22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (2024)

If you’re looking for new recipes to try out, these 22 recently published ones have got you covered. Plus, they all align with the Mediterranean diet—one of the healthiest eating patterns around. Unlike many popular diets (think keto and paleo), this diet focuses on what foods you can add instead of what to avoid. And the best part is that you don’t have to eat dishes from the Mediterranean region but can embrace all flavors and cuisines. Simply focus on incorporating more healthy fats, legumes, spices, vegetables and whole grains into your daily meals. From our Veggie Enchiladas to our Mushroom Miso Pasta, these tasty new meals are sure to become staples in your weekly dinner rotation.

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Mushroom-Miso Pasta

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This miso pasta features mushrooms, another umami-forward ingredient that takes this quick vegetarian recipe to the next level. We use white miso, which is light and slightly sweet. Whisking the miso into the reserved cooking water makes it easier to incorporate into the pasta.

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The Best Veggie Enchiladas

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These veggie enchiladas are packed with sweet corn, onion, peppers, zucchini and beans and are coated with store-bought enchilada sauce to save time on prep. Enchilada sauce ranges from mild to hot. We like the earthy flavor of red enchilada sauce, but green enchilada sauce works well too. For a slightly different spin, substitute yellow squash for the zucchini and a poblano for the bell pepper.

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One-Pot White Bean, Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo with Lemon & Feta

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This one-pot pasta dish with white beans, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes is lively and vibrant and leaves you with an easy cleanup. Toasting the orzo before adding the broth adds another layer of flavor. Another dark leafy green like chopped kale or Swiss chard can stand in for the spinach, but may take longer to wilt in the pan. If you use a sturdier green, add it to the pan during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

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Baked Feta & Tomato Spaghetti Squash

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Inspired by the baked tomato and feta pasta trend, this easy baked spaghetti squash recipe is a showstopper on any table. Baking the feta and tomatoes in the squash half results in a lovely sauce when everything is mixed together. The balsamic glaze adds a nice bit of sweetness while playing up the acidity of the tomatoes. Dried oregano works as a substitute for fresh, but reduce the quantity by half. Serve alongside a side salad and crusty bread.

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20-Minute White Bean Soup

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This fiber-rich soup is an easy, healthy dinner when you’re pressed for time. This brothy soup is finished with a bit of heavy cream for body and richness. For a thicker soup, mash 1/2 cup of the beans and stir into the soup right before adding the cream. Frozen sweet potatoes and collard greens keep the prep to a minimum, but if you have a little extra time on your hands, fresh veggies work just as well. Serve with crusty bread for dunking.

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Curried Cauliflower Salad Sandwiches

22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (6)

The creamy cauliflower mixture in this vegetarian sandwich was inspired by the flavors of Indian raita. A combination of yogurt, cashews and mustard round out the spices in the curry powder, with pomegranate arils adding a juicy pop of sweetness. Buy cauliflower florets in a bag instead of the whole head and look for containers of pomegranate arils to keep prep simple.

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Chef Michelle Bernstein's Lemongrass-&-Coconut Poached Salmon

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Chef Michelle Bernstein suffers from psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune condition that often presents as joint pain. She created this recipe for Lemongrass-&-Coconut Poached Salmon exclusively for EatingWell. It features a trifecta of inflammation-fighting ingredients: turmeric, ginger and salmon. For a more filling meal, serve with a whole grain like brown rice, or over rice noodles.

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Chicken Paprikash Soup

22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (8)

This hearty soup takes inspiration from Hungarian chicken paprikash, with a creamy, paprika-flavored broth studded with tomatoes, bell pepper and chicken. We like tender, flavorful chicken thighs, but chicken breast will work too. If you don’t have hot paprika, add chili powder or cayenne pepper to taste.

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Slow-Cooker Spinach & Artichoke Chicken Soup

22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (9)

If you love spinach and artichokes, this is the perfect soup for you. The creamy base is packed with veggies and shredded chicken, which soaks up the broth while adding a boost of protein. Frozen artichoke hearts have less sodium than canned, but canned can be used in their place. Just be sure to give them a good rinse before adding them to the slow cooker.

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Teriyaki Chicken Skillet Casserole with Broccoli

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Whip up this quick and easy teriyaki chicken casserole in just one skillet—it’s the perfect go-to recipe for hectic weeknights that’s sure to satisfy a crowd. It’s ideal for making use of any leftover chicken and rice you have on hand. If you’re short on leftovers, a rotisserie chicken paired with a package of microwaveable brown rice is a good substitute.

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Creamy Chicken Pasta with Brussels Sprouts & Artichokes

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The creamy white wine-garlic sauce helps blend artichokes and shaved Brussels sprouts together with nutty whole-wheat pasta in this quick dinner. Use a mandoline or a very sharp knife to shave the Brussels sprouts. If you opt for pre-packaged shaved sprouts, note that they might be on the thicker side, requiring a few extra minutes of cooking time. You can swap in canned artichokes, but they tend to have more sodium than frozen, so give them a good rinse before adding.

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These Creamy Chickpeas Are the Best Marry-Me Recipe Out There

22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (12)

We put a vegetarian spin on Marry Me Chicken, a dish typically consisting of chicken coated in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce, by swapping in fiber-packed chickpeas as the main ingredient. From the creamy chickpeas to the umami-laden sun-dried tomatoes, you’ll want to sop up every last bit of sauce. To riff on this recipe, you could swap the chickpeas for white beans, like cannellini or navy.

