I am sad to admit it, but I never tried haloumi until about two years ago, and ever since my life has been changed. It originated in Cyprus, an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea. It has an extremely high melting point and thus it is an optimal cheese to fry and/or grill. In these tacos we pan fry the haloumi. When combined with the spicy avocado sauce it provides a nice, salty relief. One thing to note is that haloumi cheese can sometimes be made with non-vegetarian rennet. 

These tacos call for a recipe of Instant Pot Black Beans and they are central to this recipe. These tasty spiced beans bring much more flavor to the recipe compared to canned beans. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, have no fear, for there are directions in the recipe to make the beans on the stove top. 

To top-off the beans and haloumi, there is an acidic and creamy avocado lime sauce. It packs a punch with roasted jalapenos and brings the whole taco together. I like to use authentic corn tortillas for all my tacos, but if you prefer flour don’t be shy. I hope you enjoy!

Active time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Avocado lime sauce:

• 1 – 2 jalapenos (depending on desired spice level)

• 1 white onion
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ¼ cup water
• 1 cup cilantro, leaves only(lightly packed)
• 3 avocados
• 1 Tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp lime zest

The rest 

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 recipe of The Best Instant Pot Black Beans, drained (not rinsed!)
• ½-¾ lb of haloumi cheese
• Corn or flour tortillas 

Directions

1. Set the oven to broil high. Cut the jalapenos (use one if spice sensitive, and two if you like your food spicy) in half and seed them. Lay on a bare baking sheet with the outer skin facing up. Broil for 4-6 minutes until the outside has begun to char. Take out and set aside. 
2. Cut the white onion in half. With one half, dice it finely and set aside, we will use this to top our tacos. With the other half, chop roughly. Get out a food processor. Add in the half white onion, lime juice, water, cilantro, avocados, sugar, salt and lime zest. Process for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Set the sauce aside.
3. Now we will make the beans; heat a large pan on medium low heat. Melt the butter and add in the onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add in the garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add in the drained beans and cook for 3-4 minutes until evenly heated. Taste for salt and adjust. Set aside. 
4. Heat another large, flat bottomed pan on medium high heat. Once hot, add in a splash of neutral oil. Sauté the haloumi cheese until golden brown on each side, flipping after about 4-5 minutes. 
5. Heat your tortillas. To form your tacos add in a base of beans, then add on a layer of haloumi cheese and top with a generous scoop of avocado sauce. Garnish with a pinch of white onion and a squeeze of lime juice, enjoy!