When Turkey gets brought up into culinary discussions, people usually think kebabs, doner, and lahmacun but in reality, Turkish cuisine is very versatile and yes, for vegetarians too- there are many things to eat in Turkey that don’t have any meat. In this article, we’ll focus on the best Turkish vegetarian food you just have to try when visiting Turkey.
Salads and Cold Mezze
We’ll start this list of the best Turkish vegetarian food with a few salad suggestions that can make the perfect appetizer/light snack.
Bulgur Salad
Bulgur Salad, or ‘kısır’ as it’s called in Turkish, is basically a bowl of bulgur (which in case you’re not familiar with is cracked wheat foodstuff), that’s enriched with fresh veggies like tomatoes, peppers, and onions, fresh herbs, a little bit of cheese, a splash of lemon juice, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
Gavurdagi Salad
Imagine a salad with attitude, a delightful mélange that takes you on a culinary journey right to the heart of Turkey. That salad is gavarudagi, named after the Gavurdağı mountain region, it’s a salad that consist of ripe, juicy tomatoes and crisp onions, all chopped up in a extra tiny pieces and combined with walnuts, pomegranate seeds and a generous sprinkle of sumac (a local tangy, lemony spice).
Semizotu Salatası
Semizotu, or purslane as it’s known in English, is a light appetizer that consists of crisp, slightly lemony-tasting leaves of purslane, tossed together with juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, and minced garlic, drizzled with olive oil and a splash of lemon juice and a bunch of fresh olives, because why not?
Acili Ezme
Acili ezme isn’t just any spread; it’s like the life of the Turkish mezze party, a bold and zesty character that’s impossible to ignore. Think of it as the salsa with a Turkish twist, we’re talking cooked tomatoes, crisp peppers, and red onions, all finely chopped and topped with a hearty dose of chili flakes, a splash of lemon juice and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses resulting in spicy but tangy sweetness that will be a real treat for your taste buds.
Soups And Stews
Next on this list of the best Turkish vegetarian food, we have a few delicious Turkish soups. True, the most famous Turkish stews include meat but there are also more than a handful of vegetarian-friendly options out there too.
Vegetarian Çorba Varieties
There are many different vegetarian corba varieties and we can probably devote a whole article just to them but for practicality, we’ll just highlight three of the most popular ones in this section. First, we have Mercimek Çorbası, a buttery stew made of red lentils simmered down until it reaches a creamy and hearty consistency. Next is Tarhana Çorbası a tangy and slightly sour stew made from fermented yogurt, tomatoes, and grains. And lastly, there’s the Yayla Çorbası, packed with rice and herbs, but what really makes it stand out is its base — yogurt and mint. Sounds unusual, right? But trust me, it’s surprisingly delightful.
Kuru Fasulye
Semizotu Kuru Fasulye is made of kuru fasulye, these creamy, dreamy white beans that are a staple in Turkish kitchens simmered until just tender, a process that makes your kitchen smell like a stroll through Istanbul’s spice bazaar. The beans are combined with crunchy, slightly lemony purslane. It’s one of Turkey’s favorite summer dishes when the weather is too hot to be eating heavy meats.
Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasulye
Zeytinyağlı Taze Fasulye, now there’s a dish that’ll make you rethink everything you thought you knew about green beans. This isn’t just some side dish; this is the Meryl Streep of green bean dishes – versatile, beloved, and absolutely stellar. These beans are sautéed gently in olive oil and cooked with a bunch of other veggies like peppers, onions, and tomatoes, and is another summer favorite in Turkey, the perfect cool companion to a hot summer day.
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Barbunya
Barbunya is the Turkish version of baked beans and an irreplaceable part of this list of the best Turkish vegetarian food. The dish consists of red beans cooked with a mixture of onions and tomatoes simmered in olive oil, a mixture that slightly resembles Indian pav bhaji. The final result is a creamy stew that can be described as hearty, but also sweet/zesty from the hint fresh tomatoes give the dish.
Breads And Pastries
Can this list of the best Turkish vegetarian food really be complete without mentioning a few popular breads and pastries? After all, a couple of them (more about this below) are some of the most popular street food items in Turkey.
Börek
Borek (also known as burek or byrek in the Balkans) is a layered pastry, consisting of multiple thin layers filled with minced meat (lamb or beef), spinach and/or feta cheese. Börek is one of those dishes you can eat at any time of the day. Breakfast? Grab a slice with your Turkish tea or glass of ayran, and you’re all set. It’s also perfect for dinner, for lunch, not so much but it can be combined with other main course meal or appear in a maze platter here and there.
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Gözleme
Gözleme is a delicious flatbread filled with different veg ingredients, like spinach, feta cheese, potatoes, onions, etc. It’s versatile, it’s unpretentious, but insanely delicious, and can be found it sizzling on griddles across Turkey in bustling street markets and cozy cafes alike. Its dough is rolled into thin circles and it’s the kind of comfort food you crave for a casual lunch or a laid-back dinner.
Pide
Speaking of the best Turkish vegetarian food, we can’t forget about pride. The best way to describe pide is like the Turkish answer to pizza, but to be completely honest, this doesn’t quite do pide justice; it’s in a league of its own. This boat-shaped flatbread is usually topped with an array of veg goodies like spinach, mushrooms, and heaps of melty cheese, or perhaps a medley of eggplant, bell peppers, and tangy feta. My favorite thing about it is that it doesn’t stick to a schedule. You can have it for lunch, it serves as a great quick bite or even a hearty dinner.
