Pita Panzanella Salad With Meatballs

Ingredients

• 650g lean ground turkey
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup grated red onion, plus 3/4 cup quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano plus 2 tsp., or 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
• 2 teaspoons olive oil plus 3 Tbsp., divided
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 3 (6 inch) whole-wheat pita breads
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large English cucumber, sliced
• 1 ¾ cups diced plum tomatoes (3-5 tomatoes)
• ¾ cup sliced pitted Kalamata olives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix together turkey, breadcrumbs, grated onion, egg, 1 Tbsp. fresh oregano (or 1 tsp. dried), 2 tsp. garlic, 2 tsp. oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl just until combined. Using a tablespoon, form the mixture into about 42 meatballs, each about 1 inch in diameter. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the meatballs until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centers registers 165 degrees F, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Split pitas in half horizontally into thin rounds, then tear into half-moon shapes. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool, then break the pitas into bite-size croutons.
4. Whisk vinegar, the remaining 3 Tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried), 1 tsp. garlic, honey, and mustard in a large bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, olives, and sliced onion; toss to combine. Stir in the pita croutons. Serve the salad with the meatballs.

Tips 

To make ahead: Prepare meatballs (Step 2) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Prepare croutons (Step 3) up to 2 days ahead and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Prepare vinaigrette (Step 4) up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Prep all vegetables, except for tomatoes, up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate.



Serves 6

Serving Size about 7 mini meatballs + 1 2/3 cups salad