Still not sure what the Mediterranean diet is? TBH, I like to think of it as the ultimate anti-diet, since it’s so flexible and non-restrictive. You can enjoy just about anything that’s eaten in its namesake region, from grains to meat to cheese (and yes, even bread). It’s more of a guideline that prioritizes fresh produce, lean protein, healthy fats and whole grains than a strict diet. In case you don’t eat meat, fish or animal products of any kind, I’ve rounded up 30 vegan Mediterranean recipes that fit the bill. Some of my favorites include fagioli a zuppa over bread, asparagus and artichoke paella and homemade hummus with za’atar pita chips.
30 Vegan Mediterranean Recipes That Will Keep You Feeling Light and Energized
To enjoy on your anti-diet
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Published Jun 1, 2024
Minimalist Baker/Liz Andrew/Erin McDowell/Micah Siva
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
“You don’t need to peel those sweet potatoes,” asserts PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen. “Just give them a good scrub under running water and enjoy the five minutes you’ve saved. If you’re extremely hungry, you can also grate them with a food processor to save even more time.” Roger that.
2. Marinated White Bean and Tomato Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, vegan, gluten free
- Serves: 4 to 6
This summer-ready dish keeps like a charm in the fridge, so feel free to assemble it in advance and give the components plenty of time to marinate. Fresh lemon zest and oregano bring the canned beans to life with minimal effort.
3. Chickpea and Vegetable Coconut Curry
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, dairy free, gluten free
- Serves: 4
“If you’re missing an ingredient, don’t worry,” advises recipe developer Erin McDowell. “Any of the veggies can be swapped for whatever you have in your fridge—broccoli instead of cauliflower, snap peas instead of bell pepper, green curry paste instead of red—you get the idea.” How easy is that?
4. Sweet Potato Noodles with Almond Sauce
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, gluten free
- Serves: 4
Almond milk and Dijon mustard are the secret ingredients in the dairy-free sauce. As for the noodles, you can spiralize your own if you’re feeling ambitious or opt for store-bought sweet potato noodles instead—I won’t tell.
5. Cauliflower Steaks with Lemon-Herb Sauce
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegan, gluten free
- Serves: 4
Not only can the lemon-herb sauce be prepared ahead, but it’ll also taste divine over pan-fried tofu, chickpeas or white beans (or steak, if you’re not vegan). Serve the cauliflower with plenty of white rice, risotto or pasta.
6. Pesto Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Veggies and Labneh
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegetarian (optional), special occasion-worthy, make ahead
- Serves: 4
As long as you sub dairy-free yogurt for labneh or Greek, this is a vegan Mediterranean recipe for the books. It’s a great way to use up leftover quinoa too, in case you want to get ahead on dinner.
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, one pot, dairy free
- Serves: 4
Dried oregano and fresh basil impart an herbaceous aroma to this old-school dish, while charred bread makes it doubly filling—without making extra work for the chef. This vegan Mediterranean recipe also calls for canned beans for ease of execution.
8. Easy Homemade Hummus with Za’atar Pita Chips
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 8
With the help of a blender or food processor, this appetizer is a cinch to make from scratch. The trick to nailing a super-creamy texture is skinning the chickpeas before mashing them. You can thank me later.
9. Instant Pot Harissa Bean Stew
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, Instant Pot recipe, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 6
The pressure cooker takes dried beans from zero to dinner in about one hour, so you can wow everyone with your homemade handiwork without much fuss. Make double of the spicy, complex harissa to use on…well, just about everything.
10. Harissa Chickpea Stew with Eggplant and Millet
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, gluten free
- Serves: 2
Use plant-based butter in place of ghee and this pick is totally vegan-friendly. “I find that this is the perfect dish for when brisk fall weather comes around,” says recipe developer Jodi Moreno. “The eggplant can be switched out for other vegetables that might be in season, such as squash or zucchini.”
11. Stuffed Eggplant
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, gluten free, vegan
- Serves: 4
Give last night’s quinoa a second life by turning it into eggplant stuffing. The Greek yogurt is the only non-vegan ingredient here, so you can substitute it with a dairy-free yogurt alternative to make the dish totally plant-based.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 4
Summer zucchini never looked so enticing. Radishes offer a pop of color and extra crunch to the pasta lookalike, while fresh lemon and Dijon coat every noodle in punchy, citrusy flavor.
13. Fall Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad with Pine Nut Cream
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, dairy free, special occasion-worthy
- Serves: 4
Taste it once and you’ll make it for every fall dinner party you ever host. “If you don’t like cilantro,” recipe developer Aran Goyoaga explains, “You can use a combination of dill and parsley for the cream. You can also replace the lentils with canned cannellini beans or chickpeas.”
14. 5-Minute Heirloom Tomato and Cucumber Toast
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, no cook
- Serves: 1
As far as vegan Mediterranean recipes go, this is one of the easiest, quickest snacks of all time. Use vegan cream cheese for the base to nail the dish’s signature creaminess without the help of dairy.
