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    Mediterranean inspired vegan recipes and more

    Find creative, nourishing, Mediterranean vegan recipes that everyone will love. Zen and Zaatar is the source for irresistible plant-based recipes, with a focus on Mediterranean and multicultural flavors.

    Winter faves

    Cozy up with warming recipes for winter.

    • This Mediterranean white bean soup is flavored with Harissa and tahini. Filled with kale, parsley, and thyme, this vegan white bean soup is hearty, flavorful, and creamy.
      Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Harissa & Tahini (Vegan)
    • A bowl of Arabic lentil soup topped with pita chips, crispy onions, and parsley, and served with lemon.
      Authentic Arabic Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas)
    • The freekeh recipe shown with the cooked freekeh, topped with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and drizzled with tahini.
      Simple Middle Eastern Freekeh with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
    • The sweet potato and chickpea quinoa bowl with brussels sprouts, pepitas, and topped with maple tahini drizzle.
      High-Protein Sweet Potato and Chickpea Quinoa Bowls

    See more winter recipes →

    Trending recipes

    The top-rated recipes that thousands of readers are loving right now!

    • ful medames, a syrian fava bean and chickpea breakfast salad
      Ful Medames, Syrian Style (Arabic Bean Salad) [Vegan, GF]
    • vegan kunafa or knafeh, a shredded phyllo and sweet cheese dessert
      Vegan Kunafa (Knafeh) | Shredded Phyllo and Sweet Cheese Dessert
    • Creamy Avocado Mac and Cheese (Vegan)
    • one pot mujadara, syrian bulgur and lentils with vegan cucumber yogurt
      One-Pot Mujadara (Syrian Bulgur and Lentils) with Cucumber Mint Yogurt (Vegan)
    • This horaa osbao (horak esbao) is a syrian pasta dish with lentils and tangy pomegranate sauce.
      Syrian Pasta with Lentils & Caramelized Onion (Horaa Osbao) | حراق اصبعه - Vegan
    • mutabal shawandar, a garlic roasted beet dip with tahini
      Mutabal Shawandar (Garlic Roasted Beet Dip)
    • This healthy vegan nutella is date sweetened
      Healthy Vegan Nutella (Date-Sweetened)
    • How to make a super flavorful tofu scramble with spinach and cherry tomatoes. Forget about
      Super Flavorful Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomatoes

    See all recipes →

    Browse by craving

    • Middle Eastern
    • Main Dishes
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Soups and Stews
    • Salad

    Mediterranean recipes

    Unique Mediterranean vegan recipes inspired by my Arab background, with a colorful twist.

    • Image of bulgur pilaf with chickpeas, tomatoes, and squash, plated, topped with parsley, and cropped square.
      Bulgur Pilaf with Chickpeas, Tomato, and Squash
    • syrian moussaka with eggplant potato and chickpeas
      Syrian Moussaka with Eggplant and Potato (Vegan)
    • This vegan shakshuka make a delicious Middle Eastern breakfast. This Mediterranean brunch recipe is made plant based using chickpea based eggs baked in a tomato and red pepper sauce.
      Mouth-Watering Vegan Shakshuka
    • Vegan baked eggplant meatballs topped with roasted pepper sauce, served over pasta.
      Easy Baked Vegan Eggplant Meatballs with Red Pepper Pasta
    • syrian baba ganoush without tahini, a smoky eggplant walnut dip
      Syrian Baba Ganoush (No Tahini) - Smoky Eggplant Pomegranate Dip
    • vegan jackfruit gyros with creamy tzatziki
      Vegan Gyros with Jackfruit and Creamy Tzatziki
    • mediterranean chickpea salad sandwich vegan
      Mediterranean Chickpea Salad Sandwich (Vegan)
    • Plated, finished Syrian yalanji dolma topped with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
      Syrian Yalanji Dolma (Vegan Stuffed Grape Leaves)

    See more Mediterranean recipes →

    Dinner ideas

    Creative dinner ideas that vegans and non-vegans will love.

    • This vegan chicken piccata recipe is so close to the real thing! Homemade seitan is a protein packed, plant based meat alternative that works great in this dish. In this seitan piccata, the vegan chicken is breaded and served over pasta in a light, creamy, lemon caper sauce.
      Unbelievable Vegan Chicken Piccata (Seitan)
    • vegan pesto caprese sandwich with homemade mozzarella
      Vegan Pesto Caprese Sandwich
    • This vegan palak paneer replaces the paneer with a recipe for Burmese chickpea tofu, replicating the texture and flavor of a soft cheese. This vegan saag paneer, a spinach curry, is made creamy with coconut milk, making a rich and flavor Indian-inspired comfort dish.
      Vegan Palak Paneer with Chickpea Tofu (Soy-Free, GF)
    • This vegan butternut squash & chickpea panang curry is a sweet, peanut flavored curry, inspired by the classic Thai dish. This vegan Thai peanut curry uses vegan panang curry paste, peanut butter, and coconut milk to create a rich and creamy base. This plant based curry uses chickpea and butternut squash instead of meat. Gluten-free with a n oil-free option.
      Butternut Squash & Chickpea Panang Curry (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

    See more dinner recipes →

    About Zena, M.S.

