Appetizer Recipe: Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
This recipe came about as many do: in an effort to clean out the fridge before a little getaway. We had a bit of ground turkey in the refrigerator, some leftover feta and ricotta, and some Italian parsley. I remember reading about lentil meatballs on Sprouted Kitchen months back and have been dying to add lentils to my meatballs ever since. So, here we are:the Mediterranean turkey meatball was born.
Truthfully, while these meatballs are a perfect appetizer with the yogurt sauce, they’d be just as comfy soaking in a big pot of tomato sauce and eaten with pasta, or served with farro and greens for a more well-rounded meal. The salty olives, capers, and feta balance out the lentils, creamy ricotta, and fresh herbs. While they’re certainly not traditional and you can’t compare them to your Italian grandmother’s, these are my new favorite meatball – hands down.
A few notes on the recipe: I never buy bread crumbs in the store because they’re expensive and so easy to make at home; use any bread you have laying around (even slightly stale bread) and toast it in the oven at 400°F. Then pulverize it in the food processor until a fine crumb forms. I find four to five slices of sandwich bread will equal about 2/3 cup bread crumbs. If you prefer other herbs than what I’ve used in the dipping sauce, by all means substitute away! The point of the recipe was really to use and celebrate what we already had at home.
Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Yogurt Sauce
Makes20 (2-inch) meatballs
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 cup
cooked lentils (black or green work well)
- 1/2 pound
ground turkey
- 2
large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2/3 cup
bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup
low-fat ricotta
- 1/4 cup
crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons
red onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons
chopped black olives
- 1 tablespoon
capers
- 1 clove
garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons
fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon
dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon
dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground black pepper
For the herbed yogurt sauce:
- 1 cup
Greek yogurt
- 1 clove
garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon
fresh or dried chives
- 1 teaspoon
fresh or dried dill, chopped
- 1 teaspoon
lemon zest
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a food processor, quickly grind up the lentils until they become mush. Put them in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl and mix well. I use my hands here, but if you're more comfortable, use a good, sturdy mixing spoon. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray generously with non-stick spray. Form 2-inch balls and place on the baking sheet. The meatballs keep their shape nicely and don't spread much, so don't worry about giving them too much space.
Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 22 minutes, until the meatballs are golden-brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
While the meatballs are baking, make the yogurt dipping sauce by simply whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to serve. Keep both meatballs and yogurt sauce covered and refrigerated; meatballs will keep for 3 to 4 days, yogurt dip will keep for 7 to 10 days.
Recipe Notes
Updated from recipe originally published April 2012.