These Mediterranean diet recipes make eating well delicious and simple! The Mediterranean diet has been called one the healthiest diets in the world (by US News and World Report). It’s a way of eating and living modeled after countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, like Italy and Greece. It’s not a strict diet, but more a set of guidelines. Mayo Clinic stresses that a Mediterranean diet is plant based, not meat based. It’s essentially a whole food plant based diet with a bit of seafood, poultry, and dairy thrown in.
Instead of restriction or following rules, the Mediterranean diet is about abundance and enjoying food in community. Simply eating Mediterranean diet recipes is not all there is to it. Stay active and exercise regularly. Avoid smoking. Reduce the amount of stress in your lifestyle.
Core Principles of the Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet emphasizes:
- Olive oil as the cooking oil of choice.
- Beans, lentils, bulgur wheat, quinoa, and rice as major players. While whole grains are downplayed in trends like the keto diet and Whole 30, recipes in the Mediterranean diet rely on legumes and whole grains as nutritious foods.
- Vegetarian, vegan, and seafood recipes. Mediterranean diet recipes are plant-based in nature. It’s recommended to include seafood about 2 times per week.
Recipes
Mediterranean Bowl
Try this Mediterranean Bowl, bursting with colorful veggies! It’s a simple “meal in a bowl” that stars spiced roasted vegetables, seasoned with an irresistible mix of cumin, coriander, garlic and a hint of cinnamon. This tasty rice bowl recipe is an easy healthy meal ready in about 30 minutes!
Lentil Soup
Lentils are common in Mediterranean diet recipes: they're loaded with plant-based protein. This soup is ideal for easy dinners: it's only 7 ingredients, plant-based, perfect for meal prep, and extraordinarily delicious. Try this simple Red Lentil Soup!
Read also: A Review of the Mediterranean Diet in Kidney Disease
Lemon Butter Salmon
The salmon is roasted right on top of actual lemon slices and butter, which bakes into a sauce that you can spoon over the tender fish. Seasoned with a little dill and garlic powder, you can broil the top to get it lightly crisp after baking. Looking for delicious salmon recipes? When it comes to flavor and simplicity, this Honey Garlic Salmon recipe delivers. The salmon is pan fried for a brown, seared exterior, then baked in the oven until it’s perfectly tender. Ready for the perfect Mediterranean sauce to add life to baked salmon? Try this pesto salmon! Bright green pesto goes hand in hand with tender baked fish to make a stunning dinner. Because really: what isn’t better with a little pesto on top? This chimichurri salmon pairs moist flaky salmon with the tangy, garlicky punch of this herby sauce-these flavors were made for each other!
Falafel Bowl
This falafel bowl makes a satisfying meal, full of bright Mediterranean flavors! Or, use purchased frozen falafel or even repurpose take-out leftovers! This Falafel Salad! Make a batch of this easy baked falafel, then layer them with crunchy veggies and top with a creamy, zingy tahini dressing.
Shrimp and Rice Bowl
Here’s a Mediterranean Diet recipe with your name on it! Juicy shrimp sit atop a bed of fluffy rice flavored with garlic, dill and spinach. Give it a good sprinkling of feta cheese and a few spritzes of lemon juice, and it’s truly a revelation. Shrimp is a lean protein that's low calorie and perfect for the Mediterranean diet. The tender, juicy savory flavor is so remarkable, you won’t be able to stop taking bites. Try these go-to Marinated Shrimp S…
Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes & Feta
Here’s a Mediterranean diet recipe with a total wow factor: this Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes & Feta! The tender, flaky fish is covered in a lemon garlic sauce, cozied up with burst cherry tomatoes, Mediterranean seasonings and gooey bits of feta cheese. Each bite is savory with just the right pop of brightness. When it comes to easy and healthy weeknight meals, fish is ideal: it cooks quickly and it’s full of protein and omega 3s. So why not try another way to make it taste amazing: this Pan Fried Tilapia! Coat the white fish fillets in seasonings and flour and pan fry them in a bit of olive oil. The tilapia comes out savory and tender with a light crispy coating: in minutes!
Red Lentil Curry
This delicious red lentil curry is packed with flavor and plant based protein, topped with a sparkling cilantro chutney that makes it shine!
Read also: Delicious Mediterranean Recipes
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Here’s a healthy lunch or dinner idea to spice up your routine: Mediterranean tuna salad! This spin adds crispy Mediterranean-style veggies and swaps out the classic mayonnaise for olive oil and vinegar. The flavor is so fresh and delicious, you may give up the mayo version altogether.
Moroccan Stew
This Moroccan stew recipe is one of our top Mediterranean diet recipes we refer to people who want to eat more plants. Why? It’s ultra flavorful, with a blend of Moroccan spices that’s truly irresistible!
Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies
This easy sheet pan chicken and veggies combines seasoned chicken breasts with colorful vegetables for a complete meal made on one pan! This simple method ensures juicy chicken and tender roasted vegetables with minimal cleanup.
Veggie Protein Bowls
These veggie protein bowls are my go-to weeknight dinner that’s nutritious, filling, and quick! With roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, creamy cottage cheese, and a drizzle of honey mustard sauce, they’re simple and customizable.
Parmesan Crusted Salmon
This Parmesan crusted salmon is a delicious easy dinner that’s surprisingly quick to prepare. The crispy, flavorful topping perfectly complements the tender salmon!
Read also: Mediterranean Diet, Instant Pot Style
Mediterranean Rice Bowl
This Mediterranean rice bowl is ready in just 30 minutes, packed with colorful vegetables and bright flavors!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
I’m always looking for plant-based dinners that are both healthy and satisfying. After years of making meatless meals in my kitchen, these sweet potato black bean tacos have become my favorite plant-based dinner that even my meat-loving friends love!
Hummus Bowl
Hello and welcome to the best quick Mediterranean diet recipe idea: the Hummus Bowl! At it’s base, this simple concept requires no cooking at all: layer a dollop of hummus with crunchy veggies and greens. To make it more filling, add cooked rice (leftover or from a pre-cooked rice packet). Here’s a Meditteranean diet recipe that’s ideal for snacks or entertaining: Hummus Dip! This one even doubles as a tasty snack or a light dinner with a few other filling appetizers.
Greek Chicken
Here’s a recipe that’s a total winner every night of the week: Greek chicken. We’re suckers for colorful one pot recipes, and this Mediterranean diet meal has charisma in spades.
Eggplant Rollatini
Here’s a delightful Italian eggplant dish that makes dinnertime more special: Eggplant Rollatini! It’s like a combination of eggplant Parmesan and lasagna roll ups.
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
This easy vegetarian tortilla soup recipe comes together in just 30 minutes but tastes like it simmered all day!
Chicken and Rice Soup
This chicken and rice soup recipe is a cozy, easy soup everyone will love!
Veggie Wrap
In need of lunch ideas? Try this easy veggie wrap recipe! Veggie wraps can be bland and boring, but this one is anything but. Fill a tortilla with savory chickpea salad, colorful veggies, and a tasty spread, and you’ve got a lunch that will make everyone jealous!
Pesto Chicken
Here’s a great way to use it to make a Mediterranean dinner recipe: Pesto Chicken! Combine basil pesto with a bit of cream and it makes a stunning fresh sauce for juicy chicken breasts!
Nicoise Salad
The word salad doesn’t even really come close to describing the taste treat that is the traditional French Nicoise salad. Hard boiled eggs, green beans, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, tuna, and tangy potatoes sit on crunchy lettuce with a zesty lemon vinaigrette that makes you want to keep eating it for days.
Spanish Paella
This traditional Spanish rice dish is actually easy to make at home: we promise! You don't even need a fancy pan: a large skillet will do. Smoked paprika adds an earthy flair to the rice, which is topped with veggies, artichokes and shrimp. It's a stunning recipe for entertaining, but easy enough for a weeknight.
Kale Soup
This kale soup is one of our favorite Mediterranean recipes, and it's done in only 30 minutes! Hearty Tuscan kale, white beans and tomatoes float in a tangy broth flavored with oregano and fennel.
Mediterranean Couscous Bowls
These Mediterranean diet couscous bowls recipe is a common repeat in our dinner recipes repertoire. Why? In just 25 minutes, you have a fresh bowl of delicious vegetables that’s smothered in a tangy lemon tahini sauce. This one is a truly tasty way to eat your veggies. If you'd like, substitute couscous for a whole grain like quinoa or brown rice. This salad that’s about as delightful as they come: this fresh and herby Couscous Salad! It’s an ideal way to use Israeli couscous, those delightfully chewy pasta spheres. Throw it together with fresh dill and mint, garlic, lemon and a pile of vegetables, then sprinkle with salty feta. Take a bite and it’s irresistibly fresh and savory: we couldn’t stop eating it!
Healthy Pizza
Is pizza a Mediterranean diet recipe? When it's this healthy pizza, it is! It starts with our Easy Thin Crust pizza dough. Then it's slathered with our tangy, garlicky Easy Pizza Sauce. Top that with caramelized peppers and onions, fresh arugula, and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese.
