Greek Meatball Salad for #SundaySupper

Spring arrived with all its glory. It’s the time when the landscape wakes up and becomes green again. It is also a kick-off for special celebrations. Ah yes, wedding season. This year there is a particular one a bunch of folks are excited about. However it isn’t a real one. The movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 finally happens on the big screen. How to celebrate? With food of course! Greek Meatball Salad was inspired by the movie and what I made for a virtual celebration.

Food and movies go hand in hand. I’ve said it many times before. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a perfect example. It’s impossible for me to think about the movie without lamb, potatoes, fruit, and bundt cake coming to mind. I can’t wait to see what food is highlighted in the sequel (I haven’t seen it yet). The same is true for my fellow Sunday Supper tastemakers. It’s why we are having a virtual movie party.

What to bring to the party was the question. I bake bundt cakes all the time so I passed on it. Then I thought of Toula and Ian, the main characters in the movie. Toula is a meat eater and Ian is a vegetarian. A Greek Meatball Salad represents the marriage of the two. It’s the best of both worlds combined on one plate.

First there are the meatballs. They are a combination of beef and lamb. Couscous is one of the binders instead of breadcrumbs. Garlic and fresh mint both flavor and enhance the meats. The meatballs are on top of romaine lettuce along with tomatoes, onion, and cucumber. It’s dressed with Tzatziki sauce because it goes superbly with both meat and vegetables.

What Greek food is your favorite? The one at the top of my list is Spanakopita. A gyro and Greek Meatball Salad are up there too. Scroll down to see what recipes are being shared for this special Sunday Supper virtual movie party. What a tasty celebration indeed! Opa!

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Greek Meatball Salad

Greek Meatball Salad has beef and lamb meatballs, cucumber, onion, and tomato on romaine lettuce and dressed with tzatziki sauce.

Course Salad

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Renee Dobbs

Ingredients

For the tzatziki sauce:

• 1 cucumber
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

For the meatballs:

• 1/2 cup cooked couscous at room temperature or chilled
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound ground beef round or chuck
• 1/2 pound ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the salad:

• 6 cups torn or chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cucumber peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
• 1/2 red onion sliced

Instructions

For the tzatziki sauce:

1. Peel cucumber and remove seeds. Lay a cheesecloth on a work surface. Grate cucumber onto the cheesecloth.
2. Pull up edges of cheesecloth and squeeze liquid from cucumber. Place cheesecloth with cucumber in a sieve or strainer over a bowl.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over cucumber. Toss to coat. Allow to set for 30 minutes.
4. Pull up edges of cheesecloth again and squeeze liquid from cucumber. Transfer cucumber to a medium bowl.
5. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

For the meatballs:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place a rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Stir together couscous, egg, mint, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add ground beef and lamb and mix well. Shape into 12 meatballs.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown half of the meatballs, turning to brown evenly. Transfer browned meatballs to rack on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining half of meatballs.
4. Bake meatballs for 12 to 15 minutes, until cooked through (internal temperature registers 165°F when tested with instant-read thermometer).

For the salad:

1. Divide romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, and onion equally among 4 plates. Top each with meatballs.
2. Serve with tzatziki sauce for the dressing.

Recipe Notes

Make the tzatziki sauce a day in advance or allow time for it to chill for at least 1 hour prior to making the salad.

It’s a My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 virtual movie party! Take a look at these Greek recipes by Sunday Supper tastemakers you can make for your celebration:

Greek Breakfast:

• Baklava French Toast with Cinnamon Honey Syrup by A Mind Full Mom

Greek Beverages:

• Ouzito: The Greek Mojito by Hardly A Goddess

Greek Appetizers:

• Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata) by Angels Home Sweet Homestead
• Greek-Style Sliders with Feta Aioli by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Mushroom, Kalamata Olive and Feta Stuffed Phyllo with Whipped Feta Dip by Pook’s Pantry
• Rosemary and Olive Grissini by What Smells So Good?
• Socca Pizza with Spinach, Roasted Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, and Feta by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Spanakopita Bites by My Imperfect Kitchen
• Tiropitas (Greek Cheese Triangles ) by Moore or Less Cooking
• Tyropita Appetizer Bites by The Freshman Cook

Greek Soups:

• Avgolemono Chicken Zoodle Soup by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Quick and Easy Greek Avgolemono Soup by Confessions of a Cooking Diva
• Shrimp Avgolemono with Spinach by Monica’s Table
• Vegetarian Magiritsa (Greek Easter Soup) by Palatable Pastime

Greek Main Dishes:

• Baked Shrimp with Feta from Sunday Supper Movement
• Brizola (Greek-style Pork Chops) by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chicken Greek Salad Flatbread by Family Foodie
• Greek Chirashi Sushi by NinjaBaker
• Greek Breakfast Wraps by Brunch-n-Bites
• Greek Meatball Salad by Magnolia Days
• Gyro Meatballs with Lemon Rice by Casa de Crews
• Kotopita (Greek Chicken Pie) by Curious Cuisiniere
• Mediterranean Meatball Gyro Sandwich by Life Tastes Good
• Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Roasted Vegetables by Food Lust People Love
• Souvlaki Chicken Wraps with Homemade Tzatziki by The Crumby Cupcake
• Youvetsi (Greek beef or lamb and orzo stew) by Caroline’s Cooking

Greek Side Dishes:

• Greek-style Rice Salad by Pine Needles In My Salad
• Greek Zucchini Fritters by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Homemade Tzatziki Sauce by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Spanakorizo by Feeding Big and More

Greek Desserts:

• Chocolate Baklava by The Chef Next Door
• Greek Lemon Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Greek Spice Cake by Our Good Life
• Greek Walnut Cake by Pies and Plots
• Greek Wedding Cookies – Kourabiethes/Kourabiedes by La Bella Vita Cucina
• Loukoumades – Greek Donuts by The TipToe Fairy
• Loukoumades (Greek Honey Fritters) by The Redhead Baker

Join the #SundaySupper family on twitter every Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the conversation. To get more great Sunday Supper recipes, visit the Sunday Supper Movement website or check out our Sunday Supper Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.