Kefta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing
A green salad topped with spiced beef sausage kebabs, Kefta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing is a tasty and unique main course salad. Just add pita.
Welcome to #SummerGamesWeek 2021 hosted by Amy from House of Nash Eats! We are celebrating the start of the Tokyo Games with over 50 recipes representing more than 25 countries competing in the upcoming Summer Games! Come join me and my fellow Summer Games Week bloggers as we bring you recipes from appetizers to drinks to entrées and desserts!
Even before I decided to participate in Summer Games Week, this salad was on my radar. Maybe it was the buzz around the Olympics. Or the deluge of CSA vegetables. In any case, it fit right in with my goal to keep things fun, healthy and simple for the rest of the summer!
Yes, I had been wanting to turn my beloved Baked Kufta with Potatoes and Tahini into a main course salad. And in the end it was easy and super flavorful.
What is Kefta?
Since kefta isn’t a household word, I decided to look it ip on Wikipedia. Here I was informed that kefta is “a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in the Indian subcontinent, South Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Balkan, and Central Asian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of ground meat usually beef, chicken, lamb or mutton, or a mixture – mixed with spices or onions.”
There are many different terms for the dish from ketfa, to kofta, to kufta to kafta and more. I suppose that’s not surprising given how many countries are enjoying it!
I had eaten Kefta in Middle Eastern restaurants many times and was excited when I finally realized how easy it is to make at home. In the spirit of full disclosure, however, I don’t know if there is any authenticity to serving the kefta on top of a salad. But I have seen it alongside many times!
Directions Overview
This recipes uses a food processor to chop and mix the spiced mixture which means it’s very easy to make. And there is a simple but tasty dressing based on Tzatziki sauce as well.
You start by seeding a half cucumber for the dressing.
Chop, salt and drain the cucumber, then mix up with the remaining Tzatziki dressing ingredients. Set aside
Next you prepare your flavoring mixture, using a food processor to chop.
Blend with ground beef by hand, form on to shish kabob skewers and grill or bake
Serve over a salad with dressing
How do you cook the meat
While grilled kefta kabobs is probably the most common cooking method, it’s not required. In fact our grill isn’t working so this wasn’t even an option.
In the end I did oven baked kefta kabobs, but I also considered molding the meat mixture into finger sized pieces and doing pan fried kefta sausages! I’ve seen kofta meatballs as well.
Just make sure the internal temperature gets up to 165 F for food safety, since these are made with ground meat.
Can I make a dairy free dressing?
If you want or need to go dairy free, you will still want a mediterranean salad dressing for the complimentary flavors. One option would simply be to substitute a non-dairy yogurt in the Tzatziki dressing.
But for more variety you might try a simple tahini dressing. Just dilute some tahini paste with enough warm water to make a nice consistency, then add a little lemon juice, garlic and salt.
What do I serve with a Kefta Salad?
Rice or potatoes can be served alongside these kabobs, but my personal favorite is pita bread. It doesn’t heat up the house and is super easy.
Then as a bonus, if you have leftovers, you can stuff them into an opened pita and call it a kefta sandwich. It’s a good day when your leftovers feel like a new dish!
Yes, the beauty of a main course salad is that it’s relatively complete all by itself! And in the heat of summer doesn’t that sound refreshing!
The recipe is at the bottom of the post. But just in case you’re thinking about some more international food, take a look at these other ideas below.
Monday #SummerGamesWeek Recipes
- Yakitori representing Japan by House of Nash Eats
- Mixed Berry Scones representing the United Kingdom by Simply Inspired Meals
- Instant Pot Chicken Adobo representing the Philippines by Lemon Blossoms
- Crepes representing France by Devour Dinner
- Chicken Gyoza representing Japan by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Chimichurri Sauce representing Argentina by Take Two Tapas
- Pork Satay representing Thailand by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Island Banana Bread representing the Bahamas by Our Good Life
- Hibachi Chicken representing Japan by Palatable Pastime
- Mititei representing Romania by That Recipe
- Dorayaki representing Japan by Magical Ingredients
- Thai Chicken Pizza representing Thailand by The Spiffy Cookie
- Peach Cobbler representing the USA by The Redhead Baker
- Kefta Salad representing the Middle East by Art of Natural Living
Made with spiced beef sausage kabobs and vegetables, Kefta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing is a tasty and unique main course salad. Just add pita. Nutrition data accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.
Kefta Salad with Tzatziki Dressing
Ingredients
Tzatziki Dressing:
Kefta seasoning mix:
Meat:
Salad:
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 556Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 1050mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 42g
More Middle East Inspired Recipes
- Old-Fashioned Chocolate Malt
- Blender Swedish Pancakes Recipe
Oddly, this reminds me of a lunch Mark and I had across from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Such a fabulous – yet simple – meal, and we talk about it all the time.
Oh Victoria & Albert Museum, that’s so cool! Loved the flavors in this. And being able to blend up so many of the ingredients makes it so much more practical!
This is a perfect summer meal! The hearty and savory kefta is a delicious pairing with the light and fresh flavor of the salad.
I agree completely Thao!
Looks delish! I love a good kofta specailly with hummus and garlic yoghurt. Such a vibrant and delicious dish
Truly one of my recent faves Raymund!
Love all the spices and fresh parsley in the kefta! It’s such a delicious, flavorful preparation and perfect for a light summer meal!
This is definitely a meal with flavor Amy!
This looks yum and delicious! Kofta and salad – great idea to have a meal. Your pictures look inviting!
Thanks so much!
This looks so good. I saw a recipe for Kofta in my bbq book but this takes it to a complete meal which I love.
I have really been wanting main course salads lately! So practical!
This would be awesome with lamb on top! WANT!
Lamb is my first choice, but I was surprised how little it suffered when I was out and used beef. So now I get to eat it more 🙂
This is a perfect combination of flavors and a great way to have kefta. Looks yummy!
Thanks Jennifer!
Your salad looks so bright and appetizing, yum!
Thanks!
This has set my stomach to grumbling. I’m happy you gave the tip about not having to use a grill for those who don’t have them readily available.