Simit
This list of the best Turkish vegetarian food can’t be complete without simit, the king of Turkish street food. In its essence, simit is a circular bread, encrusted with sesame seeds that add this nutty crunch that transforms an otherwise simple bread into a superstar. In Turkey, simit is omnipresent. You’ll find it in restaurants, you’ll find it in cafes, you’ll find it in street food stalls. You’ll see people eating it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anything in between. In other words, simit is not only a staple of Turkish cuisine but also a staple of Turkish life.
Fritters & Stuffed Dishes
Just when you think you’ve had everything, Turkish vegetarian food will find a way to surprise you again. In Turkey, they have a lot of delicious vegetarian fritters and stuffed vegetables that are just as tasty (if not more) as their meaty counterparts.
İmam Bayıldı
İmam Bayıldı is a delicious eggplant-based dish that supposedly made an imam (a religious leader) faint with delight, well, at least according to local legends. The eggplants are roasted but before that, they are stuffed with a mixture of onions, garlic, tomatoes, and a bunch of aromatic herbs, all simmered in olive oil. It makes the perfect dinner but can be eaten for lunch too. Of course, there’s a version where minced meat is added in the mix but you can find the veg version in most restaurants too.
Dolma
To explain in the simplest way possible, Dolma is a rolled grape leave most commonly stuffed with rice, minced meat, and a myriad of warm spices and herbs (most often, cumin, allspice, parsley, dill, and mint). Dolma is very popular in Turkey, the Balkans (especially Greece, Macedonia, Albania, and Bulgaria), practically all Arab countries, and Central Asia (especially in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan). That’s why there are many different variations of the dolma recipe as we’ll show later in this article. But before that, let’s share a few words about…
Karnabahar Mücveri
Karnabahar Mücveri is a dish that surprisingly turns cauliflower, the vegetable most kids are forced to eat into the cool kid on the block. The cauliflower is mashed and mixed up with herbs and spices, rolled in batter and transformed into an irresistible, crispy fritter, lightly fried, with a golden color, with a nice, crispy texture.
Mücver
Essentially, these are veggie fritters, but calling them just that is like saying the Grand Bazaar is just a market. Traditionally, they’re made with zucchini, which is grated and mixed with a merry bunch of ingredients like feta cheese, dill, and green onions then shaped into patties and fried until golden brown. The final result is somewhat of a flaky pastry crispy on the outside, softish on the inside and bursting with flavors.
Eksili Patlican
The name translates to ‘sour eggplant,’ but this dish actually isn’t even sour. The eggplants are roasted or baked until their skin burns and they’re soft and almost creamy, after which they’re fried with a bunch of other veggies like tomatoes pepper, onions, and garlic, and topped with fresh parsley, a splash of vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar.
Kızartma
Kızartma is a Turkish attempt to make veggies more fun, and a very successful one if I may add. The dish is basically a fritter made of summer veggies like eggplants, zucchinis, and bell peppers (although sometimes potatoes are used too), thinly sliced are dipped in a light batter and fried until golden brown. The final result is a delicious fritter with a crispy exterior and soft, flavorful inside. This is something I always eat when I want something hearty but not heavy, usually with a side of thick, strained yogurt or a fresh tomato sauce.
Mercimek Köftesi
Mercimek Köftesi, or lentil balls, is another proof of just how creative Turks are when it comes to preparing vegetables. The koftesi is not a meatball even though it looks like it; it’s actually made of red lentils and bulgur wheat mixed with a combination of onions and local herbs. Once mixed, the koftesi are shaped into bite-sized pieces, deep fried, and served alongside a choice of sauce.
Other Turkish Vegetarian Food
Just because we couldn’t include a few of these Turkish vegetarian dishes in any other category, doesn’t mean that we should conclude this list of the best Turkish vegetarian food without mentioning them because that would be a shame.
Shakshouka
Originating from North Africa, it’s found a cozy spot in Turkish breakfast culture. Picture a sizzling pan of rich, tomatoey sauce, spiced up with peppers, onions, and a heady mix of cumin and paprika. Then, right when it’s bubbling and aromatic, you crack some eggs into it, letting them poach gently in this savory sea. The eggs cook just until the whites are set but the yolks are still gloriously runny.
Menemen
Menemen is the Turkish cousin of Shakshouka but with its own twist. It includes a colorful medley of tomatoes, green peppers, and onions, sizzled alongside some eggs, until the eggs give the mixture a nice almost creamy texture. Menemen is the go-to breakfast for when you need something hearty to kickstart your day.
Nohutlu Pilav
Nohutlu Pilav is this super cozy Turkish dish that’s basically chickpeas and rice hanging out together. The preparation uses plump, tender chickpeas adding a bit of crunchiness to the dish combined with the rice, fluffy and light, cooked just right. Toss in some sautéed onions, maybe a sprinkle of cumin or a bay leaf for that extra oomph, and you’ve got a dish that’s simple, yet hearty and filling at the same time despite using such modest list of ingredients.
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Baklava And Other Turkish Desserts
Last but not least, we’ll complete this guide to the best Turkish vegetarian food with Turkish desserts. Most of them are vegetarian so I will just try to mention as many as I can in this category, starting with the star of the show- baklava; a masterpiece of layers and sweetness, a culinary legend in the world of Turkish sweets. Imagine paper-thin sheets of phyllo dough, each layer brushed with melted butter, then stacked with a generosity that speaks of special occasions. Between these whisper-thin sheets, you’ll find a treasure trove of chopped nuts – pistachios or walnuts, usually – each adding their own nutty, earthy charm.
But baklava is just one of many. The list includes pismaniye, sekerpare, keskul, kabak tatlisi, asure, halva, burma, muhallebi, kadayif, lokma, tulumba, lokum, etc. If you want to learn more about Turkish desserts, I urge you to check out our ultimate guide to Turkish desserts.
How did you like this list of the best Turkish vegetarian food? Did you ever try any of these Turkish vegetarian dishes? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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