30 Mediterranean Meals, From Fish Stew to Lamb Shish Kebabs
Channel a meal on the coast of Greece, Israel, Italy, and nearly 20 other countries with this widely influenced and celebrated cuisine.
Though the Mediterranean Sea is surrounded by more than 20 countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe, there are some common flavors and ingredients that are interwoven throughout the various coastal cuisines. 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.
Greek Salad with Shrimp and Kamut
Kamut, an ancient variety of wheat, adds hearty chew to this entrée inspired by a classic Greek salad. Soak kamut overnight to help it cook faster, or for an even easier dish, cook the kamut in advance to trim day-of prep to 30 minutes.
Roasted Branzino with Caper Butter
Diana Chistruga
"It's almost impossible to end up with dry, overcooked fish when cooking it whole," says chef Steve Corry. "The bones protect against extreme heat, plus they add flavor and moisture." Here, Corry pan-roasts whole branzino, Mediterranean sea bass, that's stuffed simply with lemon and rosemary. He makes the easy compound butter, which melts on the fish to become a sauce, with wild Tunisian mountain capers, although any caper will work.
Saganaki Halloumi (Cypriot Fried Halloumi)
Halloumi cheese is fried in clarified butter, then brushed in a spiced honey and served with lemon yogurt, brandy-basted nectarines, and fresh tomatoes in this sweet and savory appetizer from chef Christian Hernandez.
Zeytinya?li Yaprak Sarmasi (Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves)
From the Turkish region of Mugla, these tangy, tender vegetarian rice and herb-stuffed grape leaves are a great appetizer for easy entertaining and can be made a day ahead. The brightness of the brined grape leaves is balanced by the rice filling, which is seasoned with fresh parsley and dill and slightly sweet cooked onions.
Kale-Artichoke Stuffed Shells
Ann Taylor Pittman brings together Italian Cannellini beans and Calabrian chiles beautifully — with fellow Mediterranean staple fennel — for hearty stuffed shells with earthy sweetness.
Lamb Sliders with Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
A symphony of herbs — in the form of za'atar — and little bits of toasted pine nuts add bright flavor and texture to the ground lamb patties that accompany this fresh summer salad.
Grilled Chicken with Banana Pepper Dip and Fattoush
In this single-serving recipe from 2001 F&W Best New Chef Anita Lo, the three-ingredient banana pepper dip is the star of the dish. She first browns the peppers, then purees them with feta and lemon juice. Happily, there's leftover dip that can be scooped up with pita or veggies.
Lahem Meshwy (Lamb Shish Kebabs)
Simply spiced with paprika, salt, and pepper, these grilled lamb kebabs have been a mainstay at League of Kitchens instructor Jeanette Chawki's family cookouts for years. Be sure to cut the lamb into equal-size cubes to ensure even cooking, but feel free to mix and match the vegetables on each skewer.
Roasted Eggplant Moussaka with Lamb
Roasting eggplant until it's creamy and custardy makes it the perfect base for layering with a rich, meaty sauce in Anna Theoktisto's take on moussaka, which is topped with a luscious layer of ricotta and mozzarella cheese in place of béchamel sauce.
Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers with Pomegranate-Tahini Sauce
Pomegranate molasses is the secret ingredient in this simple marinade. Its punchy, sweet, earthy notes add long-cooked depth of flavor to cheese and vegetable skewers in just 30 minutes of marination, with pleasantly bitter tahini rounding things out. The pomegranate-tahini marinade goes the extra mile as a final drizzle for the skewers; thinned with fresh orange juice, it supplies the perfect, sweet-savory finish to the dish.
Fresh Figs With Labneh and Carob Molasses
This is a simple dish but striking: a geometric bloom of fresh figs laid atop a layer of labneh and topped with carob molasses, olive oil, toasted sesame seeds and hazelnuts, and a shower of black pepper. Each bite combines a gentle sweetness from the figs glossed in molasses; a floral, creamy freshness from the olive oil and labneh; and a playground of textures.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Herby Yogurt Sauce
This simple sauce, a blend of yogurt, shallots, salt, and lemon, is a perfect match for lamb's richness. Former F&W editor Kelsey Youngman cleverly sets aside a portion of the seasoned yogurt to puree with tender green herbs and lemon juice for a quick finishing sauce after the lamb is done. Serve the lamb with a salad of couscous and cucumbers for a meal.
