Cook Like a Blue Zoner With These Modern Mediterranean Recipes

If you’re into interior design, you may have noticed the term modern Mediterranean cropping up recently. The trend blends rustic, Mediterranean-style elements with the sleek lines and clean minimalism of modern design. But modern Mediterranean style isn’t just for interiors, it’s making its way into the kitchen, too.

Take UK high-end grocery chain Waitrose, for example, which has just launched a new range of summer food products inspired by the trend. Think salty padrón peppers and marinated olives, paired with a refreshing blood orange and pink grapefruit lemonade.

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“Many Mediterranean cuisines lend themselves to lighter summer-style eating, a season where sharing plates and tapas are a go-to on the dinner table,” reads a release from Waitrose.

The chains adds that “customers will see herby and aromatic flavors throughout the range.”

Best of all, the modern Mediterranean approach is easy to adopt when cooking from scratch. It’s fun, creative, and incredibly healthy. Discover some of our favorite modern Mediterranean recipes below.

The health benefits of cooking modern Mediterranean recipes

Time and again, research has shown that a plant-forward, Mediterranean style of eating is among the best for our health. This diet—typically low in meat and processed foods but rich in whole ingredients like fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, olive oil, and moderate amounts of red wine—has been linked to a reduced risk of many chronic diseases.

In 2023, for example, one study found that the Mediterranean lifestyle could reduce the risk of dying from cancer by as much as 28 percent. In 2024, three studies connected the diet to a reduced risk of heart disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, erectile dysfunction, and urinary tract infections.

So it’s no surprise that in 2025, US News & World Report named the Mediterranean diet the best diet for our health for the eighth year in a row. 

“The Mediterranean diet focuses on diet quality rather than a single nutrient or food group,” notes the publication. “Numerous studies have shown that it reduces the risk of chronic health conditions, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, while promoting longevity and improving quality of life.”

And if you need further proof of the Mediterranean diet’s health benefits, just take a look at the Blue Zones—regions where people consistently live past 100 years of age free of chronic illnesses. Identified by National Geographic researcher Dan Buettner, the Blue Zones include Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, CA in the US.

Across these areas, a common dietary pattern emerges: high consumption of legumes, whole grains, and vegetables, with minimal animal protein and the occasional glass of red wine. If this sounds anything like the Mediterranean diet to you, that’s because it is. The Mediterranean diet is the core diet of those who live in the Blue Zones.

Modern Mediterranean recipes

Even with a contemporary twist, modern Mediterranean recipes keep the emphasis on nutrient-dense whole foods while incorporating contemporary flavors and cooking techniques. Try some of our favorite recipes below.

Oliver Barth

1 Riced Cauliflower Bowl With Chickpeas and Pistachio Dukkah

Why it’s modern Mediterranean: This dish is comforting, flavorful, and loaded with nutrient-dense, whole food ingredients like cauliflower, coconut yogurt, and healthy fats from olive oil, pistachios, and sesame seeds. The modern twist comes in the form of the bowl presentation. It’s a contemporary favorite that brings together vibrant flavors and textures in one satisfying, balanced meal.
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Lauren Lovatt

2 Sizzling Zucchini With Creamy Vegan Tzatziki and Chimichurri

Why it’s modern Mediterranean: The dish centers on zucchini, a Mediterranean staple, and incorporates vibrant herbs like parsley, mint, and cilantro, along with olive oil and lemon zest, two more classic components of the region’s cuisine. The plating style, however, with its clean, artistic dots of sauce and the delicately seared zucchini fillets, feels modern and sophisticated. It’s the perfect date-night-in meal.
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Hannah Kaminsky

3 Baked Eggplant and Zucchini Chips

Why it’s modern Mediterranean: This recipe takes two Mediterranean favorites, eggplant and zucchini, and turns them into the perfect, crunchy plant-based snack, perfect for movie nights or party bowls. Serve the chips with modern favorites like vegan mayonnaise or ketchup, or lean into classic Mediterranean flavors with dips like skordalia, tzatziki, or hummus.
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4 Quick and Easy Roasted Tofu Caprese

Why it’s modern Mediterranean: This fresh take on the Italian caprese still has all those beloved Mediterranean ingredients, like tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and vinegar, but it replaces the mozzarella with silken tofu for a plant-based and modern twist. The ideal summertime lunch, this dish is nourishing, light, and the perfect mix of textures, thanks to the creamy tofu and the charred roasted tomatoes.
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Hélène Dujardin

5 Basil Olive Pizza Hummus

Why it’s modern Mediterranean: Hummus is a classic Mediterranean favorite. It’s delicious in its standard, creamy format, but it’s also incredibly versatile, too. This recipe adds a fun, modern spin by adding pizza-inspired ingredients like tomato sauce, nutritional yeast, and balsamic vinegar.
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Luke Albert

6 Batter-Fried Santorini Tomato Fritters

Why it’s modern Mediterranean: On the Greek island of Santorini, tomatoes are next-level, due to their rich flavor and juicy texture. This recipe honors the local ingredient by transforming it into crispy, delicious fritters and serving them with vegan yogurt and a wedge of lemon. For an extra dose of greens, you could also add finely chopped kale or greens to the batter, or deepen the flavor with some sun-dried tomatoes.
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Leinana Two Moons

7 Plant-Based Turkish Pizza (Lahmacun)

Why it’s modern Mediterranean: Lahmacun is traditionally made with ground meat, but this modern version swaps in vegan beef crumbles to achieve that essential meaty, juicy texture. Fresh herbs like parsley and mint, combined with a bright tomato salad and a squeeze of lemon, keep the dish vibrant, fresh, and firmly rooted in Mediterranean flavors.
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