PORK AND FENNEL MEATBALL SALADS
These pork and fennel meatball salads are packed with a delicious combination of flavours. An interesting and satisfying lower carb meal.
I haven’t cooked much with fennel before and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. This is a fresh meal that’s perfect for the summer months. Don’t be alarmed at how runny the dressing for the salad is – it is intentionally this way.
Happy cooking!
PORK AND FENNEL MEATBALL SALADS
These pork and fennel meatball salads are packed with a delicious combination of flavours. An interesting and satisfying lower carb meal.
Ingredients
CROUTONS
- 1/4 large loaf Turkish bread*
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
MEATBALLS
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (25g)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 600 g pork mince (1lb 5oz)
- 3 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder dissolved in 1 cup water (250ml)
SALAD & DRESSING
- 1/4 red cabbage
- 1 fennel bulb
- 2 large oranges
- 60 g baby spinach (2.1oz)
- 1/3 cup shaved parmesan (30g)
- 2 Tbsp plain, unsweetened yoghurt
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Instructions
MAKE CROUTONS
Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF) fan bake and line an oven tray with baking paper. Dice bread into small cubes and place in a resealable plastic bag or container with the oil. Season with salt and pepper, shake to coat. Place on prepared tray and bake for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Set aside.
MAKE MEATBALLS
Whisk egg and milk in a small bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs and leave for a couple of minutes to soften. Crush garlic. Place mince, garlic, parsley, fennel seeds, salt, pepper and breadcrumb mixture in a large bowl. Use your hands to combine, then shape mixture into approximately 24 meatballs.
Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry meatballs until browned all over. Add chicken stock, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.
PREPARE SALAD & DRESSING
While meatballs are simmering, shred cabbage and thinly slice fennel. Juice half an orange (you should get around 1/4 cup juice) and set aside for the dressing. Dice the flesh of the remaining 1 ½ oranges. Divide spinach, cabbage, fennel, orange and parmesan between individual serving plates. Whisk together orange juice, yoghurt, parsley and 2 Tbsp chicken stock from the frying pan (you may want to strain it first). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
SERVE
Top salad with meatballs, drizzle with dressing then finish with a handful of croutons.
Recipe Notes
* Remaining Turkish bread is used for the shakshuka recipe in this week’s menu.
WINE MATCH: A Sauvignon Blanc.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use gluten-free bread instead of the Turkish bread. Use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs and gluten-free stock powder.
INGREDIENT NOTES / SWAPS: If you are not making this as part of the weekly menu, you could use two slices of regular bread instead of purchasing a whole loaf of Turkish bread. If you don’t like fennel, try replacing fresh fennel with julienned carrot and omitting the fennel seeds from the meatball mixture. Mayonnaise can be used instead of yoghurt.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store meatballs, salad, dressing and croutons separately. Meatballs can be reheated in the microwave. Dress salad and add croutons just before serving.
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