23 Easy Mediterranean Diet Recipes

Take a flavorful trip to the Mediterranean with this easy oven-roasted stew that brings to mind cozy (yes, cozy) summer days. Zucchini, summer squash, cherry tomatoes, and onions create a tender and jammy medley, complemented by the subtly tart and slightly sweet Aleppo pepper. The oven-roasting method makes it more hands-off, resulting in a soft, stewy blend with minimal effort.

Get the One-Pan Summer Vegetable Ragú recipe.

No vacation this year? No worries—this dish will transport you straight to the Mediterranean seaside. If you’re not a mussels fan, then I can guarantee you’ve never had them cooked in a garlicky white wine and tomato sauce. In just 45 minutes, you’ll have a date night or dinner party-worthy seafood dinner that will impress everyone you serve it to.

Get the Mussels with Tomatoes & Garlic recipe.

Filled with fresh veggies, tangy feta, and a simple dressing made of ingredients you might already have in your fridge, this bright salad is one you’ll turn to all spring and summer long. Best part? This Mediterranean recipe only takes 15 minutes to prepare, making it a perfect last-minute addition to bring to a potluck.

Get the Best Greek Salad recipe.

To make this low-lift, 25-minute dinner main, salmon fillets are dusted with cumin and paprika, rubbed with spicy harissa paste, and roasted alongside cherry tomatoes, shallots, and garlic, then topped with fresh dill and creamy feta. This is the perfect protein to pair with a tray of crispy roasted potatoes, rice pilaf, or golden girl salad and your favorite glass of buttery white wine.

Get the Summer Salmon Skillet recipe.

Rich, smoky baba ghanoush is a staple dip throughout the Levant. Made from char-grilled or oven-roasted eggplant mixed with lemon juice, garlic, tahini, and olive oil, this flavor-packed dip has a complexity that many spreads can only envy.

Get the Baba Ghanoush recipe.

If you’re looking for a surprisingly low-lift vegetable salad, then raw zucchini is the squash to turn to. Salted zucchini ribbons transform into tender noodles that get dressed with a minty creamy feta vinaigrette and tossed with toasted pignoli nuts. Our little secret is making feta part of the vinaigrette so you’re left with a briny, punchy dressing sweetened with honey.

Get the Zucchini Salad recipe.

A summer salad should be simple with minimal effort, allowing the summer produce to really shine. This couscous salad does just that. The only cooking required is bringing a pot of water to a boil, which is arguably not cooking at all. The rest is chopping up some fresh veggies and calling it a day! Serve this with oven-baked salmon for a feel-good dinner that is so satisfyingly simple.

Get the Summer Couscous Salad recipe.

These ultra-juicy roasted cherry tomatoes create their own sauce as they roast, an irresistible mixture of tomato juice and olive oil that’s every bit as good as the *actual* tomatoes. Don’t waste a drop–toss the entire tray into some freshly boiled pasta, spoon them over ricotta toasts for an A+ appetizer, or eat them straight up because they’re sweet and delicious. 😋

Get the Roasted Tomatoes recipe.

Oven-roasted salmon is already delicious on its own, but adding a filling made of briny feta cheese, earthy cooked spinach, and savory-sweet cherry tomatoes will take your favorite fish up a few notches. To finish it off, the salmon gets topped with a mix of scallions, crushed red pepper, and yep—extra feta. Make this a full meal with a side of crispy roasted potatoes or wild rice!

Get the Feta, Spinach & Tomato Stuffed Salmon recipe.

Cucumber salad is a spring and summer picnic staple, and for good reason: When tossed in a bright vinegar-based dressing and packed with thinly sliced onions, cukes can withstand warm temperatures and sit out at a sunny outdoor gathering for hours.

Get the Cucumber Salad recipe.

For our staple version of this Italian classic, we went heavy on the mussels as well as clams, colossal (or jumbo if you can’t find) shrimp, and cuttlefish (remember, this is where calamari rings come from). If you’re looking for a shellfish extravaganza to impress family, then boil up a pot of linguine and toast some crostini for one of the best-ever seafood-driven dinners.

Get the Zuppa Di Pesce recipe.

Though we’ll always love a classic, tomato-based gazpacho, the addition of watermelon gives the soup a delicious subtle sweetness we can’t get enough of. Full of juicy, bright fruits and veggies, this no-cook soup is equal parts satisfying and refreshing.

Get the Watermelon Gazpacho recipe.

If you’re looking for a simple—but super-satisfying—way to switch up your weeknight chicken dinner rotation, this is it. All it takes is a few basic ingredients (that you most likely already have on hand) to transform chicken thighs into an herby, garlicky dream.

Get the Greek Chicken recipe.

Think of burrata salad as Caprese salad’s fancy cousin. Peak-summer tomatoes are topped with luscious burrata (think a shell of mozzarella filled with a soft, creamy filling) and garnished with a shower of peppery basil leaves and savory chives. 😍

Get the Burrata Salad recipe.

Using canned or jarred tuna in pasta is a cheap and delicious way to add some protein to a meal. Italians do it with pasta al tonno, and Americans do it (in our own way) with tuna noodle casserole. This recipe is a bit of a riff on pasta puttanesca, using familiar ingredients such as capers, anchovies, and olives.

Get the One-Pan Tuna Pasta recipe.

This grain bowl is not only packed with protein, but it’s endlessly versatile. It starts with a brown rice or quinoa base, then layers in chicken breasts, Greek-inspired fresh veggies, feta, and a simple, fresh dressing that ties everything together. It comes together in 25 minutes, meaning you can have a healthy lunch or easy dinner in less than half an hour.

Get the Greek Power Bowls recipe.

Traditionally zucchini soup has been made one of two ways: either cooked to death or pureed raw. This recipe combines the best of both approaches, starting with sautéing garlic, then adding in raw zucchini, which blends into a velvety soup.

Get the Zucchini Soup recipe.