Healthy Middle Eastern Recipes

Find healthy, delicious middle Eastern recipes including Lebanese, Israeli and Turkish recipes. Healthier Recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Middle Eastern Chicken & Chickpea Stew

Rating: 4.08 stars
21
This quick, protein-rich chicken stew recipe gets great flavor from cumin, lemon juice and garlic. Make a double batch and freeze it for a quick healthy dinner. Serve the stew with couscous and steamed broccoli.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Lemon Chicken & Rice

Rating: 3 stars
2
This easy Persian-inspired chicken and rice dish has a beautiful golden color and a wonderful fragrance. If you have saffron in the cupboard, do add that optional pinch; just a little will enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish.
By Joyce Hendley

Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Rating: 4.7 stars
9
Deep-fried falafel can be a total grease bomb. But these pan-seared falafel still get crispy in just a few tablespoons of oil with equally satisfying results. Be sure to use dried, instead of canned, chickpeas in this healthy recipe--canned chickpeas add too much moisture.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chickpea & Quinoa Grain Bowl

Rating: 5 stars
4
It seems grain bowls have as many variations as there are stars in the sky, and there is no wrong way to build one! But we prefer to keep things classic and simple with hummus, quinoa, avocado and loads of veggies!
By Katie Webster

Green Salad with Pita Bread & Hummus

Rating: 5 stars
3
Elevate hummus and pita by piling your plate high with cucumbers, carrots and mixed greens! Just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil is all it takes to dress it up.
By Katie Webster

Salad of Avocado & Romaine with Black Olive Dressing

Rating: 5 stars
1
John Willoughby helped to launch Cooks Illustrated, was executive editor at Gourmet and has authored several cookbooks, including Big Flavors of the Hot Sun, from which this salad was adapted for a March/April 1995 EatingWell story about olives. It's one of the favorites--chosen from more than 1,000 salad recipes--that we revisited in our 30th anniversary issue.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Fattoush Salad

Red cabbage gives this fattoush salad extra crunch. Recipe adapted from New Arrival Supper Club chef Maysaa Kanjo.
By Laurel Randolph

Chicken Shawarma with Yogurt Sauce

Rating: 5 stars
4
The key to cooking juicy chicken without a spit in this healthy recipe is high heat and dark meat. The yogurt in the marinade gives the chicken both its tender texture and its alluring char. More yogurt in the sauce, along with crunchy cucumbers and herbs, keeps the flavors bright.
By JJ Goode

Classic Hummus

Rating: 4.6 stars
4
It's easy to make hummus at home with just a few pantry items. Serve drizzled with your best-quality extra-virgin olive oil and chopped parsley. Mop it up with warm whole-wheat pita bread or cut-up vegetables.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegetarian Stuffed Cabbage

Rating: 3.33 stars
3
Though traditional stuffed cabbage recipes are made with meat, here Savoy cabbage leaves are stuffed with a combination of rice, mushrooms, onions, garlic and herbs for a healthy vegetarian stuffed cabbage recipe. The stuffed cabbage leaves gently bake in a simple tomato sauce. This easy stuffed cabbage recipe can be made ahead of time and baked just before serving.
By Kathy Gunst

Broccoli, Chickpea & Pomegranate Salad

Rating: 5 stars
2
Simple steps give this broccoli salad recipe a more nuanced flavor: soaking the onion tempers its bite and toasting the cumin enhances its aroma. Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish.
By Christine Burns Rudalevige

Grain Bowl with Chickpeas & Cauliflower

Rating: 4.67 stars
3
This beautiful grain bowl is packed with healthy ingredients like quinoa, chickpeas, kale and cauliflower--all drizzled with a lemony tahini sauce. The fast one-bowl meal makes a satisfying weeknight dinner or packable work lunch. If you don't have za'atar, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander.
By Sylvia Fountaine
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Inspiration and Ideas

29 Middle Eastern-Inspired Mezze Recipes

29 Middle Eastern-Inspired Mezze Recipes
Put together a delicious spread of authentic and Middle Eastern-inspired recipes from the cuisines of Turkey, Lebanon and more.
Healthy Lebanese Recipes to Give You a Taste of the Middle East