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The Only Veggie Lasagna Recipe You’ll Ever Need

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Every layer of this delicious veggie lasagna has its own flavor profile. Cooking the vegetables before assembling the lasagna ensures the dish won’t be soggy. Be sure to squeeze the spinach well—spinach holds a surprising amount of water that will make your lasagna soupy. Lightly coat the foil with cooking spray before covering the lasagna to prevent the cheese from sticking. Serve with a mixed green salad and crusty garlic bread.

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One-Pan Chicken & Cabbage with Rice

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This one-pan chicken and cabbage recipe is a super-flavorful dish, with rice absorbing all the flavor from the chicken and the broth mixture. The cabbage is perfectly tender, and the char adds a nice color to the dish. To keep the wedges from falling apart, leave the core intact. The chicken crisps up easily when you remove the lid from the pan and let it bake directly under the heat.

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Veggie Fajitas

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These veggie fajitas are packed with sweet bell pepper and red onion. Creamy avocado and warm tortillas complete the meal. The veggies alone make a great meal-prep recipe to have on hand. Serve them over rice, or heat them up over tortilla chips topped with melting cheese. To get a little char on your tortillas, place them over a medium gas flame and cook until darkened in spots, flipping once. Place on a plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.

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Sautéed Oyster Mushrooms with Garlic Butter

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This oyster mushroom recipe is quick, easy and versatile. Serve them on their own, or spin them into a vegetarian main dish by using them as a topping for creamy polenta or farro. The trick to super-savory mushrooms is not crowding the pan while they cook. We brown the mushrooms in two batches and add the garlic and butter in the last step to maximize the flavor.

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Chicken Carbonara

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This chicken carbonara has the classic all-yolk sauce, which yields a rich and creamy texture. For some carbonara recipes the residual heat and starch from the pasta are enough to thicken the yolks, but we prefer the double-boiler method to gently cook the egg yolks to a custard-like texture without the risk of overcooking them to a scramble.

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Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

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These 5-ingredient quesadillas take just 10 minutes to make. Using pre-sliced onions and peppers plus a taco seasoning blend helps keep the ingredient list (and prep time) short. If you like a little heat, use pepper Jack cheese in the filling.

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Creamy Caramelized Cabbage Pasta

22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (19)

In this comforting vegetarian dinner, cabbage is sautéed in butter until it caramelizes, imparting a subtle sweetness to the dish. A light, creamy sauce coats both the cabbage and the pasta. If you want to stretch the sauce a little further, you can thin it out by adding in a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water.

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Coconut Stew with Spinach & Beans

22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (20)

Sweet potatoes add sweetness and body to this stew flavored with ginger, cumin, coriander and turmeric (which gives it its vibrant yellow color). Unseeded chiles add extra heat, but you can seed them to mellow the spiciness. You want the potatoes cooked until they're tender, but not falling apart in the stew—the carryover heat will continue to cook them as the stew sits off the heat.

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Lemony Lentil & Cauliflower Cup Soup

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This bright lemony soup gets its boost of fiber and earthy, nutty flavor from ingredients like lentils and bulgur. Bulgur adds heartiness and a nice chewy texture, but you can swap it out for another cooked grain like brown rice or quinoa. Plus, the broth gets gentle heat from harissa paste. If you don’t wish to travel with vegetable broth or don’t have access to a microwave, you can use reduced-sodium bouillon instead and just add hot water.

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This Cozy Chicken & Rice Soup Needs Just One Pot

22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (22)

This chicken and rice soup is the epitome of cozy vibes in a bowl, with dried tarragon stealing the show. Dried tarragon has a more muted flavor than fresh, providing a mellow flavor that complements the other ingredients beautifully. Instant brown rice is a massive timesaver. To cut down even further on prep time, look for pre-chopped mirepoix (carrots, onions and celery) in the produce aisle where prepped vegetables are sold.

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22 New Mediterranean Diet Dinner Recipes to Make This February (2024)

FAQs

What does a typical Mediterranean meal look like? ›

Foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes are main ingredients in meals and snacks. Meals may include small portions of fish, meat, or eggs. People often cook with olive oil and add herbs and spices for flavor.

How long does it take to see results on a Mediterranean diet? ›

If you're just starting to follow the Mediterranean diet, limited evidence suggests that you may notice some cognitive improvements — including in attention, alertness and contentment, according to one review of studies published in 2021 — within the first 10 days or so.

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What is a traditional Mediterranean meal? ›

Fresh tomatoes, olives, fish, lemon, feta, mint, za'atar, and more make their way into delectable dishes like stuffed grape leaves, moussaka, shish kebabs, and fattoush salad. Discover traditional Mediterranean food and riffs on the region's classic flavors with this collection of Mediterranean recipes.

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What is a Mediterranean food menu? ›

It includes plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and lentils as well as seafood and healthy fats like olive oil and nuts. It also includes a moderate amount of chicken, turkey, eggs and fermented dairy, like yogurt or kefir, while limiting red meat, sweets and processed foods.

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What does a plate look like on the Mediterranean diet? ›

Q: What does an example Mediterranean diet plate look like? A: An example plate could be a bed of spinach, some quinoa, chickpeas, cucumbers, bell peppers, and tomatoes with a lemon olive oil dressing.

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