If you’re looking for an omelette with bold Mediterranean flavors that you haven’t tried before, this is for you. With a base of red onion and zucchini, the fiery flavors of the harissa combine with the citrusy flavors of the dried coriander and topped with some warm za’atar spices. It’s ready within 30 minutes and packed with veggies.
I have been experimenting with some different omelettes and spice combinations and I think this might be my favorite yet!
Since the eggs and zucchini have quite a neutral taste, you’ll want to get a lot of the flavor from the herbs, spices and feta.
I’m a big fan of harissa and the combination with the dried coriander and feta really brings out some delightful earthy and spicy flavors.
You can make your own harissa, but I often use either when I have a bit more time in the morning or when I’m completely out of ideas and need a good fallback option. Therefore, time is of the essence!
Why You Should Try This Mediterranean Omelette
- Delicious North African & Middle Eastern tastes: Harissa and coriander are a match made in heaven, whilst the finishing addition of the za’atar tops things off. It’s earthy, hot, and full of bold flavors that you probably haven’t even tried before, with lots of influences from North African and Middle Eastern cuisines.
- Healthy & high in protein: The red onion and zucchini add extra portions of vegetables, plus it’s easy to add extra portions as a side dish. The egg and Greek yogurt combination also give the omelets a good kick of protein.
- Easy and ready within 20 minutes: although it might take a little more prep than your standard omelet, the results are worth it. It’s also an ideal recipe for when you need a good, hearty meal without too much effort or time.
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil: We always recommend extra virgin olive oil for its health benefits and great taste. I do like to indulge with butter in my omelets but this omelet has so much going on it’s not really needed.
- Red onion: Red onions have a slightly sharper taste than white onions but you can use either.
- Zucchini (or courgette): These are watery, so you’ll want to squeeze as much water out of them after you’ve greeted them. You can also place the grated zucchini in a sieve over a bowl and press with a spoon to remove the water.
- Eggs: You can adjust the amounts depending on your goals. If you’re looking to lose weight, 2 is ideal, but you can add more or less. Just be sure to adjust the spices, seasoning, and Greek yogurt.
- Greek yogurt: This bulks out the egg and gives a more substantial dish without needing to add more eggs. Greek yogurt also gives a nice tangy flavor. You can also use creme fraiche.
- Dried coriander: You can use fresh coriander, but I love adding the dried coriander into the mixture so that the taste is infused throughout the eggs.
- Harissa: This is a blend of a hot chili pepper paste. It is made with roasted red peppers, and Baklouti peppers, plus spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, and olive oil. You can make your own before or buy store-bought, but since this is a quick dish, you probably won’t have the time during the cooking process.
- Parsley: Fresh parsley adds some extra color, brightness, and freshness to the dish. Roughly chop it up and add it on when the egg mixture is cooking.
- Garlic: Onions + garlic is a classic combination and is used here.
- Za’atar: This Middle Eastern spice mix can buy be bought in certain supermarkets, but if not, it’s just as easy to make your own with toasted sesame seeds, sumac, oregano, and cumin. It adds some extra warm flavor and finishes off the omelet really nicely.
How to Make This Mediterranean Omelette
Step 1: Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion and grate the zucchini. Do this by chopping the ends off and grating on the coarse side of a grater. Then squeeze over a sink or place in a sieve with a bowl underneath and press with the back of a spoon.
Step 2: Cook the vegetables: Add the olive oil to the pan and cook on medium heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the onions and zucchini. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the onions begin to brown and the zucchini softens and turns slightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for an extra minute.
Step 3: Prepare the egg mixture: Crack the eggs and add the Greek yogurt and dried coriander to a measuring jug with some salt. Mix together well.
Step 4: Cook the egg mixture: Chop some parsley, then add the parsley, dot around some dollops of harissa and feta along with some black pepper to the pan. Add the egg mixture on top and cook for roughly 3-4 minutes. Use a spatula to lift the bottom up – it should be cooked through and golden, even if the top is still liquidy.
Step 5: Place under grill: Transfer to grill and cook for an extra 2 minutes until the top has cooked and the omelet has risen.
Step 6 (optional): Prepare the za’atar seasoning: Toast some sesame seeds on a dry pan for 30 seconds, then add the toasted sesame seeds, sumac, cumin, and oregano in a bowl and mix.