15. Malibu Farm’s Vegan Chop Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
- Serves: 4
Don’t let the long ingredient list deter you: The dressing, squash and beets can all be made days in advance and kept in the fridge until serving. (The salad just might taste better that way, too.) Substitute whatever you have on hand—think roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, pickled jicama or black beans, for starters.
16. Beet Hummus
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 8
As if you didn’t adore the classic chickpea spread already, this one is hot pink, thanks to vibrant cooked beets. This vegan Mediterranean recipe pairs with tortilla chips, pita, crackers and crudités alike.
17. Carrot, Fennel and Miso Soup
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegan, gluten free
- Serves: 4 to 6
Complete with miso-harissa pepita–pine nut crunch. “Be sure to cook the vegetables down enough that they begin to stick to the pan slightly without burning,” advises recipe developer Aran Goyoaga. “The goal is to really toast those natural sugars in the carrots, fennel and miso.”
18. Blistered Green Beans with Tomatoes, Pounded Walnuts and Raw Summer Squash
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
- Serves: 4
This vegan Mediterranean recipe is a far cry from that dairy-laden casserole Auntie Marge serves every Thanksgiving. “When pan roasting green beans, cook them as fast as possible to blister the skin and keep their bright green color and crunch,” suggests recipe developer Abra Berens.
19. Asparagus and Artichoke Paella
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, vegan, gluten free
- Serves: 6
This stunner tastes like spring in a bowl. Don’t stress over acquiring a special paella pan (it can be made in any large skillet), and substitute arborio rice if you can’t get your hands on Calasparra or bomba. The idea is to use a short-grained variety that’ll soak up the cooking liquid without turning too soft or sticky.
20. Dukkah-Crusted Fried Cauliflower “Steaks”
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, vegan, special occasion-worthy
- Serves: 4
For the uninitiated, dukkah is a Middle Eastern condiment made from herbs, nuts and spices that’s usually served as a dip or appetizer with bread or crudités. Use store-bought if you must, but this from-scratch version only takes ten minutes to prepare. As a substitute for the eggs, try a chia egg to make this Passover-friendly dish vegan.
21. Grilled Lemon-Herb Chicken and Avocado Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, dairy free, make ahead
- Serves: 4
Make this a vegan Mediterranean recipe by nixing the poultry in favor of seitan, tofu or nothing at all. (Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth, too.) The fiber-rich barley and avocado will hold you over just fine, and you can add chickpeas or beans to the mix to make it even more filling.
22. Quick Guacamole Quinoa Salad
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, make ahead
- Serves: 4
Leftover quinoa, ripe avocado and canned black beans make this easy, breezy dish as filling as it is simple. Finish it with your choice of greens, hot sauce and a spritz of fresh lime juice.
23. Crispy BBQ-Roasted Chickpeas
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: gluten free, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 4
Sweet-and-salty snack lovers, right this way. Maple syrup, smoked paprika and chili powder unite for a seasoning mix that checks all the boxes. As for the chickpeas, they’re roasted until they’re as crunchy as potato chips.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
- Serves: 2
Chickpeas—coated in a mix of cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and cumin—anchor this vegan Mediterranean recipe. Even the garlic-dill dressing is nutritious (thanks to fiber- and protein-rich hummus being the base).
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
- Serves: 4 to 6
This dish is endlessly versatile: You can use whatever long, whole-wheat noodles you’d like, plus add whatever herbs and produce you have on hand. Swap in nutritional yeast for grated Parm to make this dinnertime gem vegan.
26. Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, beginner-friendly, make ahead
- Serves: 4
The garlic-herb sauce stars hummus (or tahini) and almond milk, so it’s plenty creamy without the help of dairy. Bake the sweet potatoes or prepare the sauce in advance to cut down on prep time before dinner.
27. Izy Hossack’s Falafel Smash
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, vegan
- Serves: 3 to 4
Think of this vegan Mediterranean recipe like a pita flatbread pizza, piled high with pea shoots, pickled onions, chickpeas and an herby cilantro sauce you’ll want to drizzle on everything. It boasts a layer of non-dairy yogurt too for extra indulgence.
28. Ajvar (Roasted Pepper and Eggplant Spread)
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: gluten free, make ahead, <10 ingredients
- Serves: 8
With the help of a food processor, this savory appetizer comes together in a flash. Roast and peel the eggplant and peppers in advance for a stress-free preparation right before serving. (It can be made up to five days ahead, BTW).
29. Quinoa- and Vegetable-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, beginner-friendly, vegan
- Serves: 4
They’re brimming with grains, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage and black beans. Top the mushrooms with green goddess dressing, store-bought salsa or even just lime juice and cilantro before serving.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
- Serves: 4 to 6
This classic salad stars toasty pita points instead of humdrum croutons, so it’s more filling than you may expect. Skip the feta cheese (or substitute a vegan alternative) and you’re good to go.
