27 Mediterranean-Inspired Dinners for Spring

Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens

Bring the flavors of the Mediterranean to your plate with these fresh and delicious dinner recipes perfect for the warming weather. These dinners are full of seasonal produce and other ingredients that are appropriate for the Mediterranean diet including whole grains and fish. Recipes like Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens are bright and tasty.

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Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

We've taken the key ingredients of the popular caprese salad--tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil--and piled them into portobello mushroom caps to make a delicious and satisfying vegetarian main dish.

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Roasted Salmon with Smoky Chickpeas & Greens

In this healthy salmon dinner, you'll get a dose of greens and green dressing! Chowing down on 6 or more servings of dark leafy greens a week can help keep your brain in top shape. This dish features the Test Kitchen's current go-to method for doctoring a can of chickpeas: spice them up and roast until crispy.

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Lemon-Garlic Chicken Penne with Pesto and Spinach

Fresh pesto brilliantly compliments the lemon and garlic flavors of this juicy chicken dinner.

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White Bean & Veggie Salad

White Bean & Veggie Salad

This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.

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Quinoa Salad with Feta, Olives & Tomatoes

Greek Quinoa Salad
Greg DuPree

This quinoa salad, which takes loose inspiration from a Greek salad, is flavorful and filling. Broiling the olives along with the other vegetables softens their flavor and adds a smoky background note. A garnish of basil brightens the dish.

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Salmon & Asparagus with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce

Looking for a recipe to help you eat more heart-healthy fish and veggies? Add this salmon and asparagus dinner to your rotation. Not only is it healthy and delicious, this sheet-pan dinner is also easy to make and a breeze to clean up.

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Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables

Instead of cooking pasta in a huge pot of water, here we use just 3 1/2 cups for this one-pot pasta recipe. When the pasta is al dente, most of the water has evaporated and the bit that's left is thickened with the starch that cooks off the pasta. With just a few add-ins like lemon and Parmesan cheese you have a delicious silky sauce. Want to use up your veggie stash in the freezer? Swap in 8 ounces frozen spinach for fresh.

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Easy Brown Rice Pilaf with Spring Vegetables

This quick 3-ingredient dinner takes advantage of foods you can keep stocked in your fridge and pantry for a fast, healthy meal the whole family will love. Want to kick it up a notch? Use a frozen vegetable blend that has added seasoning for extra flavor (just watch the sodium).

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Wild Mushroom Pizza with Arugula & Pecorino

Make no mistake, this healthy pizza recipe is all about the mushrooms; lemon oil and arugula add just enough citrus and spiciness to accent without overwhelming. To that end, Sardinian or Tuscan Pecorino cheese (milder than Pecorino Romano) is called for, but other mellow grating cheeses, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, will work.

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Cauliflower & Kale Frittata

Cauliflower & Kale Frittata

Inspired by traditional Spanish tortillas made with potatoes, this healthy frittata recipe swaps potatoes for low-carb cauliflower. Serve it along with kale (or your favorite greens) for brunch or an easy breakfast-for-dinner.

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Greek Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Greek Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

A mixture of tomatoes, spinach, feta, olives and fresh oregano gives portobellos a Mediterranean vibe in this healthy stuffed mushroom recipe. Serve these along with chicken, fish or tofu as a super-satisfying side dish, or add a hearty salad and make them the centerpiece of a vegetarian dinner.

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Greek Roasted Fish with Vegetables

Greek Roasted Fish with Vegetables

This dish is packed with flavor and fits perfectly into a Mediterranean diet.

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Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

Chicken & Spinach Skillet Pasta with Lemon & Parmesan

This one-pan pasta that combines lean chicken breast and sautéed spinach for a one-bowl meal is garlicky, lemony and best served with a little Parm on top. I call it "Mom's Skillet Pasta" and she called it "Devon's Favorite Pasta." Either way it's a quick and easy weeknight dinner we created together and scribbled on a little recipe card more than a decade ago, and it remains in my weekly dinner rotation to this day. It's a simple dinner the whole family will love.

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Seared Cod with Spinach-Lemon Sauce

A citrus-laced spinach sauce zests up delicate cod in this healthy fish recipe. If you can find Meyer lemons, use their sweeter juice instead of the regular lemon and orange juices. Serve with roasted cherry tomatoes and zucchini with angel hair pasta.

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Pita Panzanella Salad with Meatballs

This Mediterranean-inspired salad combines the flavors of Greece with the format of a traditional Tuscan bread salad for a refreshing, yet hearty meal. For a twist, try stuffing the salad into the pitas rather than crisping them in Step 3.

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Garlic, Sausage & Kale Naan Pizzas

We love sausage, but it can be high in sodium. In this fast, healthy dinner, we make our own turkey sausage with crushed red pepper, garlic, fennel seeds, paprika and just a touch of salt.

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Farfalle with Tuna, Lemon, and Fennel

This warm, flaked tuna and lemon pasta recipe is ready in 30 minutes.

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Garlic Shrimp & Asparagus Kebabs

Shrimp and asparagus both cook very quickly, making them a perfect pair on the grill. We've seasoned them in delicate flavors--lemon, garlic and dill--so their natural sweetness can shine through. Pick fat asparagus stalks for easier skewering.

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Portobello Paillards with Spinach, White Beans & Caramelized Onions

Portobello mushrooms are so meaty that even carnivores will be satisfied with this lusty vegetarian dish. Instead of pounding the caps, we weigh them down in the skillet to flatten them while they cook.

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Pita Chip Nachos

Pita Chip Nachos

Swap tortilla chips for pita chips in this healthy Mediterranean nacho recipe. For a party, create one large platter--just be sure to serve with plates!

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Lemon-Herb Salmon with Caponata & Farro

Dig into your farmers' market haul to cook this colorful and healthy Mediterranean diet dinner recipe that's packed with vegetables. Feel free to swap in any vegetables or cook up another whole grain, such as brown rice. Serve with a glass of your favorite red wine.

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Provençal Baked Fish with Roasted Potatoes & Mushrooms

This easy healthy meal--which requires just 15 minutes of active time--is typical of southern France. You can use halibut, grouper or cod for this simple Mediterranean baked fish recipe, so just choose what looks best at your market. Look for herbes de Provence, an aromatic spice blend, at most grocery stores.

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Spinach & Sausage Gnocchi

Some like it hot--but if you don't, sweet Italian turkey sausage is also delicious in this healthy gnocchi recipe. Serve with a mixed green salad with sherry vinaigrette.

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Chicken & Apple Kale Wraps

Using kale leaves instead of bread to wrap your filling makes this healthy chicken lunch recipe low-calorie (and lower in carbs!). If you can't find lacinato (aka Tuscan) kale, try cabbage for your wrap.

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Spaghetti with Broccolini Pesto

Broccolini stems are quickly softened in the pasta-boiling water before being whirled with basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano into a flavorful pesto sauce in this healthy vegetarian pasta recipe. It's worth seeking out Parmigiano-Reggiano to make the pesto-its superior flavor elevates the final dish. Edamame bumps up the protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied.

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Coriander-&-Lemon-Crusted Salmon with Asparagus Salad & Poached Egg

Coriander-&-Lemon-Crusted Salmon with Asparagus Salad & Poached Egg

Crushed coriander seeds and lemon zest give this quick salmon recipe praiseworthy flavor that pairs beautifully with a shaved asparagus and poached egg salad. Served with a glass of white wine, this healthy recipe makes the ultimate lunch or light dinner.

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Sweet Potato Carbonara with Spinach & Mushrooms

Sweet Potato Carbonara with Spinach & Mushrooms

Loaded with veggies, this spiralized sweet potato vegetable noodles recipe--our healthy take on a traditional carbonara recipe--achieves superfood status with the addition of spinach and mushrooms. Look for large, straight sweet potatoes to make the longest veggie noodles.

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