These Weeknight-Friendly Mediterranean-Inspired Recipes Are Packed with Veggies

The benefits of the Mediterranean diet are well documented. It’s great for you heart, for your gut, and for your brain. It’s also veggie-centric, which makes it a great fit if you’re a vegetarian or simply looking to add more veggie packed recipes to your weekly meal plan.

Color is key: Opt for an array of Mediterranean vegetables like bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and zucchini at the center of your plate. Then turn it into a meal by adding in some vegetarian protein like beans, lentils, and quinoa. Need some inspiration? These Mediterranean-inspired, veggie packed recipes are weeknight-friendly and guaranteed to make you feel great.

1. Quinoa-Stuffed Eggplant with Tahini Sauce from Simply Quinoa

Quinoa provides a good dose of protein to this vegetable-heavy dish and makes it quite a hearty dinner. The quick tahini sauce adds creamy, nutty flavor to every bite so definitely don’t skip making it.

Photo Credit: Family Style Food

2. Parmesan Polenta with Roasted Vegetables from Family Style Food

If you haven’t tried polenta, it’s about to become your new weeknight best friend: It’s inexpensive, versatile, quick, and super satisfying. This creamy Parmesan-spiked version is topped with colorful mix of vegetables that roast while you stir the polenta on the stovetop.

Photo Credit: A Saucy Kitchen

3. Mediterranean Chickpea Stew with Spinach & Feta from A Saucy Kitchen

Keep a few cans of chickpeas and tomatoes tucked away in your pantry and you can make this 20-minute stew at a moment’s notice. If you’re extra hungry, serve it with crusty whole grain bread, which will help soak up all the broth.

Photo Credit: Kitchn

4. Mediterranean Orzo Salad from Kitchn

This Greek-leaning pasta salad is filled with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, salty feta and olives, and plenty of fresh herbs. It has great staying power, making it ideal for lunch throughout the week.

Photo Credit: How Sweet Eats

5. Halloumi Hummus Bowls from How Sweet Eats

Halloumi is a goat’s and sheep’s milk cheese that hails from the Greek island of Cyprus. What makes it so special is that it has a high melting point, so it can be grilled or fried in slabs. The result is something that’s crispy on the outside, salty and warm on the inside, and a perfect topper for these hummus bowls.

Photo Credit: Garlic Matters

6. Sun-Dried Tomato Lentil Salad from Garlic Matters

Sweet sun-dried tomatoes are the perfect compliment to earthy lentils in this chilled salad. Use your favorite variety of lentils — green, red, or black. To make it more of a meal, top your bowl with a fried or poached egg.

Photo Credit: Minimalist Baker

7. Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes from Minimalist Baker

Sweet potatoes take between 45 minutes to an hour to bake and become exceptionally tender, which might be more time than you have on a busy weeknight. Luckily, they’re also prime make-ahead candidates. Roast a few when you have some free time on Sunday and you’ll be a step ahead.