Our 20 Most Popular 20-Minute Mediterranean Diet Dinners

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Published on February 23, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet — Photo: Jamie Vespa

Touted as one of the healthiest eating patterns, the Mediterranean diet has been shown to offer many benefits like lowered risk of chronic disease, healthier weight management and stronger heart and brain health. This collection features the Mediterranean diet dinners that EatingWell readers have visited the most in the past year. You’ll find lots of nutritious foods like vegetables, whole grains, legumes, healthy fats and lean proteins in these easy and delicious meals that come together in just 20 minutes or less. Flavorful recipes like our Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl and Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet are nourishing and convenient dishes we’re sure you’ll enjoy at dinnertime.

01 of 20

Chhole (Chickpea Curry)

chickpea curry (chhole)

This healthy Indian recipe is a flavorful chickpea curry that you can make in just 20 minutes. Also called chana masala, this dish is a comforting and delicious dinner.

02 of 20

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We've loaded it up with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.

03 of 20

Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta

spinach-artichoke-dip-pasta

If you've ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here's what's almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.

04 of 20

20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet

20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet — Jamie Vespa

Salmon fillets cook quickly and are coated with a delicious creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This easy salmon dinner is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. The best news: you can get this meal on the table in 20 minutes flat.

05 of 20

Leftover Turkey Stew

leftover turkey stew

This hearty turkey stew recipe is just about the best use of Thanksgiving leftovers we can think of. And we don't just mean the turkey—leftover gravy is used to add depth of flavor and body.

06 of 20

Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Mediterranean Chickpea Quinoa Bowl

Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and pack them in lidded containers to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab-and-go lunches all week long.

07 of 20

Cucumber Salad Sandwich

a recipe photo of the Cucumber Salad Sandwich — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

Who said you couldn't put a salad on a sandwich? Flavor this creamy cucumber filling with your favorite fresh herbs, tangy feta cheese and lemon. Salting the cucumber then patting it dry removes some of the moisture from the cucumber so the filling doesn't make the bread too soggy. If you like crispy bread, toast it first for extra crunch.

08 of 20

Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls

overhead shot of vegan grain bowl with edamame, beets and avocado — Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey

This nutrient-packed grain bowl recipe comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwavable quinoa and precooked beets. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights.

09 of 20

Easy Pea & Spinach Carbonara

easy pea and spinach carbonara

Fresh pasta cooks up faster than dried, making it a must-have for fast weeknight dinners like this luscious yet healthy meal. Eggs are the base of the creamy sauce. They don't get fully cooked, so use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs if you prefer.

10 of 20

Vegan Coconut Chickpea Curry

vegan chickpea coconut curry

To make this 20-minute vegan curry even faster, buy precut veggies from the salad bar at the grocery store. To make it a full, satisfying dinner, serve over cooked brown rice. When shopping for simmer sauce, look for one with 400 mg of sodium or less and check the ingredient list for cream or fish sauce if you want to keep this vegan. If you like a spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce at the end.

11 of 20

Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans

Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Green Beans

This easy lemon-garlic chicken recipe calls for cutlets, which cook in less than 10 minutes! Can't find them? Make your own from chicken breasts. Place each breast on a cutting board and, with your knife parallel to the board, slice into the skinny side of the chicken breast in a single smooth motion. The side of green beans is cooked right in the same pan as the chicken, so this 20-minute easy, healthy dinner is not just a snap to prepare—the cleanup is a cinch too.

12 of 20

Classic Sesame Noodles with Chicken

Sesame noodles become a satisfying meal with lean chicken and tons of veggies in this quick, healthy noodle recipe. Be sure to rinse the spaghetti until it's cold, then give it a good shake in the colander until it's well drained. Are you a spiralizing pro? Swap 5 cups of raw zucchini, carrot or other veggie "noodles" for the cooked pasta.

13 of 20

One-Pot Lemon-Broccoli Pasta with Parmesan

overhead shot of brown bowl filled with rotini pasta, broccoli, parmesan and lemon slices

This hearty pasta dish with bright, fresh flavor is ideal for busy weeknights. The Parmesan adds welcome saltiness and notes of umami and you get added texture from the slight crunch of broccoli and whole-wheat noodles. Add some shredded rotisserie chicken, grilled shrimp or crispy chickpeas to punch up the protein.

14 of 20

Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich

Avocado, Tomato & Chicken Sandwich

In this healthy chicken sandwich recipe, the avocado is mashed to create a healthy creamy spread.

15 of 20

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing

Hearty yet simple to prepare, this stuffed sweet potato with black beans, kale and hummus dressing is a fantastic 5-ingredient lunch for one!

16 of 20

Ground Beef & Snap Pea Rice-Noodle Stir-Fry

We've bulked up the serving size of this pad thai-inspired stir-fry by adding in lots of veggies like matchstick carrots, snap peas and scallions. Look for whole-grain brown-rice pad thai noodles to add an additional 3 grams fiber to each serving.

17 of 20

Red Beans and Rice with Chicken

Fiber-rich red beans, whole-grain brown rice and skillet-cooked chicken breast are ready in just 20 minutes.

18 of 20

Spinach-Tortellini Soup

bowl of spinach tortellini soup — Photographer: Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

When you need a quick and flavorful dinner, turn to this easy tortellini soup with spinach. Refrigerated cheese tortellini bulk up the soup and cook in just minutes. The tortellini can be delicate, so be careful when stirring the soup to avoid them falling apart.

19 of 20

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

20 of 20

Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.

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