Our 10 Most Popular Mediterranean Recipes of 2019

Way back at the beginning of this year, the Mediterranean diet was named the best diet for 2019. It’s not so much of a diet, though, as it doesn’t really rule anything out. Instead, it’s a moderate, plant-based way of eating, which focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. The occasional dessert or steak is totally fine, too, so it’s a pretty feel-good way of eating.

We conjured up lots of Mediterranean-inspired recipes this year and these were your very favorite. We’re pretty sure they’ll be easy to embrace in 2020, too.

This salad is so packed with good things, you’ll have trouble deciding which to grab first with your fork. Farro, cucumbers, peppers, chickpeas, and chunks of feta all come together to form an extra-colorful bowl.

Get the recipe: Mediterranean-Style Chopped Salad with Oregano Vinaigrette

Israeli couscous, otherwise known as pearl couscous, is a pasta shaped into grain-like balls with a chewy texture that’s easy to love. To make this salad extra wholesome, try making it with whole-wheat couscous.

Get the recipe: Israeli Couscous Salad with Feta, Chickpeas, and Herbs

Baking cod fillets with slices of lemon and garlic, along with lots of fresh herbs, helps give the delicately flavored fish just the right amount of intrigue without overpowering the dish.

Get the recipe: Baked Cod with Lemon, Garlic, and Herbs

Don’t skimp on the dressing with this salad. Drizzling everything in the lemony tahini gives each bite creamy texture and nutty flavor.

Get the recipe: Chicken Shawarma Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Snacking on a tub of store-bought hummus with pita chips is all well and good, but if you want to take it a step further, add some veggies and a jammy egg and turn it into a wholesome, well-balanced dinner.

Get the recipe: Mediterranean Hummus Bowl with Chickpeas and Soft-Boiled Egg

Toss fresh out-of-season berries with a bit of balsamic vinegar, and it helps coax out their natural juices and sweetness, making them a perfect any-time-of-the-year match for tangy Greek yogurt.

Get the recipe: Balsamic Berries with Honey Yogurt

This riff on the classic salad replaces the typical tuna for warm baked salmon fillets. It’s so much better that, honestly, we’ve never looked back.

Get the recipe: Summery Salmon Niçoise Salad

This is the ideal lunch salad: It can be made days ahead, packs up easily, and fills you up without making you feel like you need to take a nap afterwards.

Get the recipe: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Caramelizing mushrooms is a fancy way of saying the mushrooms have been seared so that their deep, umami-rich flavor is extra intense. Combine them with melty mozzarella and you’ve got a winner.

Get the recipe: Caramelized Mushroom Flatbread Pizza

The secret to this colorful dinner salad is marinating the salmon in some of the tangy oregano vinaigrette. Doing so makes for a painless way to infuse flavor into the fillets.

Get the recipe: Easy, Healthy Greek Salmon Salad