23 Mediterranean Diet Dinners in Three Steps or Less By Danielle DeAngelis Danielle DeAngelis Danielle DeAngelis is a journalist and Associate News & Trending Editor for EatingWell. Her current beat is focused on food and health news as well as exclusive celebrity features, regularly interviewing the top names of today’s entertainment industry. She previous worked as the 2022-23 fellow and as an assistant editor for the brand. Her passion for reading, writing and eating local all guide her in her position at EatingWell. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 16, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD Reviewed by Dietitian Christa Brown, M.S., RDN, LD Christa Brown is a registered dietitian and business owner with a practice focus on diabetes management and content development for brands and fitness influencers. She is a licensed dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition Education and a certification in gut health by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Close These delicious dinner recipes align with the Mediterranean diet—one of the healthiest eating patterns to follow. They are packed with produce, whole grains, proteins and healthy fats for meals that are as nutritionally balanced as they are flavorful. These dishes are made especially easy with only three steps or less to prepare, so you can have a tasty, nutritious dinner on the table without a lot of fuss. Recipes like our Veggistrone and Spinach, Feta & Rice Casserole are healthy, satisfying choices for any night of the week. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 23 Spaghetti & Spinach with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce View Recipe Save Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Greg Luna To achieve flavor quickly in this sun-dried tomato pasta recipe, we use the oil from sun-dried tomatoes to create the base of the cream sauce. Meanwhile, the residual heat of the pasta wilts the spinach in record time for a fast weeknight dinner. 02 of 23 Provençal Baked Fish with Roasted Potatoes & Mushrooms View Recipe Save This easy healthy meal—which requires just 15 minutes of active time—is typical of southern France. You can use halibut, grouper or cod for this simple Mediterranean baked fish recipe, so choose what looks best at your market. You'll find herbes de Provence, an aromatic spice blend, at most grocery stores. 03 of 23 Veggistrone View Recipe Save This vegetable-packed minestrone soup recipe is inspired by a popular Weight Watchers' vegetable soup recipe. It makes a big pot of soup, so keep some in the refrigerator for up to five days and freeze the rest in single-serve portions. That way you always have an easy, delicious vegetable soup to start your meal or to eat for lunch. Think of this vegetable minestrone recipe as a starting point for other healthy soup variations, too: Toss in leftover chopped cooked chicken or whole-wheat pasta or brown rice to make it more satisfying. 04 of 23 Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce View Recipe Save Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and pack them in lidded containers to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab-and-go lunches all week long. 05 of 23 Spinach, Feta & Rice Casserole View Recipe Save This one-pan recipe is the casserole version of spanakopita! It's hearty enough to enjoy as a vegetarian lunch or dinner, yet versatile enough to serve alongside just about any protein. To make it extra creamy, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream. 06 of 23 Salmon Rice Bowl View Recipe Save Ali Redmond Inspired by the viral TikTok trend, this salmon rice bowl makes for a tasty lunch or dinner. With healthy ingredients like instant brown rice, salmon and veggies, you'll have a flavorful meal in just 25 minutes. 07 of 23 One-Pot Spinach, Chicken Sausage & Feta Pasta View Recipe Save A little bit of Sunday meal prep goes a long way in this one-dish pasta recipe. The pasta is cooked ahead of time and stored in the fridge to use for meals all week, but any leftover cooked pasta you have on hand will do. Chicken sausage with feta is especially good in this recipe. 08 of 23 Chopped Power Salad with Chicken View Recipe Save Jason Donnelly Enjoy this filling and colorful veggie-and-chicken-packed salad for lunch or dinner. The dressing gets made in the same bowl that the salad is tossed in, so the greens absorb every bit of flavor. 