Food World Cuisines Middle Eastern Cuisines 33 Middle Eastern Recipes Featuring Feta, Phyllo, and Fragrant Spices These fragrant specialties meld many influences with celebrated spices and flavors from the region. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on December 14, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Victor Protasio There are more than 20 countries that can be categorized as Middle Eastern and many influences to the region's cuisine. Israeli cuisine, for one, is characterized by a blend of flavors from the larger Middle East and Mediterranean as well as traditional Jewish foods — while an Israeli staple like hummus is as ubiquitous in Egypt, Greece, Iran, Palestine, and Syria. The stunning and aromatic Middle Eastern recipes here represent many countries' influences and traditions, including a za'atar-spiced beet dip with goat cheese and hazelnuts, hummus masabacha with paprika and whole chickpeas, lamb-stuffed eggplant, nutty tabbouleh, meltingly sweet halvah, and more. 01 of 33 Kubba Hamuth (Sweet and Sour Soup with Stuffed Dumplings) Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee This Iraqi-Jewish soup is tangy and rich with lemon juice, beets, and chicken dumplings. Get the Recipe 02 of 33 Za’atar Chicken Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley This juicy, crisp-skinned roast chicken from chef Zachary Engel of Chicago’s Galit, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Lincoln Park, Chicago, is finished with herbaceous and toasty za’atar, a fragrant Middle Eastern spice blend. Get the Recipe 03 of 33 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 04 of 33 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 05 of 33 Amba (Pickled Mango Sauce) Photo by Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Greg Luna / Prop Styling by Stephanie Hunter A blend of unripe green mango, white vinegar, and spices like fenugreek, cumin, and tart sumac punches up this sour condiment, a diaspora food that tells the story of the Jews of Iraq. Get the Recipe 06 of 33 Dinner Hummus with Spiced Chicken and Cauliflower Victor Protasio Serving hummus at the center of the table is common practice in the Middle East, where it’s eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The creamy chickpea spread is often topped with sautéed mushrooms or eggplant, browned ground lamb and onions, saucy fava beans, or similar hearty add-ons. Leah Koenig's version is capped with a generous layer of chicken and cauliflower and flavored with a shawarma-inspired array of spices — cumin, smoked paprika, and coriander. Get the Recipe 07 of 33 Kubaneh Tara Donne Camille Cogswell shares her recipe for the traditional Yemenite Sabbath bread, which she served with swooshes of brown-sugar ricotta or piles high with shockingly pink salt-roasted beets and labneh at K’Far in Philadelphia. Get the Recipe 08 of 33 Lemon-Maple Halvah with Pistachio and Apricot Lemon-Maple Halvah with Pistachio and Apricot. Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver This sweet and crumbly confection from Adeena Sussman is packed with nutty tahini, dried apricots, rich maple syrup, and fruity sumac. Get the Recipe 09 of 33 Date and Walnut Rugelach with Tahini Glaze Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Rugelach, a 20th century adaptation of the filled, crescent cookies from Central and Eastern Europe known as kipfel, are a popular Jewish food enjoyed year-round and often served for Hanukkah and Shavuot. Faith Kramer flavors hers with a sweetened tahini glaze, the creamy Middle Eastern sesame seed paste. Get the Recipe 10 of 33 Khagineh (Stuffed Persian Sugar Omelet) Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero / Prop Styling by Christine Keely This dish originated in Iranian Azerbaijan. Filled with a cinnamon-and-cardamom-spiced crumble made from ground walnuts and Medjool dates, this sweet, pancake-like omelet from cookbook author Louisa Shafia gets an extra dose of sweetness from a drizzle of golden saffron syrup and a dollop of rosewater-infused whipped cream. Get the Recipe 11 of 33 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 12 of 33 Persian Split Pea and Rice Soup with Lamb Meatballs © Christina Holmes This bright, herbaceous porridge from cookbook author Naomi Duguid is