15 Cozy Mediterranean Diet Dinners to Keep You Warm

Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans
Photo: Jacob Fox

These cozy dinner recipes are healthy options to keep you warm in colder weather. Starring ingredients like produce, healthy fats, whole grains and lean protein, these delicious dinners fit well into the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest eating patterns around. Recipes like our Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach and Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans are equally tasty, healthy and satisfying options for dinner tonight.

01 of 15

Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach

Gochujang-Glazed Salmon with Garlic Spinach
Jacob Fox

Gochujang, a Korean red chile paste, and honey give this salmon a little bit of sweetness and a whole lot of spice.

02 of 15

Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese

Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin

This easy pumpkin risotto with goat cheese uses sweet and earthy canned pumpkin as a flavor base and creamy goat cheese to add creaminess and tang. Toasted pumpkin seeds add texture and nutty notes. Parsley adds mild fresh flavor, but any chopped fresh herb would work just as well.

03 of 15

Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans

Massaged Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Beans
Jacob Fox

Loaded with roasted sweet potatoes and shallots, black beans, quinoa, feta and pepitas, this salad makes for a satisfying meatless meal. Not only does massaging the kale tenderize it, it also helps the greens absorb more of the bright dressing.

04 of 15

Minestra Maritata (Italian Wedding Soup)

Bowl of Easy Italian Wedding Soup on a gray cloth background

Forget the marble-size meatballs you find in many versions of this Italian Wedding Soup. In this easy recipe, they're full-size, full-flavored and plenty filling.

05 of 15

Spaghetti Squash with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Spaghetti squash with sundried tomato cream sauce
Photographer / Brie Passano Styling / Annie Probst / Holly Raibikis

This vegetable-based dish is so rich, you won't miss the carbs. And a fork becomes a magic wand when it scrapes the squash flesh and noodles practically tumble into the skillet. This hearty side dish makes a great accompaniment for roast chicken or pork chops.

06 of 15

Kale, White Bean & Pasta Soup

Kale, White Bean & Pasta Soup
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee

This veggie-packed kale, white bean and pasta soup is hearty and flavorful. Mashing beans into the soup gives it body and creaminess without actual cream. Serve this delicious vegetarian soup with a piece of crusty whole-grain bread on the side.

07 of 15

Farro Risotto with Mushrooms & Greens

Greens & Groats Risotto
Greg DuPree

Guests who choose to wander around Oak Hill Café in Greenville, South Carolina, know that chef David Porras has his own farm out back. This dish is a tasty way he uses up stems from leafy greens, flowers from bolted herbs, and other odds and ends from his copious beds.

08 of 15

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas

Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas
Greg DuPree

A crisp, citrusy slaw contrasts nicely with the enchiladas' creamy squash filling.

09 of 15

Chicken & White Bean Soup

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Once again, rotisserie chickens can really relieve the dinner-rush pressure-especially in this Italian-inspired soup that cries out for a piece of crusty bread and a glass of red wine.

10 of 15

Roasted Tofu & Broccoli with Peanut-Curry Sauce

Roasted Tofu & Broccoli with Peanut-Curry Sauce
Jacob Fox

Pressing the tofu before roasting rids it of some excess moisture for crispy results. If you have the time, let it sit for more than 10 minutes—the longer it's pressed, the better!

11 of 15

Pepper, Pesto & Spinach Stromboli

Pepper, Pesto & Spinach Stromboli
Jason Donnelly

Stromboli can often be heavy with meat and cheese, but this version is packed with veggies. Nutty fontina is more flavorful than classic mozzarella, so a little goes long way. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.

12 of 15

Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli

Sheet-Pan Salmon with Sweet Potatoes & Broccoli
photography / Caitlin bensel, Food Styling / Emily Nabors Hall

The vibrant combo of cheese, cilantro, chili, and lime—inspired by Mexican street corn—makes this salmon sheet-pan dinner burst with flavor.

13 of 15

Vegan Lentil Soup

Vegan Lentil Soup

This vegan lentil soup recipe is packed with fresh ingredients and plenty of lentils that deliver a healthy dose of fiber in each bite. This vegan soup is the perfect cold-weather lunch or healthy dinner the whole family will love.

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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.

15 of 15

BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous

BBQ Shrimp with Garlicky Kale & Parmesan-Herb Couscous

In the U.S., dry whole-wheat couscous has been partially cooked, making it a quick-cooking (5 minutes!) whole-grain weeknight dinner champ. And when you buy peeled shrimp, plus a bag of prechopped kale and bottled barbecue sauce, the savings in prep time helps to get this healthy dinner done in a jiff.

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