Step 7: Serve: Place the pan over a plate and slide the omelet half way before folding. If the omelet is stuck, gently shake the pan to loosen the eggs. Sprinkle on some za’atar and serve with pita bread and extra vegetables.
What to Serve With
Omelets are super versatile and can be paired with several different foods. Some of our favorites include:
- Extra veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers and asparagus
- Pita bread
- Greek tzatziki sauce
Tips and Tricks
There are a few things to take note of to ensure your omelet comes out well.
- It can help to prepare the ingredients beforehand. Since the onions and then eggs can burn very quickly, you don’t want to be behind. I usually cut the onions and parsley, grate the zucchini and prepare the za’atar spices before cooking.
- The eggs need to be handled with care when cooking – at any moment, you can go from a fluffy, creamy omelet to one that is charred. The bottom should not be brown, but light yellow or golden.
- Be sure to beat the eggs well until there aren’t any flecks of white. The Greek yogurt should give it a light and frothy texture.
- Since the zucchini is quite watery, you’ll need to give yourself a bit of time to remove it. Once you have the grated zucchini, you can either simply just squeeze it over a bowl or put it in a sieve with the bowl underneath and press with a spoon.
- This recipe uses mainly courgettes for the veggies, but if you want something even healthier, try this loaded veggie omelet.
Mediterranean Diet Omelette
This spicy Mediterranean omelette is a perfect dish if you need something quick that's packed with flavor and veggies along with some earthy and hot spices. Ready in less than 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion
- 1 zucchini (courgette)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp Greek yogurt
- ½ tsp dried coriander
- 2 tbsp Harissa
- Handful of parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp za’atar, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion and grate the zucchini. Do this by chopping the ends off, grate on the coarse side of a grater, then squeeze over a sink or place in a sieve with a bowl underneath and press with the back of a spoon.
- Cook the vegetables: Add the olive oil to the pan and cook on a medium heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the onions and zucchini. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the onions begin to brown and the zucchini softens and turns slightly golden. Add the garlic and cook for an extra minute.
- Prepare the egg mixture: Crack the eggs and add the Greek yogurt and dried coriander to a measuring jug with some salt. Mix together well.
- Cook the egg mixture: Chop some parsley, then add the parsley, dot around some dollaps of harissa and feta along with some black pepper to the pan. Add the egg mixture on top and cook for roughly 3-4 minutes. Use a spatula to lift the bottom up - it should be cooked through and golden, even if the top is still liquidy.
- Place under grill: Transfer to grill and cook for an extra 2 minutes until the top has cooked and the omelette has risen.
- (Optional): Prepare the za’atar seasoning: Toast some sesame seeds on a dry pan for 30 seconds, then add the toasted sesame seeds, sumac, cumin and oregano in a bowl and mix
Place the pan over a plate and slide the omelette half way before folding. If the omelette is stuck, gently shake the pan to loosen the eggs. Sprinkle on some za’atar and serve with pita bread and extra vegetables.
Notes
- It can help to prepare the ingredients beforehand. Since the onions and then eggs can burn very quickly, you don’t want to be behind. I usually cut the onions and parsley, grate the zucchini and prepare the za’atar spices before cooking.
- The eggs need to be handled with care when cooking - at any moment, you can go from a fluffy, creamy omelette to one that is charred. The bottom should not be brown, but light yellow or golden.
- Be sure to beat the eggs well until there aren’t any flecks of white. The Greek yogurt should give it a light and frothy texture.
- Since the zucchini is quite watery, you’ll need to give yourself a bit of time to remove it. Once you have the grated zucchini, you can either simply just squeeze it over a bowl or put it in a sieve with the bowl underneath and press with a spoon.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 316Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 372mgSodium 569mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 5gSugar 5gProtein 17g
Want More Delicious, Mediterranean Style Recipes?
If you’ve cooked this recipe, be sure to leave a comment or review! But if you’re looking for more:
- Find more Mediterranean-style recipes on our website.
- Try our free 7 day Mediterranean diet plan with 20 recipes.
- Get our 4-week Mediterranean diet plan, Med in 28 plan, that makes following the Mediterranean diet a breeze!