    Hi! I'm Zena, and I love creating delicious plant based recipes that everyone enjoys. Coming from a health science background, I strive to share colorful dishes, inspired by my Middle Eastern background, that nourish the body and mind.

    Learn more about me →

    Zena's faves

    Tried, tested, and true.

    • The best gluten-free, oil-free, and vegan double chocolate chip cookies that can be enjoyed in just 15 minutes and require just 7 ingredients! A one bowl vegan dessert recipe.
      Best Gluten Free Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (Oil Free, One Bowl)
    • sweet potato black bean enchiladas verdes with vegan chipotle cashew cheese
      Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Cashew Cheese (Vegan)
    • Loaded Sweet Potato Nachos with BBQ Jackfruit (Vegan)
    • The best ever vegan sweet potato mac and cheese that is nut free, gluten free, and oil free
      The Best Sweet Potato Vegan Mac and Cheese (Gluten-free, Nut-free, Oil-free)

    Recent recipes

    • Flatlay image of baked pumpkin kibbeh, cropped square.
      Pumpkin Kibbeh (Baked)
    • Balila, consisting of brothy, Lebanese chickpeas, surrounded by fresh crudités and pita bread for serving.
      Balila (Lebanese Chickpeas)
    • Flatlay image of finished vermicelli rice topped with toasted almonds and parsley, cropped square.
      Vermicelli Rice (Mediterranean Rice Pilaf)
    • Almond parmesan being sprinkled over a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce for featured image.
      5-Minute Almond Parmesan Cheese (2 Ways!)

    See all recipes →

    Headshot image of the author of Zen and Zaatar, Zena Hassoun, MS.

    Welcome!

    Hi, I’m Zena, a passionate home cook with a Master’s in Medical Health Sciences. I’ve been vegan for nearly a decade and love creating approachable, Mediterranean-inspired recipes that nourish your body and soul.

    More about me

    55+ Vegan Recipes for Real Life

    The cover image of my e-cookbook, with text overlay "Vegan is Delicious: 55+ nourishing, innovative, plant-based recipes to satisfy vegans and omnivores alike! by Zena Hassoun, M.S., creator of Zen and Zaatar."

    Tired of the same meals or relying on takeout? Vegan is Delicious is full of flavorful, plant-based recipes (with photos!) plus a 7-day meal plan to make home cooking feel effortless.

    Learn more →

    Trending Recipes 🔥

    • How to make a super flavorful tofu scramble with spinach and cherry tomatoes. Forget about “bland” tofu, this tofu scramble is bursting with umami flavor, seasoned with nutritional yeast and tahini. A great plant-based alternative to scrambled eggs, this flavorful tofu scramble recipe is sure to be a vegan breakfast favorite!
      Super Flavorful Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Tomatoes
    • This healthy vegan nutella is date sweetened
      Healthy Vegan Nutella (Date-Sweetened)
    • vegan kunafa or knafeh, a shredded phyllo and sweet cheese dessert
      Vegan Kunafa (Knafeh) | Shredded Phyllo and Sweet Cheese Dessert
    • ful medames, a syrian fava bean and chickpea breakfast salad
      Ful Medames, Syrian Style (Arabic Bean Salad) [Vegan, GF]
    • This horaa osbao (horak esbao) is a syrian pasta dish with lentils and tangy pomegranate sauce.
      Syrian Pasta with Lentils & Caramelized Onion (Horaa Osbao) | حراق اصبعه - Vegan
    • The sweet potato and chickpea quinoa bowl with brussels sprouts, pepitas, and topped with maple tahini drizzle.
      High-Protein Sweet Potato and Chickpea Quinoa Bowls
    More recipes →

    Winter

    • Drizzling the maple tahini dressing with a spoon to show the texture, with the image cropped square.
      Easy Maple Tahini Dressing
    • These vegan portobello pizzas are a healthy, dairy free way to enjoy the flavors of pizza. Also gluten-free, you can customize each portobello pizza in this recipe to your liking with vegan cheese and veggie toppings.
      Vegan Portobello Pizzas (GF)
    • This cheesy vegan quinoa with broccoli and chickpeas is a healthy comfort food dish that can be made in one pot. This savory gluten free recipe is made creamy with cashews and seasoned with garlic.
      One-Pot Cheesy Vegan Quinoa with Broccoli & Chickpeas (GF)
    • Creamy Coconut Quinoa and Greens (Vegan, GF)
    • This warming lentil and sweet potato chili is the perfect comfort food for colder months. Packed full of flavor, this vegan sweet potato chili recipe is also gluten-free.
      Warming Lentil & Sweet Potato Chili (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
    • vegan polenta creamy oyster mushroom trumpet scallop scallops sun dried tomato puree spinach lemon butter vegetarian bay zenaznzaatar zena n zaatar food blog recipe
      Creamy Vegan Polenta with Oyster Mushroom Scallops and Sun-dried Tomato Purée
    See more Winter →

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