If you like fresh, veggie-packed meals with simple, bold flavors, these Easy Vegetarian Recipes With a Mediterranean Twist are a great place to start. They’re built on basics like tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, chickpeas, and herbs, with olive oil and lemon tying everything together. These dishes are easy to pull off and feel just right for relaxed lunches or no-fuss dinners.
Vegetarian 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)
Meatless Cig Kofte
This Easy Meatless Çiğ Köfte Recipe is my go-to vegetarian twist on a Turkish street food favorite from Urfa, a city in southeastern Turkey. It also works beautifully as a light meze or appetizer and has a lot in common with Kibbeh Nayyeh from Levantine kitchens.
To learn more: Easy Meatless Çiğ Köfte Recipe
Greek Roasted Vegetables
Briam is a hearty Greek casserole dish featuring roasted vegetables cooked in a generous amount of olive oil and seasoned with simple Mediterranean flavors. It is typically served as a main course, often paired with feta cheese, olives, and crusty bread. Simply delicious!
To learn more: Briam - Greek Roasted Vegetables
Cauliflower Risotto
Serve this Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Risotto as a delightful appetizer or an elegant side dish to impress your dinner guests! It's one of my favorite dishes to prepare for entertaining, whether it's for a date night or a family get-together.
To learn more: Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Risotto
Melitzanosalata
Melitzanosalata (Roasted Greek Aubergine Dip) is a smokey and delicious Greek appetizer/meze made with fire-roasted aubergines, tangy lemon juice, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. It is a harmonious blend of smoky, zesty, and vibrant Mediterranean flavors.
To learn more: Melitzanosalata (Roasted Greek Eggplant Dip)
Stuffed Artichokes
Zeytinyagli Enginar Dolmasi - Stuffed Artichokes is a tasty and nutritious dish that's packed with Mediterranean flavors. This traditional Turkish recipe features artichokes stuffed with vegetables and aromatics, and cooked in olive oil and lemon juice. They make an impressive appetizer for spring or summer gatherings and also work well as part of a meze selection or a flavorful side dish.
To learn more: Zeytinyagli Enginar Dolmasi - Stuffed Artichokes
Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad
If you're looking for a delicious and flavorful salad recipe for your summer BBQ parties, look no further than the Traditional Kisir Recipe! This spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad is the perfect dish to impress your guests and add some variety to your table.
To learn more: Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad)
Green Lentil Soup
Mediterranean Lentil Soup is a healthy, 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
Falafel
This Authentic Homemade Lebanese Falafel Recipe is perfect for you if you want to learn how to make perfectly crisp and extremely flavourful falafels. Whether you serve them stuffed in warm Laffa - Iraqi Flatbread or along with a bowl of refreshing Lebanese Fattoush Salad, this iconic street food will be a family favorite!
To learn more: Authentic Homemade Lebanese Falafel Recipe
Orzo Salad
This Orzo Pasta Salad is fresh, healthy, and flavorful, easy to put together, and perfect for making ahead. It is a great side dish for last-minute parties, small gatherings, or BBQs and the leftovers are perfect for picnics and packed lunches.
And the best part is that this Mediterranean salad is made with easy-to-find fresh ingredients and is ready in just 20 minutes!
To learn more: Orzo Pasta Salad
Imam Bayildi
Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Aubergine) is one of the most iconic dishes in Turkish cuisine, known for its rich flavors and melt-in-your-mouth texture. This traditional dish features aubergines stuffed with a savory mixture of onions, tomatoes, and garlic, all simmered in generous amounts of olive oil. As a part of the "zeytinyağlı" (olive oil-based) category, it is typically enjoyed at room temperature, allowing the flavors to fully develop.
To learn more: Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)
Turkish Vegetable Meze
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 and the rest of the vegetables added to the dish vary from region to region.
To learn more: Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze)
Lebanese Moussaka
This deliciously healthy Vegan Lebanese Moussaka, also known as Maghmour combines roasted aubergines and chickpeas in a tangy tomato sauce flavored with Lebanese spices. Just like traditional Turkish Moussaka, this healthy dish is packed with Mediterranean flavors, making it a dream come true for eggplant lovers.
To learn more: Vegan Lebanese Eggplant Moussaka (Maghmour)
Spinach and Feta Pie
This deliciously crispy Spinach and Feta Pie - Ispanaklı Peynirli Börek is one of the most popular boreks in Turkey. They are made of a delicious and lightly spiced spinach and feta cheese filling wrapped in thin yufka sheets. These savory pastries are great for breakfast as well as for lunch, dinner parties, or just as a snack on the go.
To learn more: Spinach and Feta Pie - Ispanaklı Peynirli Börek
Ratatouille Nicoise
Traditional French Ratatouille dish is a delightful marriage of tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, and bell peppers, infused with aromatic herbs and a hint of garlic.
You can enjoy it as a side dish alongside grilled chicken or meat, especially lamb, or as a vegetarian or vegan main course served over plain rice, couscous, or simply mixed with pasta.
To learn more: Traditional French Ratatouille Niçoise Recipe
Courgette Fritters
Mücver (Turkish Courgette Fritters) are small vegetable pancakes that contain courgettes, egg, flour, spring onion, and fresh herbs. These crispy, savory treats are easy to make and packed with flavor, making them a perfect addition to any meal or party. You can serve them as an appetizer, finger food, or even as a light lunch along with a bowl of Lebanese Fattoush Salad or Greek Cucumber Salad.
To learn more: Mücver (Turkish Zucchini Fritters)
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