Healthy Lebanese Recipes to Give You a Taste of the Middle East
Taste the middle east through savory mezze dishes that have layered simple ingredients, with exciting spices to create dishes like, Pumpkin Kibbeh. Many Lebanese dishes include chickpeas or fava beans to create a spiced hummus or sauce, an important part of every Lebanese meal. Most dishes are vegetarian or use meat sparingly due to the traditional Levant style of cooking, red meat is uncommon but when used it is usually, goat or lamb.
10 Healthy Turkish Recipes That Will Transport You to Istanbul

10 Healthy Turkish Recipes That Will Transport You to Istanbul
9 Healthy Persian Recipes That Everyone Will Love

9 Healthy Persian Recipes That Everyone Will Love
Air-Fryer Falafel

Air-Fryer Falafel
White Bean Moussaka

White Bean Moussaka
Rating: Unrated
1

Turmeric-Ginger Tahini Dip

Rating: 5 stars
1

Flavored with turmeric, ginger and garlic, this tahini dip recipe is perfect for dipping vegetables or topping your next falafel.

All Healthy Middle Eastern Recipes

Falafel Burgers

Rating: 4.4 stars
2
Pureed chickpeas, seasoned with the characteristic flavors of falafel, make excellent veggie burgers. We use a two-stage method for cooking the patties, first browning them in a skillet and then finishing them in the oven. Garnish the burgers with tzatziki or tahini sauce (see associated recipes), pickled red onions, lettuce and tomatoes.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Feta, Kale & Pear Salad

Rating: 4.67 stars
3
The crunchy seed topping is the perfect textural juxtaposition to a creamy dressing, soft pears and tender massaged kale salad. Tossing it all with mint, feta and red onion gives it a Middle Eastern flair.
By Cara Chigazola Tobin

Salmon with Toasted Israeli Couscous

Rating: 4.13 stars
4
You need only one skillet for this meal of wild salmon fillets and Israeli couscous pilaf. For added fiber, look for Israeli couscous made with whole-wheat flour. Serve with roasted carrots and broccoli with cumin.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Green Lentil Curry Masabacha

Masabacha is a thick stew that in this case serves as the backbone to a hearty and healthy breakfast bowl. But the real star here is the silky whipped tahini sauce, made by simply pureeing tahini and water with garlic and lemon juice until the mixture is transformed into a light, spreadable sauce. Serve with warm pita and some vegetables for dipping.
By Adeena Sussman

Spiced Chickpea "Nuts"

Rating: 3.54 stars
16
When roasted in a hot oven, chickpeas become super crunchy. They're a great low-fat substitute for nuts when salty cravings hit.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Whole-Grain Salad with Charred Broccoli, Spring Onions & Parsley-Sumac Vinaigrette

For this easy healthy salad, chef Hugh Acheson shows the power of charring vegetables as a way to add interest to a salad. This flexible recipe can be made with a variety of whole grains, such as wheat berries, farro or pearl barley. The salad revels in the spring arrival of radishes, spring onions and bright green parsley. Sumac, which is commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking, adds a touch of tartness. Look for it in well-stocked spice sections at your market.
By Hugh Acheson

Double-Tahini Hummus

Rating: 5 stars
1
You'll look like an expert with this easy hummus recipe that produces the lightest, silkiest hummus you've ever had. Chilling the cooked chickpeas ensures that when they're blended with the oil and cold tahini the hummus will come out creamy rather than oily. In a pinch, you can use the quick-soak technique (see Step 1), reduce the chilling time and still get great hummus.
By Michael Solomonov

Turkish Chicken Thighs

Rating: 4.13 stars
8
The acidity of the yogurt helps tenderize the chicken and keep it moist. If you can't find hot paprika, substitute 2 teaspoons sweet paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.
By Victoria Abbott Riccardi

Lebanese Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with Beef

These cabbage rolls are stuffed with a mixture of ground beef, rice and warm spices and cooked in a savory tomato sauce seasoned with garlic and mint. Topping the rolls with lemon juice just before serving gives the dish a bright flavor. They would make a wonderful centerpiece for a Sunday supper. Read more about this recipe in the accompanying article Making My Grandmother’s Cabbage Rolls Connects Me to My Lebanese Heritage.
By Emily Ackerman

Parsley Tabbouleh

Rating: 4 stars
3
Serve this tart, parsley-dominated tabbouleh at your next backyard gathering.
By Jessie Price

Roasted Veggie & Hummus Pita Pockets

Rating: 4 stars
1
Mediterranean flavors and fiber-packed ingredients combine for a satisfying and tasty pita-pocket sandwich.
By Victoria Seaver, M.S., R.D.