Socca with Zucchini and Olives
Socca, also called farinata in Liguria, is a tender pancake made from chickpea flour. Unlike the versions in Nice, which are cooked in copper pans, this one is baked in a cast-iron skillet before it is topped with a summery marinated squash salad. Preheating the cast-iron skillet in a 450°F oven yields a socca that is both crisp and tender.
Thin Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Feta, and Mint
For a weeknight when speed is key, whip up this one-pot pasta. It's inspired by Greek ingredients like whole cherry tomatoes, briny olives, salty feta cheese, and fresh mint and oregano, and makes a satisfying meal for a summer evening with very little effort.
Tomato Salad with Red Onion, Dill, and Feta
"This salad is a nod to my mom and my Greek heritage," chef Michael Symon says. In addition to dill, a common herb in Greek cuisine, Symon adds plenty of mint and basil.
"Best of the Olive Bar" Pasta Salad
This easy pasta salad comes together in just 15 minutes with help from the grocery store olive bar. Fresh oregano, cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese bring bright flavor to this easy summer salad, perfect for weeknight dinners, pool parties, and backyard barbecues.
Cucumber-Dill Tzatziki
This yogurt dip is incredibly versatile — serve it with toasted pita wedges as an appetizer, or pair it with grilled lamb, chicken, fish, or vegetables.
Sea Bass with Sicilian Cherry Tomato Sauce
Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos riff on classic Southern Italian puttanesca with their Sicilian Cherry Tomato Sauce for wild sea bass.
Za'atar-Spiced Beet Dip with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts
Beets have a strong presence in the cuisine of Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi explains. They color pickling juices on the Arab table and form the basis for a soup of Jewish, Iraqi and Kurdish origin. Ottolenghi purees them for this luscious spread.
Whipped Feta with Cucumbers
The taste of the Mediterranean shines through in this airy feta spread that's served with olive oil-marinated cucumbers and toasted pita.
Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Hazelnut Vinaigrette
The rub on this pork is chef Octavio Becerra's take on za'atar, a spice blend that gets its pungency from ground sumac. Becerra remembers, "Everyone in Beirut had his or her own version of za'atar," so he suggests experimenting with the ratios of spices to see what tastes best.
Pot-Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Cumin
Cookbook author Paula Wolfert visited the kitchens of Dar Yacout in Marrakesh, where the cooks still use charcoal fires to make dishes like lush and smoky roasted eggplant salad.
Bulgur with Tangy Artichokes
Chef Shawn McClain sautés fresh artichokes and simmers asparagus in a shallow pan of water in the oven with lemon juice, sugar, and salt for 15 minutes before mixing everything with bulgur. An easier way is to use delicious, tangy jarred artichokes in the salad and steam the asparagus for just five minutes.
Supper Spanakopita
Traditionally shaped into small triangles or made in large casserole dishes, the Greek spinach pies, known as spanakopita, are just as easy to roll into logs. Kate Winslow's unconventional shape offers plenty of contrast between the crisp layers of buttered phyllo and the creamy, dill-flecked filling.
Harissa-Spiced Salmon with Israeli Couscous
F&W Culinary Director at Large Justin Chapple combines spicy harissa and sweet agave to make a delicious rub for his crisp-skinned salmon fillet.
Greek Fish Stew
"On the Greek island of Kalymnos, fishermen make a stew with shellfish, whole fish, lemon, onion, and water," says chef Andrew Zimmern. "They eat it straight from the pot with their hands — no bowls. It tastes of sweat and iodine, but it is easily one of the best soups I've ever had. I make my version with halibut, throwing in mussels at the end."
Hummus Masabacha with Paprika and Whole Chickpeas
Before opening Zahav restaurant in Philadelphia, chef Michael Solomonov visited hummus parlors all over Israel trying to find the best recipe. To make his hummus luxuriously smooth, he soaks the chickpeas overnight with baking soda to soften them. Solomonov says among the fanciest garnishes you can find in Israel are the whole chickpeas, paprika, and lemon-spiked tahini used for this authentic hummus recipe.
Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Fennel and Rosemary
The Mediterranean flavors of fennel, garlic, and rosemary are perfect with chicken. The fennel and chicken are sautéed and then briefly braised in chicken broth, which becomes a tasty light sauce.
Summer Bulgur and Green Bean Salad
This lovely side dish of light, fluffy bulgur studded with bits of toasted almonds and crisp green beans is a wonderful alternative to rice.
Chicken and Rice Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon
We like to serve this Mediterranean-inspired salad warm, but it's also good slightly chilled. Be sure to check the seasonings, though; cold dishes often need more salt and pepper than those served hot.
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