a staple of Persian home cooking. Traditionally called ash, this soup can be made days in advance and reheats beautifully. Get the Recipe 13 of 33 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 14 of 33 Persian Love Cake Matt Russell “This enchanting cake reminds me of a Persian garden in the late spring, adorned with the floral scent of rose water and citrus, and decorated with bright green pistachios,” says cookbook author and blogger Yasmin Khan. Get the Recipe 15 of 33 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 16 of 33 Sabich (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 17 of 33 Sharab Rose Raspberry Shrub Cocktail Ed Anderson This drink was inspired by the rose-flavored drink known as sharab el ward that you can find in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. Inspired by the Lebanese version, this recipe also nods to the tradition of the shrub, which is a vinegary, pungent drink that was made with alcohol or a vinegar syrup in 17th-century England. This is the nonalcoholic vinegar syrup variety. Get the Recipe 18 of 33 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 19 of 33 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 20 of 33 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 21 of 33 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 22 of 33 Bastani Irani (Rosewater-and-Saffron Ice Cream) © Con Poulos This fragrant ice cream is redolent with flavor. It’s traditionally served between two thin wafers to make ice cream sandwiches, but it’s equally delicious on its own. Get the Recipe 23 of 33 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 24 of 33 Kuku Sabzi © Con Poulos Kuku Sabzi is the Persian version of a frittata. Shredded carrots, onion, zucchini and potato give it excellent texture — light and airy but deeply satisfying — while saffron adds the distinct Persian flavor. Get the Recipe 25 of 33 Chilled Persian Yogurt Soup © David Malosh Filled with herbs, nuts, and raisins, this summer soup from Zaré at Fly Trap in San Francisco was a staff favorite according to Iranian chef Hoss Zaré. Get the Recipe 26 of 33 Nan-e Barbari (Persian Flatbread) © Con Poulos Nan-e barbari is a classic Persian flatbread that gets crisp and golden in the oven, thanks to roomal, a flour paste that's spread over the bread before it's baked. Jessamyn Rodriguez likes to serve it with feta and olives. Get the Recipe 27 of 33 Tabbouleh with Pine Nuts and Almonds © Con Poulos Chef Yousef Hanna's nutty, crunchy take on the classic Middle Eastern salad is mainly herbs and vegetables with a smattering of fine bulgur. Get the Recipe 28 of 33 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 29 of 33 Syrian Pita Bread © Ngoc Minh Ngo Chris Hanna learned to make these airy pitas from her Syrian grandmother, and she still insists on baking them from scratch when serving shwarma. "It isn't that hard to make your own, and the flavor and texture are far superior to the flaccid, sweet kind you find in most grocery stores," she says. Get the Recipe 30 of 33 Tangy Muhammara (Red Pepper and Nut Dip) © Lucy Schaeffer The classic Syrian nut dip muhammara typically contains walnuts, bread crumbs, Aleppo pepper paste, and pomegranate syrup, but there are endless variations. The bright-flavored take here has a chunky texture from pistachios, cashews, and freshly toasted pine nuts, almonds, and walnuts, and tangy sweetness from onions and red bell peppers. Get the Recipe 31 of 33 Palestinian Spinach Pies © Zubin Schroff The spinach filling in these fatayer, inspired by a recipe from Palestinian-born baker Maha Ziadeh, isn't flavored with feta, as it is in the more common Greek spinach pies. Instead, it's spiked with lemon and sumac, a tangy Middle Eastern spice. Get the Recipe 32 of 33 Spiced Harissa Ragù with Tahini Yogurt © Con Poulos With warm spices, fiery harissa, and chopped pistachios, this meaty ragù from Tel Aviv chef Salah Kurdi is solidly Middle Eastern. Get the Recipe 33 of 33 Grilled Lamb Kebabs with Smoky Tomato Sauce © Frances Janisch This simple lamb kebab is inspired by a great summer recipe from Gaziantep, Turkey, in which lean lamb is marinated with garlic and pepper, grilled, then cubed and simmered with wood-fired tomatoes. 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