Vegetarian Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner: A Rainbow of Veggies
I’m obsessed with this Vegetarian Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe, and I hope you will be too. Sheet pan dinners are my favourite recipes to share because they are SO easy to make, and are always full of tons of nutritional benefits. The best part: the easy clean up. This Vegetarian Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner is veggie-packed and protein-rich, offering you a delicious, balanced dinner for your new year wellness goals. The Mediterranean diet is often highly regarded as it’s packed with whole, flavorful foods, is very flexible and sustainable, and is linked to longevity and a lower risk of disease.
Vegetarian Mediterranean Sheet Pan dinner is one of my favourite sheet pan recipes. With baby potatoes and mixed veggies, feta cheese and tofu, all topped with a homemade lemon herb dressing. While this recipe is delicious, it’s not my favourite thing about it. As a working mom of two, the best part for me is the clean up; using just one pan and a cutting board, the post-dinner clean up is one of my dreams.
Another thing about this recipe is that it can all be prepped by washing and chopping the produce and/or pre-making the dressing, which will significantly reduce your time in the kitchen in the evening. This recipe is also one that tastes just as amazing when reheated (with the cheese and dressing added once heated). For omnivores, feel free to add or replace the tofu with grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon for extra protein. For vegans, just leave out the cheese!
Start Meal Planning this year!
If you are looking to spend less time in the kitchen on weeknights, I highly recommend meal planning. When you meal plan, you get home from work with everything you need in the fridge ready to cook. You don’t have to run around getting groceries or ordering takeout at the last minute. Need some help getting started? Try my meal planning template.
Vegetarian Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner Recipe (Veggie-Packed & Protein-Rich)
Vegetarian & Gluten-Free
Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Serves 4
Mediterranean Sheet Pan Dinner Ingredients
- 3 cups (1lb) baby potatoes, halved
- 1 can (540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 block (450 g) firm tofu, pressed and cubed
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 red onion, thickly diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives (optional)
Lemon-Herb Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, packed (or basil, mint, or dill)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On the sheet pan, combine potatoes, chickpeas, tofu, bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Toss until everything is evenly coated. NOTE: If you want crispy chickpeas, cook them on a separate baking sheet with 1 tbsp oil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, toss everything well, then return to the oven for another 15–20 minutes, until potatoes are golden and chickpeas are crispy.
- In a small jar or bowl, whisk (or shake) together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon, honey, herbs, salt, and pepper.
- Let the roasted veggies cool slightly, then drizzle with the lemon-herb dressing. Sprinkle with feta and toss gently to coat.
TIP: Make sure you drain all the water from your tofu by pressing it to ensure it gets firm and crispy.
What’s the Obsession With the Mediterranean Diet?
Adding Mediterranean-type foods and recipes to your diet is extremely popular, and for good reason. This diet has become one to follow over the last couple of years due to the nourishment, flexibility, and science-backed health benefits. Without being too strict and boring, the Mediterranean Diet focuses on colourful veggies, quality proteins, whole grains, and tons of olive oil. What’s so great about this diet is that it doesn’t feel like a typical ‘diet’, but rather a balanced lifestyle that is easy to maintain: focusing on foods that make you feel good and energized, enjoying and savouring your meals, and moving throughout the day without strict goals and numbers.
Health Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet
- Reduces Inflammation: healthy fats, whole foods and a colourful plate will reduce the inflammation in your body.
- Weight Management: healthy fats and high fibre will keep you satiated, reducing overeating and therefore lessening unwanted weight gain.
- Maintains a Balanced Blood Sugar: balanced meals with fibre, protein and good fats will prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes.
- Heart Health: Olive oil, nuts and fish are proven to reduce the ‘bad’ cholesterol in our bodies (LDL), lowering the risk of heart disease. (https://journals.lww.com/journalacs/citation/2008/09000/olive_oil,_the_mediterranean_diet,_and.15.aspx)
- Brain Health: Full of anti-inflammatory foods and antioxidants, this diet has lots of research exploring the lower risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s.
- Gut Health: All the colourful fruits and veggies are feeding your gut microbiome!
- Supports Longevity: It is proven that communities that follow this type of diet have a longer life expectancy. (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12603-022-1811-y)
- Overall Mood and Mental Health: Healthy fats, antioxidants, and micronutrients are known for supporting mood and reducing depression and anxiety symptoms.
- Long-term Wellness: Due to the realistic habits and flexibility, it is easier to follow for life without giving up, like other diets.
Want more Mediterranean Inspired Recipes?
Tuscan White Bean Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
Beans and other legumes are a huge part of the Mediterranean diet, so this Tuscan White Bean Salad with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette will be a perfect addition to your weekly rotation! With sundried tomatoes, fresh greens, white kidney beans and barley, these flavours pair perfectly, and you won’t be able to stop yourself from eating it.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
This is a perfect vegetarian side dish, or with some added protein, could be a delicious main dish as well! This Mediterranean Quinoa salad is bursting with flavours from the roasted red peppers, green onions, fresh cilantro, some spices and topped with crumbly feta cheese! This is also a gluten-free dish, so everyone can feel involved.
Grilled Greek Salad
This Grilled Greek Salad brings all the flavours of Greece to your plate. An easy and delicious weeknight dinner, the marinated chicken breasts are grilled to perfection and complete this refreshing, nutrient-packed salad. Topped with a homemade dressing made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and dill, you are definitely giving yourself a great chance at that longevity we spoke of earlier. 😉
