Making Affordable and Delicious Mediterranean Dishes is a nice way to cook with everyday ingredients while still keeping things fresh and enjoyable. These recipes use basic ingredients like lentils, rice, and veg, along with a few herbs and spices you probably already have at home. They’re simple, comforting, and great for busy days when you still want something homemade.
Turlu - Roasted Vegetables
Türlü is a healthy and delicious Mediterranean dish made with a mix of seasonal vegetables roasted with olive oil and tomato. It’s often served as a main or a side and is perfect for using up whatever vegetables you have in the kitchen. Everything cooks together in one dish, so it's great for busy weeknights or relaxed weekend cooking. You can serve it hot, straight from the oven, or at room temperature!
To learn more: Türlü - Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
Turkish Ground Beef and Eggs
If you like easy, hearty breakfasts with a little bit of spice, Kiymali Yumurta – Spicy Turkish Ground Beef and Eggs is a great one to try. It’s made with sautéed ground beef, onions, chilies, tomatoes, and a few spices, then finished off with eggs cooked right in the same pan.
To learn more: Kiymali Yumurta – Turkish Ground Beef and Eggs
Turkish White Bean Salad
Fasulye Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad) is a healthy and nutritious side dish and a perfect accompaniment to your meals. It is made of beans, onions, tomatoes, and parsley then dressed with tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil.
To learn more: Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad)
Mediterranean Lentil Soup
Mediterranean Lentil Soup is a healthy, budget friendly, yet incredibly flavorsome dish made with green lentils, onions, carrots, and celery cooked in a tomato-based broth.
It is flavored with bay leaves and cumin and then brightened with a generous amount of lemon juice.
To learn more: Mediterranean Lentil Soup
Imam Bayildi
Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Aubergine) is a classic Ottoman dish made with aubergines cooked in a generous amount of olive oil and then stuffed with a mixture of onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Packed with Mediterranean flavors, this baked stuffed aubergine dish is a very easy yet extremely delicious recipe to make.
To learn more: Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)
Rice Stuffed Peppers
These delicious Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi) are filled with aromatic stuffing made of rice, onions, pine nuts, currants, and various herbs/spices.
You can serve them as a side dish as well as the main meal or an appetizer. The leftovers are great for a boxed lunch the next day or a picnic.
To learn more: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers (Biber Dolmasi)
Mediterranean Green Beans
Mediterranean Green Beans (Zeytinyagli Taze Fasulye in Turkish) is a popular vegetarian/vegan dish that is cooked quite often in most Turkish homes during the summer. This simple yet delicious dish can be made beforehand and usually served warm or at room temperature.
All you need is green beans, ripened summer tomatoes, onions, and good-quality olive oil to cook this scrumptious summer dish.
To learn more: Mediterranean Green Beans (Taze Fasulye)
Lebanese Lentils and Rice
Mujadara (or Mujaddara) is a simple yet delicious Lebanese Recipe made with Lentils and Rice and flavored with caramelized crispy onions.
It is extremely easy to make with only a few simple ingredients which you probably already have in your pantry. Also, this beautiful dish is inexpensive to make, full of nutrition, and gluten-free.
To learn more: Mujadara - Lebanese Lentils and Rice
Mercimek Kofte
Mercimek Kofte (Turkish Vegan Lentil Meatballs) is a healthy and flavourful Turkish dish made with fine bulgur, red lentils, onions, tomato & red pepper paste, and spices. These aromatic vegetarian meatballs are inexpensive and very easy to make.
Just like Easy Meatless Cig Kofte, they are usually served as an appetizer, a healthy snack, or a part of a mezze platter.
To learn more: Mercimek Kofte (Vegan Lentil Meatballs)
Papoutsakia
Aubergine Papoutsakia (or Patlıcan Pabucaki) is a delightful vegetarian stuffed eggplant dish from Greek and Turkish cuisine. While it traditionally includes ground meat stuffing similar to Greek Moussaka (Musaka), I prefer this vegetarian version as a lighter option, especially during the summer.
To learn more: Papoutsakia - Vegetarian Greek Stuffed Eggplant
Lebanese Moussaka
This deliciously healthy Vegan Lebanese Eggplant Moussaka, also known as Maghmour combines roasted eggplants and chickpeas in a tangy tomato sauce flavored with Lebanese spices.
Just like traditional Turkish Moussaka, this healthy Lebanese eggplant dish is packed with Mediterranean flavors, making it a dream come true for eggplant lovers.
To learn more: Vegan Lebanese Eggplant Moussaka - Maghmour
Turkish Vegetable Mezze
Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze) is a very much loved vegetarian/vegan dish made of shallow-fried vegetables and a simple tomato sauce.
The star ingredient for this traditional Turkish dish is the aubergines/eggplants and the rest of the vegetables added to the dish vary from region to region.
To learn more: Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze)
Turkish Style Borlotti Beans
Barbunya Pilaki (Turkish Style Borlotti Beans) is a classic Turkish dish braised in olive oil with onions, garlic, and tomato paste.
This delicious vegan dish is perfect to serve as a light lunch, a part of a mezze spread, or as a side dish to grilled and roasted meat, fish, and vegetables.
To learn more: Barbunya Pilaki (Turkish Style Borlotti Beans)
Tavuk Sote
Tavuk Sote (Turkish Chicken Sauté) is a wholesome, simple, and healthy chicken dish full of Mediterranean flavors. It is made by sautéing chicken pieces with onions, tomatoes, peppers, and a variety of spices.
This delightful chicken dish ticks all the boxes for the ideal weekday meal.
To learn more: Tavuk Sote (Turkish Chicken Sauté)
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