I do A LOT of cooking. Not only do I prep weekly for my own AIP strategy, but I’m also now prepping for my 20 year old who had a recent health scare…I hear you fellow mommas…time to teach that boy to cook for real! All that to say, of all the goodies and meals I’ve put together recently this recipe just may be my favorite!
I’m a sucker for anything with a Mediterranean flair. It’s so bright and crisp…I always feel full yet “light” after eating cuisine from the region! This Greek Meatball Salad is no exception, packed full of cucumber, parsley, mint, dill, lemon, and creamy tzatziki…dairy-free, of course! Let’s not forget the amazing fragrance that comes from all those herbs; it seems to clean the air and lift the whole atmosphere. If I could put it into a non-toxic candle, I would!
When it comes to those meatballs, do yourself a favor — don’t make them too big! Otherwise, you just can’t get them in your mouth (not gracefully, anyway). I use a small cookie scoop, giving me about a 1 inch to a 1 ¼ inch meatball, perfect for popping into a salad!
I’ll confess here that I made a bit of a glutton of myself on this…I realized it’s AUGUST and this flavorful salad might just be my last “big one” (salad, that is) for the year! We’ll be on to all things fall quickly, so I’m going to enjoy these fresh summer flavors while I can!
Happy cooking, friends! – This recipe was created by Amanda Runnels (from Unrefined Junkie) for A Squirrel in the Kitchen.
AIP Greek Meatball Salad
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1½ tablespoons cassava flour
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
For the cauliflower rice:
- 1 (12-ounce) package of cauliflower rice (or make yours with a head of cauliflower)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
For the salad:
- Prepared cauliflower rice
- 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- ½ cup chopped kale
- ⅔ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped mint leaves
- ½ cup finely diced red onion
- ½ cup sliced Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette
For the Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon coconut vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
For the Tzatziki Sauce:
- 8 ounces coconut yogurt
- ¼ of a cucumber, peeled and seeded
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Use a small cookie scoop to portion meatballs and roll into balls. Place the meatballs on one of the prepared sheet pans.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower rice ingredients. On the second sheet pan, spread out the cauliflower rice.
- Place the meatballs on the top rack of the oven. Place the cauliflower rice on the middle rack of the oven. Set a timer for 30 minutes. When 10 minutes has passed, check the cauliflower rice for tenderness. Do not overcook, as it will begin to crisp. When done, remove it from the oven and allow to come to room temperature as the meatballs continue cooking.
- While the meatballs and cauliflower rice cook, prepare the vegetables for the salad. Combine all of them in a large bowl. Add the cooled cauliflower rice.
- Place the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a mason jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously.
- Add two tablespoons of the vinaigrette to the salad and toss; place in the refrigerator to chill for the remainder of time that the meatballs are cooking.
- Prepare the tzatziki by combining all ingredients in a blender and pulsing until well blended.
- When the timer is done for the meatballs, use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. It should be at least 160 degrees; if more time is needed, cook in 5-minute increments so as not to overcook. When the meatballs have finished, remove from oven.
- Portion the salad into serving bowls and top with tzatziki and meatballs. Add a squeeze of lemon for a bit more zest if desired.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! You have no idea how great it was to make this and add some variety to my high allergy lifestyle! But then maybe you do have an idea! This recipe was terrific….and I will certainly make again! By the way, due to my allergies I cannot have coconut so I substituted plain, unsweetened oat yogurt for the coconut yogurt in the tzatziki sauce, and it turned out great. I also used oat flour in the meatballs instead of cassava as I cannot have cassava. That worked out too. And finally, I used ground bison and turkey for the meatballs as I cannot have beef or pork. That worked as well. So now you know how I cope! LOL
I wasn’t sure about this dish, but I made it. So glad I did! This dish tastes sooooo good!