Welcome to our roundup of 30 Middle-Eastern recipes; easy, healthy, and packed with authentic flavor.
You might also like our Mediterranean Diet ideas, best chickpea recipes, and lentil recipes.
Middle Eastern cuisine is one of the most flavorful in the world, known for its rich use of spices, fresh herbs, and wholesome ingredients.
From the sun-drenched Levant to the spice-laden kitchens of Egypt, it brings together simple, nourishing dishes that are packed with plant-based protein.
Louise and I curated this collection of 30+ Middle Eastern-inspired recipes that we truly love.
This roundup includes the classics, like hummus, falafel, mujadara, and fattoush and we offer our favorite serving suggestions and pairing ideas, too 😋.
These recipes are perfect for family dinners, mezze platters, or quick weeknight meals.
Authenticity note: We’ve also included a few Eastern Mediterranean dishes (like Turkish lentil soup and Shirazi salad from Iran) that, while not strictly Middle Eastern, share ingredients and culinary heritage with the region.
A humble dish from the Levant made with lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. It’s comforting, budget-friendly, and perfect with a drizzle of tahini yogurt sauce.
This lentil tabbouleh recipe is a tasty and nutritious variation of classic tabbouleh.
With Tahini, or tahina (طحينة in Arabic) as the main ingredient, you will enjoy a rich, nutty flavor and a creamy texture.
Whole roasted cauliflower is a gorgeous and delicious centerpiece meal or side dish recipe inspired by Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cuisines.
Muhammara is a red pepper and walnut dip from Syria. It is a beautiful representation of Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cuisine, combining simple natural ingredients into a dish with bright colors and bold flavors.
Mutabal—sometimes spelled moutabal—is a tasty Middle Eastern dip with a beautiful smoky flavor.
This Mediterranean bowl takes inspiration from Middle-Eastern staples such as hummus, crisp seasonal veggies, warm pita bread, olives, soft white cheese, and tahini.
This hummus recipe is a mouthwatering spread from the Middle East. It’s made with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and other simple ingredients.
Shirazi salad (also known as Salad-e Shirazi) takes its name from the city of Shiraz in Southwestern Iran, where this recipe is considered a national dish.
Spinach stew is famous in many countries, especially in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking. This vegetarian dinner idea is excellent with rice or warm pita bread.
Our roasted cauliflower soup has a beautiful nutty flavor and irresistible creamy texture, and it will remind you of delicious Eastern Mediterranean food.
Pita bread is an Arabic flatbread (Khubz) similar to naan bread. It originated in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines and is now famous worldwide.
Turkish lentil soup comprises red lentils simmered in a tasty broth with veggies and warm spices.
Falafels are deep-fried balls (we also do them in the air fryer) made out of soaked chickpeas, broad beans, or a combination of both.
Fattoush is a delicious, crunchy, refreshing salad from Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. It has fresh vegetables, herbs, and toasted or fried Arabic bread.
Baba ganoush is an eggplant-based Levantine spread and dip with a pleasant smoky flavor and creamy-dreamy texture.
Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern flavors inspire chickpea fritters, which go well with anything from those regions.
Lentil carrot salad is tasty, aromatic, and inspired by Mediterranean flavors and aromas.
Stuffed bell peppers are a popular dish in most Mediterranean countries, from Italy to Turkey, Spain to North Africa’s coasts.
Tahini salad is a healthy Middle Eastern-inspired dish with fresh vegetables and herbs, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and parsley, tossed in a creamy tahini sauce.
Dukkah or Duqqa is an Egyptian nuts and spice blend that can be used as a dip for pita bread and olive oil or sprinkled on hummus, veggies, soups, and other dishes.
Cauliflower lentil salad is a delicious and easy Middle-Eastern-inspired recipe to add to your lentil salad repertoire.
Lentil hummus is a 5-minute recipe using canned or cooked lentils. Its preparation is similar to that of classic hummus.
24. Fatteh (pita, yogurt, and hummus)
Fatteh (also known as fatta, fette, fattah, or fetté) is an Egyptian and southern Levantine dish popular in Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan.
You’ll love the Middle-Eastern-inspired flavor of these patties with cooked lentils, spices, fresh herbs, and garlic.
More Middle-Eastern food ideas
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Middle-Eastern Recipes: Mujadara
Ingredients
Caramelized Onions
- 4 large onions white or yellow
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar apple cider, or balsamic
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup dry lentils green or brown + 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
- ½ cup basmati rice + 3 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 scallions finely chopped (set green tops aside for garnish)
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander ground
- ½ teaspoon cumin ground
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder optional, not traditional
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt add more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped, optional
Serving Suggestions
- 4 wedges lemon
- 1 cup yogurt tahini sauce or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Note: you can cook the onions, lentils, and rice (steps 2 to 7) up to 3 days in advance and store them in airtight containers in the fridge.
- COOK THE ONIONS: Peel and cut 4 large onions into ⅕ inch or ½ cm slices and sauté them with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, and ¾ teaspoon salt in a large skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add ¾ cup water, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the liquid is gone and the onions are soft and browned. Stir occasionally.Set the stove to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon vinegar and cook for 3 more minutes while stirring.Tip: while the onions cook, proceed to the next step.
- COOK THE LENTILS: Rinse 1 cup dry lentils and add them to a pot with 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 to 45 minutes or until tender.Drain and set aside.
- COOK THE RICE: Rinse ½ cup basmati rice, then add it to a pot with 3 cups of boiling water and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Boil gently on low heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked but with a bite.Drain and set aside.
- MIX WITH THE SPICES: Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add 4 scallions (finely chopped – only white and light-green part) and sauté for 2 minutes.Add 2 cloves garlic (pressed), 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and sauté 1 more minute or until fragrant.
- Add lentils, rice, ½ of the caramelized onions, 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Stir and cook in the pan for a few minutes until everything is warm and well combined.
Notes
Nutrition
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