Anyone with a vegetable garden knows that summertime means an abundance of vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumbers. And if you’re not into gardening, you can take advantage of summer produce by hitting your local farmers market or seasonal grocery store! This year, my little garden box has given me more zucchini than I knew what to do with. I love zucchini, as does my husband and our 10 month old. So we’re making the best of it by experimenting with lots of new recipes. One of my favorites is these herb filled zucchini and halloumi fritters with spicy yogurt sauce. Fritters are a wonderful way to use up shreddable vegetables. And these are just to die for. Seriously – I’ve thought about remaking them several times this week alone. In addition to zucchini and halloumi, they include my favorite herb trio: mint, dill and parsley. These fritters are a cheesy ode to summer produce and I can’t recommend them enough.
Can I freeze these fritters?
You sure can! Freezing these zucchini fritters is an excellent way to preserve the taste of summer. There are actually two ways you can do this. One is to freeze the batter in a freezer safe container. To use, simply thaw and fry! The other option is to freeze these fritters after cooking. To do this, lay them flat in a freezer bag or tupperware. If you need to stack them, place parchment paper between each layer so that they don’t stick. When you’re ready to eat them, thaw and warm in the oven or microwave. Alternately, you can throw the frozen fritters in an air fryer! I’d recommend setting it to 350° and air frying for about 5 minutes. If they’re still cold after that, give ’em a few more minutes.
What’s halloumi and where can I buy it?
Halloumi is a semi-hard cheese that’s said to have originated in Cyprus, but is widely used in Mediterranean cooking. It’s also got a high melting point. Which means it can be grilled or sautéed and will hold its shape. Normally, halloumi is served in slices. For this recipe, however, I grated it. It works wonderfully as a binder for the fritters, while adding a bit of heft and a whole lot of flavor.
As for where to buy halloumi, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are great options! Most larger grocery stores (at least in my area) also carry it. The only catch is that it’s often treated as a seasonal item and only sold during the summer. I really don’t know why, because last time I checked cheese wasn’t super seasonal, but I don’t make the rules. I hope this changes, though, because halloumi should definitely be a year round food.
How much will this make?
While I didn’t count the number of fritters that this recipe made (whoops), I can tell you that it’s about 4 servings if served as a main course or 8 if served as an appetizer!
Herb Filled Zucchini and Halloumi Fritters with Spicy Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
Fritters
- 1 lb Zucchini (About 4 cups grated)
- 8.8 oz Halloumi
- 1/4 cup Parsley (Chopped)
- 1/4 cup Mint (Chopped)
- 1/4 cup Dill (Chopped)
- 2 cloves Garlic (Minced or pressed)
- 1/2 cup All purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs
- Neutral oil like grapeseed or canola for frying (Start with 2 tbsp, add more as needed)
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Serrano pepper (Cored and seeded)
Instructions
- Coarsely grate the zucchini and halloumi. Sprinkle with salt and place in a colander for about 20 minutes (if you haven't already, prep the other ingredients while you wait). Once 20 minutes have passed, dump the zucchini and halloumi onto a towel and squeeze out moisture.
- Put the halloumi, zucchini, chopped parsley, dill and mint, minced garlic, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 eggs in a large bowl and mix to create fritter batter.
- Now make the yogurt sauce. To do this add 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 serrano pepper (cored and seeded), 1 clove of garlic, and 1 tbsp olive oil to your food processor or blender. Blitz until chopped. Now add 1 cup Greek yogurt and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once it's nice and hot, fry fritters. I used about 3 tbsp for each one, but it doesn't have to be too exact. Feel free to use a large serving spoon here. I was able to cook 3 at a time, but this may vary based on the size of your pan. When the bottom edges start to brown, flip them. You'll want a golden brown consistency on both sides (see pictures for further clarification). I cooked for a few minutes on each side. When the fritters are done, transfer them to a paper towel lined plate. Repeat this process until all the fritters are done, then serve immediately alongside the yogurt sauce!
Yes, frying fritters takes a bit of time. But I promise you the results are more than worth it. While I do state in the recipe to serve immediately, these actually reheat quite well after being refrigerated. Post-frying is peak fritter time, but I’m the queen of leftovers so I can tell you that these hold up nicely.
If you make them, let me know in the comments or on Instagram! I always love hearing from you.
And if you’re looking for more ways to use up summer produce, check out me recipes for Watermelon and Burrata Salad with Chili Crisp and Summer Harvest Caprese Salad!
You can put halloumi in fritters??! Oh, we are trying this ASAP.
Apparently! I can’t wait for you to try!
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