Chickpea Dumplings in Curried Tomato Sauce

Rating: 4.25 stars
4
Inspired by a dish served in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India called "dharan ji kadhi," our rendition studs the tender chickpea-flour dumplings with chiles and greens. Serve with naan to sop up the sauce for a healthy vegetarian dinner with plenty of protein.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Middle Eastern Salad Bowls with Farro & Chicken

We're pairing two shortcut products you can likely find at your local specialty grocery store--Middle Eastern bean salad and microwaveable farro--to add protein, fiber and satisfying texture to these high-protein lunch bowls. To cut down on prep time, we're also using preseasoned grilled chicken breasts from the refrigerated section, bottled balsamic vinaigrette and a few other ready-to-use ingredients to make these quick and easy meal-prep lunches.
By Carolyn A. Hodges, R.D.

Falafel

Rating: 4.5 stars
4
Tuck these tasty chickpea patties into whole-wheat pitas and top with tahini sauce (see associated recipe, below). Be sure to soak the chickpeas overnight for the creamiest mixture. The quick-soak method won't work for these pan-fried falafel patties.
By Carolyn Casner

Edamame Hummus Wrap

Rating: 5 stars
2
Made with protein-rich edamame instead of chickpeas, this easy hummus recipe is the perfect vegetarian filling for a grab-and-go wrap. Or double the recipe and use the hummus for a healthy snack with cut-up vegetables.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mustard Greens & Bulgur

Rating: 4.5 stars
4
Pungent mustard greens beg for other strong flavors for balance. Here walnut oil, walnuts, dates, bulgur and white-wine vinegar do the trick.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Pressure-Cooker Hummus

Rating: 5 stars
1
Cooking chickpeas from scratch is the best way to make your own hummus, but it can take hours to soak and cook them yourself. Enter the pressure cooker. Even without an overnight soak, your beans can be done in less than an hour, making this the ultimate last-minute appetizer option.
By Hilary Meyer

Persian Grilled Chicken

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
This easy grilled chicken recipe owes its tenderness to an overnight soak in a yogurt-lemon juice marinade and its soulful flavor to saffron and onion. A healthy drizzle of saffron-infused butter before serving adds an extra layer of richness. Serve with aromatic rice with pistachios and torshi, Central Asian pickles available at Persian and Middle Eastern grocery stores.
By Steven Raichlen

Middle Eastern Zucchini Dip

Rating: 3.29 stars
1
This creamy and tangy Middle Eastern zucchini dip recipe, also known as Koosa Ma Laban, is best served with baked pita chips or crunchy vegetables.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pumpkin Kibbeh (Kebbet Laa'tin)

Rating: 5 stars
1
"Kibbeh" describes dishes made with bulgur, onions and spices. That mixture is combined with everything from tomatoes to goat. It's layered and baked, shaped into balls or footballs, stuffed, deep-fried or eaten raw. This vegetarian kibbeh recipe is made with pumpkin and stuffed with seasoned greens. Sorrel adds a lemony flavor, but you can use chard or kale and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the filling. Use fine bulgur or the texture of the dough will be gritty.
By Kamal Mouzawak

Fresh Herb & Lemon Bulgur Pilaf

Rating: 4.8 stars
4
This pilaf, made with nutty bulgur, gets plenty of bright flavor from fresh dill, mint, parsley, ginger and lemon.
By Marie Simmons

Chickpea Burgers & Tahini Sauce

Rating: 4.69 stars
13
Rather than a heavy, fried falafel, here's a lighter version of the pocket sandwich: a chickpea patty served in a whole-wheat pita with a flavorful and lower-in-fat tahini sauce. Make it a Meal: Serve with a tomato-&-feta salad or Parsley Tabbouleh. Wash it down with an organic Wit Bier from Wolaver's.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Roasted Beet Salad

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
Walnuts, red onion and dill make this roasted beet salad recipe a fantastic accompaniment to chicken or topping for hummus. If you can't find beets with greens attached, use 1 pound of beets and 8 ounces of chard leaves.
By Michael Solomonov

Carob Molasses Cake (Sfouf b' Debs)

Rating: 4 stars
2
With all due respect to baklava, we've found a new favorite Lebanese dessert. This rich, moist cake is sweetened with carob molasses and has a hit of anise. We may or may not have fought over it in the Test Kitchen.
By Kamal Mouzawak
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