I adore Mediterranean food and I could happily eat this dinner for days in a row. I made my favorite homemade hummus yesterday and this recipe is a fantastic way to use it. This meal has spicy, flavorful lamb/beef kofta kebabs, creamy garlic hummus, and tangy fresh cucumber tomato salad over the top. I served with some warm naan (see my recipe for homemade naan) and it was perfect.
I used a 50/50 combo of ground beef/lamb for the kofta but you could use all ground beef, or this meal would be great with chicken kebabs too if you prefer to leave out the red meat. I seasoned the meat mixture with red onion, garlic, spices, and fresh herbs. We grilled these on the grill, but you can also cook them in the oven if you don’t want to grill.
I used fresh cilantro, parsley and mint in both the meat mixture and in the cucumber tomato salad. I love love love fresh herbs as they really take food to a different level. You can use any combo of those 3 in this dish, although I prefer all 3.
If you use premade naan and hummus, this meal is really quick to put together. I made the hummus earlier in the day and used Wegman’s naan last night and this came together in under an hour.
Kofta Kebabs with Homemade Hummus and Cucumber Tomato Salad
Ingredients
For the kebabs:
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground lamb or use all beef
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp allepo pepper
- 1 tsp salt or more to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, mint and parsley
For the salad:
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 2 large tomatoes diced
- 4 small seedless cucumbers diced
- 2 tbsp chopped herbs (same as above)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the salad:
- Combine the ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.
For the kebabs:
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
- Take about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture and form around a skewer.
- Heat grill to medium high and oil. Cook kebabs for about 10-20 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned. If using store ground beef make sure they are at least 165 inside. If using oven, heat broiler and place the kebabs on a foil lined sheet pan. Place in a lower half of the oven and allow to cook until almost cooked through (check one inside). Raise the pan close to the broiler to get nice browning on the kebabs to finish them.
- Spread some hummus on a plate and top with kebabs. Spoon some salad over the top and serve with hot naan.