09 of 23 10-Minute Tuna Melt View Recipe Save Joy Howard This variation of a classic sandwich uses mayonnaise but not where you think! Mayo is brushed on the outside of the sandwich in place of butter to make it golden and crispy as it heats in a skillet. Plain Greek yogurt takes mayo's place in the salad—along with crunchy celery, roasted red bell peppers and scallions—for a satisfying lunch with less saturated fat. 10 of 23 Chhole (Chickpea Curry) View Recipe Save This healthy Indian recipe is a flavorful chickpea curry that you can make in just 20 minutes. Also called chana masala, this dish is a comforting and delicious dinner. 11 of 23 Maple-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato Wedges and Brussels Sprouts View Recipe Save This easy sheet-pan recipe brings together many fall favorites into one hearty dinner. The chicken thighs stay moist and juicy while the sweet potatoes become creamy, the Brussels sprouts and pecans crisp up and the maple syrup and dried cranberries add just a touch of sweetness—offering a wonderful variety of textures and flavors in this dish. 12 of 23 One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan View Recipe Save Antonis Achilleos This lentil-vegetable soup is packed with kale and tomatoes for a filling, flavorful main dish. If you have it, the Parmesan cheese rind adds nuttiness and gives the broth some body. If you avoid cheese made with rennet, look for vegetarian Parmesan cheese, which is made without it. 13 of 23 Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl View Recipe Save This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top. 14 of 23 One-Pot Garlicky Shrimp & Broccoli View Recipe Save Photography / Kelsey Hansen, Styling / Greg Luna Shrimp and broccoli cook quickly in this easy, one-pot recipe, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Serve this healthy shrimp recipe over whole grains or rice. 15 of 23 Chicken & White Bean Soup View Recipe Save Rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure—especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine. 16 of 23 Spinach & Mushroom Tortellini Bake View Recipe Save This cheesy tortellini bake is a dish the whole family will love—it's filled with sweet-tasting marinara, mushrooms and spinach and topped with melted cheese. Complete the meal, plus get in another vegetable serving, by adding a side of broccoli or a small green salad. 17 of 23 Charred Shrimp, Pesto & Quinoa Bowls View Recipe Save These shrimp, pesto and quinoa bowls are delicious, healthy, pretty and take less than 30 minutes to prep. In other words, they're basically the ultimate easy weeknight dinner. Feel free to add additional vegetables and swap the shrimp for chicken, steak, tofu or edamame. 18 of 23 White Bean & Veggie Salad View Recipe Save This meatless main dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables. Or add chicken or salmon if you need a little more staying power. 19 of 23 Chicken & Veggie Fajitas View Recipe Save Time to clean out the fridge? These versatile skillet chicken fajitas are designed to work with whatever vegetables you happen to have on hand. The key is to slice all the veggies to approximately the same size so they cook evenly. 20 of 23 Rotisserie Chicken Soup View Recipe Save Brittany Conerly In this installment of Diaspora Dining, Jessica B. Harris' series on foods of the African diaspora, the author and historian contemplates change and chicken soup—and how her own chicken soup tastes and methods have evolved. For her favorite version, Harris loves using lemon, avocado and cilantro, plus her favorite time-saving hack: the store-bought rotisserie chicken. 21 of 23 Garlic Butter-Roasted Salmon with Potatoes & Asparagus View Recipe Save This one-pan salmon and potatoes recipe makes a healthy and satisfying weeknight dinner. Melted garlic butter coats the salmon and vegetables, adding depth of flavor and richness to the dish. 22 of 23 Chickpea & Potato Curry View Recipe Save This fast Indian-style curry comes together with ingredients you most likely have on hand, like frozen peas and canned tomatoes and chickpeas. Plus, using these spices shows how simple it is to make a curry sauce for an easy vegetarian recipe. Serve with whole-wheat naan to sop it all up. 23 of 23 One-Pot Chicken & Rice View Recipe Save Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless This one-pot chicken and rice dinner is creamy, cozy and packed with vegetables! Tarragon offers a sweet mellow flavor, but if you're not a fan, basil can be used in its place. Explore more: Healthy Recipes Regional Mediterranean Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit