16 Easy Anti-Inflammatory Dinners for the Mediterranean Diet

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Published on November 4, 2023

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

a recipe photo of the Chicken Piccata Casserole — Photo:
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist Jennifer Wendorf

Eating food that helps you feel your best just got easier with these 30-minute dinners. Packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients like seafood, dark leafy greens, legumes and herbs, these dishes can help relieve pesky symptoms of chronic inflammation like digestive issues, muscle aches and mental fog. Plus, the inflammation-fighting foods you’ll find in these meals are also staples of the Mediterranean diet, which has been ranked as one of the healthiest eating patterns you can follow. Recipes like our saucy Chicken Tinga Baked Pasta and protein-packed Chicken Piccata Casserole are healthy, flavorful and nourishing dinner winners.

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Chicken Tinga Baked Pasta

Chicken Tinga Baked Pasta — Jacob Fox

This spicy baked pasta features leftover chicken tinga, a dish hailing from Puebla, Mexico. The rich tomato-chipotle sauce adds heat and creaminess to the dish.

02 of 16

Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Salmon

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Salmon — Photographer / Brie Passano Styling / Annie Probst / Holly Raibikis

For this quick and easy dinner for four, the vegetables and sauce come together in one skillet in a matter of minutes while the salmon broils. Plus, salmon is swimming in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and loaded with vitamins and nutrients like B vitamins and potassium.

03 of 16

Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Radish-Apple Slaw

a recipe photo of the Crispy Sesame-Crusted Tofu with Radish-Apple Slaw — PHOTOGRAPHER: JEN CAUSEY, FOOD STYLIST: MELISSA GRAY, PROP STYLIST: SHELL ROYSTER

We coat slices of tofu with sesame seeds for a delightfully crunchy crust and serve them with a tangy, refreshing slaw. We love the look of black and white sesame seeds combined, but if you have only one variety on hand, that will work well too. Serve this ultra-quick recipe with brown rice or soba noodles on the side.

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Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon

a recipe photo of the Cucumber Chickpea Salad with Feta & Lemon — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Annie Probst

This cucumber chickpea salad with feta and lemon is tangy and refreshing. You can enjoy it on its own or toss it with greens for an easy lunch or dinner. We love the grassy flavor of dill, but another fresh herb like oregano, parsley or chives will work well in its place.

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Our Chicken Piccata Casserole Is Packed with 31 Grams of Protein

a recipe photo of the Chicken Piccata Casserole — Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist Jennifer Wendorf

This protein-packed chicken piccata casserole brings all the flavors of classic chicken piccata together in one dish. It’s the easiest piccata you’ll ever make—no dredging or sauce required! Cooking the lemon slices in butter mellows their bite and helps jump-start the lemony flavor of the dish while helping the butter get a little brown, bringing some nuttiness to the dish.

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Green Goddess Ricotta Pasta

a recipe photo of the Green Goddess Ricotta Pasta — Photographer: Sara Baurley, Food Stylist: Julia Levy, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

We take the flavors of green goddess dressing—lemon, anchovy and herbs—and use them as the base for a colorful, bright pasta sauce. We like a mix of basil, chives, parsley and tarragon, but you can mix herbs depending on what you have on hand. Adding ricotta to the sauce creates a luscious, velvety texture, while the acidity from the lemon juice balances out the creaminess. We use shells, which hold the pools of sauce well, but you could easily swap in another noodle if you prefer. To amp up the veggies even more, try adding asparagus or peas to the dish.

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Bibimbap-Inspired Rice Bowls

a recipe photo of the Bibimbap-Inspired Rice Bowl — Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

While not traditional, these protein-rich brown rice bowls take inspiration from Korean bibimbap, with a mix of sweet and spicy ground beef and sliced veggies topped with a fried egg. Gochujang, a fermented paste made from chiles, soybeans and rice, adds subtle spice and tons of complexity. Toasted sesame oil finishes the dish with a nutty flavor.

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Anti-Inflammatory Chicken & Beet Salad

a recipe photo of the Chicken Harvest Salad with Cherry Vinaigrette — PHOTOGRAPHER: JEN CAUSEY, FOOD STYLIST: MELISSA GRAY, PROP STYLIST: SHELL ROYSTER

Tart cherry juice concentrate adds flavor and helps fight inflammation when teamed up with other anti-inflammatory foods like beets and walnuts in this quick salad. Buying packaged cooked beets cuts down on time (and mess!). Look for them in the produce section where other prepared vegetables are sold.

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Super Green Pasta

a recipe photo of the Super Green Pasta served on a plate and topped with pine nuts and cheese — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Pack in your veggies with this quick and easy green pasta. Plenty of kale and spinach transform into a vibrant green sauce once cooked and blended with basil, pine nuts and Parmesan cheese for a pesto-like flavor. Enjoy this easy vegetarian pasta as is, or add grilled chicken or white beans for a boost of protein.

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Tilapia Fish Tacos

a recipe photo of the Talapia Fish Tacos — Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf

These refreshing and quick tilapia fish tacos are tender and packed with a flavor that will take you straight to the coast. Corn or flour tortillas work well here. We love the mild flavor of tilapia, but any white, flaky fish like cod or haddock will work well in its place.

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Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Chicken & Fresh Berries

a recipe photo of the Spinach-Quinoa Bowls w Chicken and Berries — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickeyt, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

If you're packing this grain bowl for work, combine the dressing ingredients in a small container. When you're ready to eat, shake the dressing well, add it to the salad and toss. If you don't have time to make a homemade dressing, use 3 tablespoons of store-bought olive oil vinaigrette. Keep prep time short by using rotisserie chicken (or leftover chicken) and a pouch of microwavable quinoa.

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Bibim Naengmyeon

a photo of the Bibim Naengmyeon — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman

The star of bibim naengmyeon is the sauce: a sweet, spicy, tangy mixture that combines well with the chewy noodles. While egg and beef often top this dish, this version skips it for a no-fuss vegan meal. For a more satisfying meal, top it with slices of fried or grilled tofu. It's best to eat this dish immediately. The noodles become stiff and hard to mix the longer they sit.

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Braised Lentils & Kale with Fried Eggs

braised lentils kale and egg in a bowl with a fork — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

These braised lentils are cooked with tender kale and bathed in a fire-roasted tomato broth with an egg on top to pack in the protein. Microwaveable lentils need just a short time in the pan to finish cooking. If you have cooked or canned lentils on hand, you can use them in their place, but you may have to shave a few minutes off the cooking time so they don't get too soft. We like how the soft, runny yolk coats the dish. If you want a harder yolk, cover the pan and add 2 or 3 minutes to the cooking time.

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20-Minute Pasta al Limone

a recipe photo of the Pasta Al Limone — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco

This tart and lucious pasta al limone recipe is ready in 20 minutes. The origins of this recipe lie in Sorrento, Italy, famous for its large lemons with medium-thick, bumpy rind packed with aromatic oil and pulp with a balanced sugar content that verges on sweet. They are the lemons that brought the world limoncello and this zesty pasta dish. Luckily, even if you don’t have Sorrento lemons, you can still make it. For the best results, look for lemons that are large and ripe but firm, with a rough rind. These thicker-skinned lemons usually produce more zest.

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Grilled Vegetable & Black Bean Farro Bowls

a recipe photo of the Farro Burrito Bowls — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

These bowls are filled with all the hearty goodness of a black bean and veggie burrito, minus the tortilla. Nutty, chewy farro takes the place of rice, and the veggies are grilled with a zesty lime vinaigrette. The bowls are delicious at room temperature, but you can also heat the beans with a splash of vegetable broth and reheat the vegetables in a small skillet.

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Cashew, Chickpea & Pasta Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette

a recipe photo of the Cashew, Chickpea & Avocado Salad with Coriander-Mint-Shallot Vinaigrette — Sara Haas

In our humble opinion, the dressing makes this salad. Tangy and zesty with a bit of a crunch from the shallots, this cilantro-mint-shallot vinaigrette will quickly become your go-to. Make the dressing and chop up the veggies while you wait for the pasta to cook, then mix everything and enjoy!

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