While we love hummus and juicy kebabs, there’s so much more to Mediterranean food than those dishes. Mediterranean cuisine taps into sun-soaked ingredients from a wide region, including Italy, Spain, Greece, and Turkey. It’s healthy and vegetarian-friendly, which makes Mediterranean food an easy choice for catering lunch meetings and sales pitches alike. Here are 11 of the most delicious Mediterranean dishes to inspire your next catering order.
Mediterranean Mains
1. Falafel
This street cart favorite is found on lunch catering menus galore (and thank goodness for that). Falafel are chickpea fritters plucked warm from the fryer and tossed onto soft pita smeared with hummus or slathered in tzatziki, a tangy yogurt and cucumber sauce.
2. Moussaka
For an entirely different range of flavors, head east to Greece and Turkey, where moussaka steals the show. Layers of roasted eggplant, spiced ground beef, and rich tomato are topped with swirls of creamy béchamel sauce, then broiled until golden brown.
3. Roasted Meat
Mediterranean food favors roasted meats, from spit-fired lamb to oven-roasted chicken. If you’re unfamiliar with this type of food, here’s a list of the most common meat dishes on Mediterranean catering menus.
- Kofta: Fried meatballs made from tender pork, lamb, chicken, or beef. The meatballs are usually served with rice and pita bread, or in a wrap.
- Gyro: Marinated lamb, chicken, or beef roasted on a vertical rotisserie spit. The meat is nestled with tomatoes and onions in soft pita bread.
- Souvlaki: Marinated meat or vegetables roasted on skewers. Typically served in a sandwich, or with salad, pita, and tangy tzatziki sauce.
Mediterranean Salads
4. Israeli Salad
If your local Mediterranean restaurant offers you the chance to add Israeli salad to your catering order, take it. This fresh-tossed combination of cucumber, tomato, onion, and chopped herbs is the perfect vegetarian side dish for livening up wraps, kebabs, or falafel.
5. Tabbouleh
Chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes, onions, and hearty bulgur (a nutty grain) are tossed with olive oil and lemon for a bright tabbouleh salad. Look for variations on your local Mediterranean catering menu made with large-grain Israeli couscous or even quinoa for a healthy, veggie-friendly side. Paired with warm pita and roasted meat, tabbouleh makes any Mediterranean dish more vibrant.
6. Fattoush
A fresh green salad tossed with tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and fried pita. This dish is popular in the eastern Mediterranean, and you can find it on many a catering menu today, too.
Mediterranean Dips
7. Baba Ghanoush
Want to venture beyond hummus for your next catering order? Branch out to baba ghanoush, a beloved dip with a similar texture. Creamy roasted eggplant, sesame paste, and olive oil taste delicious on pita or on fresh veggies.
8. Tzatziki
Don’t shy away from this zippy yogurt and cucumber sauce cut with lemon and mint. It tastes delicious on popular Mediterranean catering dishes from falafel to kofta meatballs.
9. Muhammara
This spicy red pepper dip is perfect for livening up falafel or spreading on warm pita to enjoy.
Mediterranean Desserts
10. Baklava
Keep an eye out for lunch catering packages from your favorite Mediterranean spot that include dessert. You can never go wrong with servings of baklava, phyllo pastry dough layered with drizzles of honey and finely chopped nuts and baked until golden brown.
11. Rice Pudding
To make this creamy rice pudding, a strip of lemon peel is often used to infuse the pudding with a citrusy flavor. Look for variations made with cinnamon, rose water, or raisins.
From spit-fired meats to creamy desserts, Mediterranean food is exciting and delicious. So next time you need catering, try one of these 11 delicious Mediterranean dishes.
Give your office a taste of vibrant Mediterranean food.