Classic Danish meatballs (frikadeller) with pearl barley salad, broccoli and feta.
Meatballs with pearl barley salad, broccoli and feta – an easy, satisfying dinner of classic juicy meatballs and a generous, hearty salad. It is a really lovely combination: the warm meatballs are served with a fresh, crisp pearl barley salad full of greens, apple, creamy feta and pistachios.
The pearl barley salad is made with cooked pearl barley, finely shredded broccoli and sweetheart cabbage, crisp apple, shallots and fresh parsley. It is all tossed in a mustard vinaigrette made with Dijon, before the feta is crumbled over and the salad is topped with roughly chopped pistachios. It is fresh, crunchy and pleasantly filling – and it goes so well with the classic meatballs.
I make the meatballs the classic way, with minced pork, onion, egg, milk and breadcrumbs. They are fried until golden in the pan, so they get a good crust and stay juicy inside.
Serve the dish as it is, or put some good bread on the table alongside. It is the kind of everyday dinner that is easy to make, keeps you full and gets plenty of greens on the plate at the same time.
Danish meatballs (frikadeller) with pearl barley salad, broccoli and feta
Ingredients
Danish meatballs (frikadeller)
- 600 g minced pork, or mixed minced veal and pork
- 1 large onion – finely chopped, grated or blended
- 2 eggs
- 100 ml whole milk
- 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Butter and rapeseed oil for frying
Pearl barley salad
- 150 ml pearl barley
- 1 small head of broccoli, finely shredded
- 1/4 sweetheart (pointed) cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 apple, cut into small dice
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 handful parsley, finely chopped
- 100 g feta
- 30 g salted almonds or pistachios, roughly chopped
Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1-2 tsp honey
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve
- Bread to serve, optional
Method
The meatballs
- Put all the ingredients in a bowl, season with freshly ground pepper and mix the mince thoroughly. Leave the mixture to rest for 15-20 minutes.
- While the mixture rests, cook the pearl barley.
- Melt a generous knob of butter in a frying pan and heat it until it foams.
- Dip a spoon in hot water or in the butter in the pan, scoop up a portion of the mixture and shape it into a meatball between the spoon and the palm of your hand.
- Fry the meatballs until golden on both sides and cooked through in the middle – about 5 minutes on each side over a medium heat. Set them aside as they are done.
Pearl barley salad
- Cook the pearl barley as directed on the packet, then rinse it in plenty of cold water.
- Mix the ingredients for the vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Put the pearl barley, broccoli, cabbage, apple, shallots and parsley in a bowl – and toss well with the vinaigrette. Crumble the feta into the salad and fold it in gently.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serving
- Serve the warm meatballs with the pearl barley salad – scatter the chopped pistachios and a little parsley, if you like, over the top – and serve with bread alongside.
Nutrition
Premium
Virkelig frisk, lækker og mættende salat
Hej Annette
Ej hvor er det sødt af dig at skrive det – tusind tusind tak 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna
Helløj- hvad kan jeg erstatte perlebyg (bryder mig ikke om) med?
Bh Karin
Hej Karin
Du kan sagtens erstatte med feks. perlecouscous, bulgur eller lignende 🙂
Warm wishes, Dianna