Tortellini Soup
This hearty tortellini soup has a lightly sweet depth that makes you want the bowl to be never-ending. Doughy pillows of tortellini float in a tangy, tomato broth seasoned with Italian herbs and Parmesan cheese. It’s loaded up with nutrient-dense spinach and tender vegetables like carrot and fennel, which add nuance and crunch.
Shrimp Stir Fry
Here’s a go-to in the fast and easy dinner category: shrimp stir fry! It’s quick to put together and the umami-packed stir fry sauce is full of irresistible flavor. It’s our favorite Easy Stir Fry Sauce that works with any type of stir fry.
White Bean Shakshuka
This white bean shakshuka recipe is a tasty Mediterranean diet recipe that works for brunch or dinner! Shakshuka is a dish of eggs poached in a tomato sauce that originates from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. This one features white beans and bell peppers, and is sprinkled with feta cheese. It's so tasty, and comes together in just over 30 minutes.
Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
This Mediterranean veggie sandwich was inspired by our recent trip to Italy. While in Pisa, we went to a sweet little sandwich shop and had a sandwich like this. The bread is spread with basil pesto and Kalamata olive spread, and then it’s filled with grilled eggplant, juicy ripe tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella.
Chicken Piccata
Here’s a classic dish that impresses every time: chicken piccata! Tender, golden-brown chicken cutlets are bathed in a vibrant lemon-butter sauce with pops of briny capers. Don’t be intimidated by its fancy name; this chicken piccata recipe is surprisingly simple to make at home!
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Looking for easy Mediterranean dinner recipes? Try Shrimp Fra Diavolo! This Italian-style dish stars tender shrimp that swim in a garlicky, spicy tomato sauce. “Fra diavolo” translates to “brother devil” in Italian, alluding to the intense heat of this dish.
Garbanzo Bean Salad
This garbanzo bean salad is the ideal Mediterranean diet recipe, and it's so quick and tasty! There’s something about the combination of herbaceous parsley, bright lemon and crunchy tomatoes and cucumber that makes magic.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Traditional tabbouleh is made with bulgur wheat, a quick cooking whole grain. But seeing as quinoa is the grain of the moment…why not try it with quinoa? This deli-style Quinoa Salad! There are loads of ways to make a salad with this fluffy grain and after experimenting for years, we’ve found the one. This recipe is delightfully refreshing, a jumble of crunchy, colorful veggies, fluffy quinoa grains, and a zingy Dijon mustard vinaigrette.
Grilled Fish
If you’re looking for a healthy seafood recipe that fits into the Mediterranean diet: here’s the one! The flaky fish is bursting with savory, smoky flavor from the grill. Got a fillet of mahi mahi? Try this easy mahi mahi recipe! It’s simply pan-fried with lemon, garlic and herbs until it’s tender and juicy. This popular fish makes a splash with simple preparations like this one: it’s got a short ingredient list and is quick to whip up as a tasty main dish.
Greek Salad
There's nothing that says Mediterranean diet more than a great Greek salad!
White Bean Soup
Try this white bean soup, full of humble ingredients and huge flavor! Tender white beans float in the cozy broth with soft potatoes and leafy kale. Lemon zest lends brightness and tarragon brings an herby nuance. This pasta and chickpea soup is full of big Mediterranean flavors: intense vibrant tomato, leafy Tuscan kale, and a creamy broth made with Parmesan rind.
Lentil Salad
Here’s a top-notch lentil recipe to add to your arsenal, and man is it tasty. This fresh and healthy lentil salad is Mediterranean-style, mixed with fresh veggies and feta cheese.
Grain Bowl
Bowl meals are popular because they're one of the easiest ways to turn random ingredients into a healthy dinner! A good grain bowl has to be well-seasoned, and play up contrasts in color, texture and flavor. This one features Mediterranean vegetables, quinoa and a zingy tahini sauce.
Seared Scallops
Scallops have a beautiful, mild sweet flavor that’s easy to love: and there’s nothing better than that perfect seared crispy outside. It takes a little know how to get that golden brown crust without under cooking or overcooking them.
Baked Shrimp
This baked shrimp is so easy and the shrimp come out juicy and perfectly seasoned with Mediterranean flavors like garlic and herbs. Move over, all other shrimp recipes!
Asparagus Risotto
Creamy, savory, crunchy, and zingy: this asparagus risotto is truly sublime. Roast up some asparagus with lemon at the same time that you’re stirring up a creamy risotto on the stovetop.
Barley Salad
Here’s a unique grain salad that you won’t be able to resist: try Barley Salad! Whole grain barley isn’t often the star in a salad; typically trendier grains like quinoa and farro rein supreme.
Chickpea Burgers
These chickpea burgers full of whole foods are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a hint of nuance from smoked paprika.
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