10+ Vegetarian Mediterranean Diet Dinners Ready in 30 Minutes or Less

Whether you’re looking for a cozy pasta or a refreshing salad, you’re sure to find a new favorite among these quick and easy vegetarian recipes. The best part? These 30-minute dishes align with the Mediterranean Diet, since they are filled with healthy ingredients like whole grains, fiber-packed veggies, healthy fats and plant-based protein. Options like our Creamy Lemon-Garlic Spaghetti & Spinach and No-Cook White Bean & Spinach Caprese Salad are full of flavor and will leave you feeling satisfied.

Grilled Eggplant & Tomato Creamy Lemon-Garlic Spaghetti & Spinach

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling

This spaghetti with lemon-garlic Parmesan sauce is a bright and richly creamy dish, thanks to sour cream that adds a tanginess that blends seamlessly with lemon zest and juice. Meanwhile, the spinach wilts in the pasta water in record time for a fast weeknight dinner. Parmesan cheese adds the bulk of the savory flavor. It’s worth seeking out a block of Parmesan and grating it yourself to maximize the flavor.

No-Cook White Bean & Spinach Caprese Salad

This easy white bean and spinach caprese salad features the classic combination of juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil and tangy balsamic vinegar, but adds tender white beans and fresh baby spinach to the mix. If you can’t find mozzarella pearls, cut or tear a fresh ball of mozzarella into bite-size pieces instead. If you like your salad with a little kick, try swapping out the spinach for arugula.

Bhel Puri Chaat-Inspired Salad

Ali Redmond

This flavorful salad was inspired by bhel puri, a type of chaat (savory snack) served across India, and features puffed quinoa and lentils for extra protein and fiber.

White Bean & Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi

Jacob Fox

Sun-dried tomatoes are the star of this recipe—providing texture and umami. Combined with the spinach, they make this dish a great source of vitamins C and K.

Cheesy Spinach-&-Artichoke Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This spaghetti-squash-for-pasta swap makes for a delicious and creamy casserole with a boost of veggies. It’s worth roasting the squash versus cooking it in the microwave if you have the time: the flavor gets sweeter and more intense.

Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad

This cold pesto pasta salad features fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers which add a pop of bright color and juiciness here. Any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too.

Piled-High Vegetable Pitas

Fresh, bright flavors come alive in these easy vegetarian pitas. Give yourself enough time to make the roasted vegetables called for in the recipe—or make them a day or two in advance for a healthy meal that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. These pitas would also work well with whatever leftover cooked veggies you have on hand. No need to warm the roasted veggies up; this recipe tastes great chilled or at room temperature.

Vegan Burrito Bowls with Cauliflower Rice

These meal-prep vegan burrito bowls are healthy and flavorful. Make them early in the week for grab-and-go meals when days are busy. We use frozen cauliflower rice, a low-carb substitute for white or brown rice, to cut down on prep time.

Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl

Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco

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.

Vegan Coconut Chickpea 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.

Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.