with 2 inches of water and season with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, then leave in the strainer to drain again. Hold onto the saucepan; there is no need to wash it at this stage.
- Step 3
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and olives; season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 4
When the mushroom mixture is done roasting, finely grate the zest of the lemon over it and stir to combine. Shake the barley to get rid of any water, then transfer it back to the saucepan, along with the raw vegetables, herbs and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Halve the lemon and squeeze enough juice into the barley mixture until it tastes peppy and fresh (about 2 tablespoons); season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 5
Spoon and spread out a small amount of the barley into bowls, then add small spoonfuls of yogurt and top with a layer of the mushroom mixture. Repeat with another layer of barley, yogurt and mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil. Leftovers will keep for up to 2 days refrigerated. Adjust seasonings with salt and lemon juice.
Private Notes
Comments
Excellent flavors and textures - we loved it! I did fennel, radishes and dill and it was delicious. I recommend roasting for a shorter period of time. After 15 minutes some of the halloumi was too dry and hard.
This seemed like a lot of work (I roasted the Brussel sprouts, lots of steps and chopping). I used radishes, celery, and cucumber. I sort of hoped I wouldn't think it was worth it, but it was DELICIOUS! All the textures and flavors! Will certainly make again.
Sprinkled some pine nuts over the bowls to make it fancy.
This was one of the BEST NYT recipes. So many different flavors that came together in such a delicious way. I used quinoa instead of farro, using the same amount which worked perfectly. I added shredded cabbage, celery and dill, otherwise followed the recipe. Everyone LOVED this, it was a huge hit and very filling.
Made this for the first time last night. Pretty much followed the recipe as directed, but my farro had been cooked a few days before, so it was cold and in the fridge. I grated brussels sprouts and radishes for the veggies, which I thought was a great combo. I had shiitake mushrooms and use those. They came out great. I would definitely make this again.
If you are vegetarian, make sure the halloumi is not made with animal rennet. All cheeses need to be checked for this, actually.

