Recipes Appetizers Meze 17 Irresistible Middle Eastern Recipes By Food & Wine Editors Updated on September 21, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: © Marcus Nilsson/"The Perfect Finish" Israeli cuisine is characterized by a blend of flavors from the larger Middle East and Mediterranean as well as traditional Jewish foods. The stunning and aromatic recipes here include a za'atar-spiced beet dip with goat cheese and hazelnuts, hummus masabacha with paprika and whole chickpeas, lamb-stuffed eggplant, nutty tabbouleh, and more. 01 of 17 Shakshuka with Fennel and Feta © Quentin Bacon While working on a kibbutz one summer in Israel, Gail Simmons developed an ardent affection for humble egg dishes like shakshuka, often known in Italy as Eggs in Purgatory. "It's a popular dish throughout the Middle East and perfect for any meal of the day." Get the Recipe 02 of 17 Israeli Roast Eggplant, Hummus, and Pickle Sandwiches © Johnny Valiant At Butcher & Bee in Charleston, South Carolina, owner Michael Shemtov and his team prepare this messy, incredibly tasty vegetarian sandwich, called a sabich, with vegetables, hummus, house-baked pita, and herbs from a garden right behind the restaurant. "The sabich is Iraqi-Israeli, just like me," Shemtov says. "It's a personal dish." Get the Recipe 03 of 17 Za'atar-Spiced Beet Dip with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts © Antonis Achilleos Beets have a strong presence in the cuisine of almost every ethnic group in Jerusalem, chef Yotam Ottolenghi explains. They color pickling juices on the Arab table and form the basis for a soup of Jewish, Iraqi, and Kurdish origin. Ottolenghi purees them for this luscious spread. Get the Recipe 04 of 17 Parsley Salad with Pine Nuts and Lemon-Tahini Dressing Tahini, the creamy Middle Eastern sesame seed paste, is the ingenious base for the dressing on this bold-flavored salad. The dressing would be terrific with any number of peppery greens, like escarole, watercress, or celery leaves. Get the Recipe 05 of 17 Hummus Masabacha with Paprika and Whole Chickpeas © AMIT GERON "Hummus is the hardest thing to get right," says legendary hummus maker Mike Solomonov. "It has to be rich, creamy, and mildly nutty." To make his hummus luxuriously smooth, he soaks the chickpeas overnight with baking soda to soften them. Get the Recipe 06 of 17 Baba Ghanouj on Pita © Helene Dujardin The creamy Middle Eastern eggplant dip called baba ghanouj is traditionally served with warm pita and an assortment of salads. Here, we top the pita with the dip and a mixture of romaine, tomato, and cucumber for an extraordinarily tasty meal. Get the Recipe 07 of 17 Stuffed Eggplant with Lamb and Pine Nuts © Antonis Achilleos This cinnamon-scented recipe is chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's take on a dish made by Elran Shrefler at Azura Restaurant in Tel Aviv. Get the Recipe 08 of 17 Walnut Snowball Cookies © Antonis Achilleos These buttery, crumbly, sugar-dusted cookies are irresistible. Jerusalem cooks personalize them with different nuts and aromatic flavorings, like rose water or cardamom. Get the Recipe 09 of 17 Halvah-Sesame Sundae © Marcus Nilsson/"The Perfect Finish" "My passion for halvah (the sesame seed candy) is no secret. I love its crunchy, gritty, nutty flavor," says chef Bill Yosses. "I first started eating it in Paris at the pâtisseries orientales: the Middle Eastern sweet shops in the fifth arrondissement, near La Sorbonne. The flavor of halvah works well with caramel. Sesame is the new vanilla!" Get the Recipe 10 of 17 Feta-Stuffed Marinated Olives Photo by Dan Perez / Food Styling and Prop Styling by Nurit Kariv Fragrant za'atar, a spice blend ubiquitous across the Middle East, flavors these briny, feta-stuffed olives with its notes of thyme, marjoram, sumac, and sesame seeds. Lemon, chile, and parsley cut through the rich, herbaceous flavors, adding a bright freshness to these easy, bite-size appetizers. Get the Recipe 11 of 17 Shawarma-Style Chicken and Mushroom Kebabs Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling Heather Chadduck Starting over hot coals and finishing over low heat mimics the crispy-juicy results of shawarma, kebab, and al pastor shops around the world. After marinating, some of the chicken pieces may break apart; simply tuck those loose pieces in the center of the skewered stack. Use three skewers to stack and stabilize the shawarma so it's easy to maneuver on the grill. Get the Recipe 12 of 17 Knafeh (Shredded Phyllo-and-Cheese Pie) Greg DuPree Michael Solomonov, chef at Zahav in Philadelphia, and Reem Kassis, author of The Palestinian Table, formed an unlikely friendship around their shared, though much disputed, food heritage. They both love this knafeh, a sweet, cheese-filled dessert, encased in shredded phyllo pastry (kataifi) and soaked in a fragrant syrup laced with rose and orange blossom. Get the Recipe 13 of 17 Sweet Potato and Feta Bourekas Greg DuPree Bourekas are crisp, savory little parcels filled with anything from vegetables and cheese to ground meat. Inspired by his grandmother's recipe, chef Michael Solomonov's version is stuffed with sweet potato, feta, dill, and olives. At Zahav, Solomonov prepares them with housemade laminated dough, but this recipe calls for prepared puff pastry, which makes it easy to make at home. Get the Recipe 14 of 17 Pita Bread Laura Rege / Food & Wine Chef Alon Shaya of New Orlean's Shaya restaurant makes these beautiful pita breads in a 700°F wood-burning oven. You can recreate the heat at home with a pizza stone and your broiler. Shaya recommends letting the dough rise for the full two days for the best flavor. Get the Recipe 15 of 17 Mhalabiyeh (Fragrant Milk Pudding with Cranberries) Greg DuPree Mhalabiyeh — the Palestinian version of panna cotta — is commonly flavored with mastic, which has a pleasant flavor reminiscent of licorice or pine. Alternatively, you can substitute one teaspoon of rose water or orange blossom water. Get the Recipe 16 of 17 Cauliflower Salad with Yogurt Sauce and Pomegranate Greg DuPree Inspired by her mother's (much richer) fried eggplant salad, cookbook author Reem Kassis tops fried cauliflower with toasted nuts, pomegranate arils, and lemon-and-garlic-laced yogurt. Get the Recipe 17 of 17 Tabbouleh with Pine Nuts and Almonds © Con Poulos Chef Yousef Hanna's nutty, crunchy twist on the classic Middle Eastern salad is mainly herbs and vegetables with a smattering of fine bulgur. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit