Everything Italian Salad with Meatballs

Think of all the best things on an Italian salad and all the components of a meatball sub. Then, imagine if they combined. This is half Italian salad, half meatball sub.

First gather everything you need to make a great salad: olives, romaine, hot peppers, Parmesan cheese, homemade oil dressing. then you top with the meatball ingredients: homemade meatballs, marinara sauce, crunchy croutons. And there you have it, meatball Italian salad!

I need a crunch on any salad I’m eating. Sometimes I like toasted nuts, but usually I love a good crouton. Have you ever made your own croutons? It’s best to use bread that’s a bit stale, it’s easier to cut. You can cook them on the stove top or in the oven. I prefer the oven because you can toss them in the last few minutes of cooking something and I think they say fresher. As for seasonings, you can really use whatever you want. There’s no right or wrong way to make croutons, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

The meatball recipe might be strange, but there’s a reason for everything. Sautéing the onions before adding them to the meatballs helps to add flavor. The addition of water keeps them from drying out.

I like more of a crispy lettuce with this salad, something along the lines of romaine. The meatballs weigh down the salad, so I like something with more structure.

I recommend splurging on cheese. Don’t buy the pre-shredded stuff. I bought asiago, but you could also buy any good Italian cheese: mozzarella, provolone. So many options and so much more flavorful than the bagged stuff.

This would make a good quick weeknight meal but is also filling enough to serve for a group of friends. If you need more to eat or have a bigger group, you could serve this with a side of pasta. Just use the leftover marinara sauce from the meatballs.

The prep ingredients list might seem long, but when the meatballs are cooking, you can prep everything else. Those are my favorite types of meals…assemble every thing else while the main dish cooks. If you’re lucky, you can even finish cleaning too!

Everything Italian Salad with Meatballs

From north coast eats at https://northcoasteats.com/italian-salad-with-meatballs/

https://northcoasteats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/meatball.salad-0357.jpg

Yield: serves about 4 people, as a main meal

Romaine lettuce with olives, onions, pepperoncinis, tomatoes, cucumbers, with homemade meatballs and croutons.

You'll Need...

MEATBALLS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, roughly diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
salt, to taste
2/3 cup marinara sauce
DRESSING:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
CROUTONS:
4 pieces white bread, chopped in square
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
SALAD TOPPINGS:
6 cups romaine, chopped
2 cups spinach, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, finely diced
Half a small cucumber, sliced
1/3 cup green or black olives
4 pepperoncinis

Directions

Make the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add olive oil to frying pan. over medium heat, cook onions 10 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. In a large bowl place all meatball ingredients, except the marinara sauce. Mix to combine everything. Roll meatballs the size of a golf ball. Place on a baking sheet and cook 10-13 minutes until cooked through. When done coat meatballs in marinara sauce.
Make the croutons: Place chopped bread on a baking sheet. Add all crouton ingredients. Mix until everything is combined. Cook in 350 degree oven until toasted, about 12 minutes. Cool.
Make the Dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
Assemble salad: Evenly distribute salad topping ingredients in each bowl. Place a few meatballs and croutons in each bowl. Top with a drizzle of dressing.