The biggest misconception about Turkish food is that it’s a monotone, meat-based cuisine that’s generally spicy. This limited perception is encouraged by kebab restaurants both in Turkey and around the world. In fact, kebab is only a small slice of Turkish cuisine from southeastern Turkey. It’s a formula that works for many tourists but if you’re vegetarian or lactose-intolerance you’ll be happy to learn that most common dishes in Turkey are based on beans, vegetables, and flavored with olive oil.
The perception about vegan food is that it’s a bland culinary crime fanatic activists eat before they waste away into nothing. But if you’ve ever enjoyed some of these 7 vegetarian Turkish foods for travelers you probably already enjoyed vegan foods in Turkey without knowing it. Many Turkish vegetarian options overlap with vegan ones (I’ve noted them below) yet none of these dishes are local deviations but rather right down the mainstream of Turkish cuisine.
1. Gözleme
It’s often translated into “pancake” in Turkey which is dumb since gozleme is neither sweet nor contains any pancake ingredients. Gozleme is hand-rolled dough that can be stuffed with spinach or potato (make sure it’s not mixed with cheese to stay vegan) cooked over a griddle. There’s a chance that butter is used to keep the dough from sticking to the pan but often in larger establishments it’s olive or sunflower oil; keep in mind to double-check.
2. Çiğ Köfte
Literally translated into “raw meatball” the kind sold in specialty shops and small street stalls is made from bulgur wheat rice – not meat. Cig kofte is often spicy, optionally more spicy, flavored with pomegranate sauce, and completely vegan.
3. Zeytinyağlı Enginar
Vegans should learn the word “zeytinyağlı” well – it means with olive oil. These dishes are typically eaten cold like this artichoke appetizer (“meze”) and more often than not, vegan. Enginar is the bottom of the artichoke filled with peas, potato, and carrots.
4. Other Zeytinyağlı Vegan Dishes
Dolma – the stuffed grape leaf, pepper, eggplant, or zucchini varieties are all vegan. As is zeytinyağlı fasülye (green beans), pırasa (leeks), barbunya (kidney beans), kereviz (celery root dish), ıspanak (spinach), and bamya (okra), to name a handful.
5. Bakla
This fava bean puree is a common appetizer you can find at many meyhane (in Istanbul check out Yakup 2) around Turkey. Bakla is also easily prepared at home following this recipe from Turkey’s For Life.
6. Baklava
Traditionalist bakers like those you’ll find at Karaköy Güllüoğlu in Istanbul won’t ever use anything but olive oil to prepare baklava. (Check the diabetic version especially.) Elsewhere you’ll have to double check but know that going vegan with baklava means you’re getting a higher quality product.
8. Simit
Probably the most widespread Turkish street food this sesame seed covered bread ring isn’t made with dairy or eggs.
9. Acılı Ezme
This spicy side dish is a stable appetizer on Turkish dinner tables you can enjoy with bread. Acili ezme is mostly diced tomato, red bell pepper, garlic and parsley.
10. Patlıcan Ezmesi
Eggplant puree with olive oil, vinegar plus garlic is the most basic variety but there are more elaborate varieties like this recipe with tomato and parsley for example, that are all vegan as well.
11. Mısır
Simple enough, you’ll find the boiled and baked corn at street stalls across Turkey. The only other ingredient is salt.
- While we’re talking street food, let me add kestane, roasted chestnuts to the list.
12. Kısır
This side dish is made from fine bulgur rice, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, plus a few other ingredients. Kisir goes well as a complimentary dish to so many other Turkish foods it’s a often found next to the salads at many a la carte restaurants.
Just The Vegan Beginning
I didn’t realize until I began writing this post how many Turkish dishes are actually vegan, so many so that the majority couldn’t fit in this one post. Most salads, like the previously mentioned shepherd’s variety also fall into the vegan category since they’re olive oil based with no other animal products.
Many warm bean (like chickpeas “nohut”) and vegetable dishes too are made vegan, though you’ll have to check whether or not some butter was used for flavoring. Yogurt too in Turkey is a way of life so be sure to ask for warm dishes like this spinach recipe without sauce.
You can learn to make many of these dishes straight from my mom in this previous live chat and enjoy these sides to drink rakı like a Turk – whether you’re vegan or not.
Wish I’d known what cig kofte actually were when we were there. I was kinda disgusted by the fact that I though they were an odd-coloured raw meatball that wasn’t refrigerated! Now I wish I’d been eating them the whole time!D’oh.
It’s a food that really does get lost in translation!
The cheap çiğ köfte places may not use meat, but the traditional dish most certainly does. It would be wise to ask, etziz mi?
If it’s sold on the street, they’re not going to be using meat. It doesn’t hurt to ask though.
in origin of ciğ köfte it has real meat in it,that’s fact.ministry of health made it forbidden to sell çiğ köfte with meat because it was raw meat in it for the whole time,it’s not unhealthy but needs to be mastered on çiğ köfte to make it healthy and delicious also you have to consume whole food in the day you made.since all those facts going together i approve making it forbidden to sell çiğ köfte with meat.earlier for this raw meat ban people made this food with soy meat and now it’s totally meatless vegan food.im not vegan and i generally big fan of çiğ köfte with meat but meatless one is another story and very delicous for sure.
‘Pancake’ (the word) is the bane of my life! 😉 Anyway, shall share as lots of peeps will find this very useful. 🙂
There has to be a better term but somehow that one stuck! :/ Thanks for sharing!
These all look so great. Can’t believe there are some that I didn’t try while in Istanbul. I did enjoy the baklava at Karaköy Güllüoğlu; it’s THE best! Thanks for the list. Something to look forward to on my return visit 🙂
There’s so much food it’s hard to get all in one trip!
Are you sure Karaköy Güllüoğlu baklava is vegan? Their website says they use “sade yağ,” which seems to be the equivalent of ghee, which is made out of milk.
This website shows the ingredients: http://www.karakoygulluoglu.com/tr/product/fistikli-baklava
Not all the baklava, check the diabetic variety.
Alright, thanks for the info! I would highly recommend amending the wording in the article though, because the sentence is misleading as it currently stands. You wrote, “won’t ever use anything but olive oil to prepare baklava.” This sounds like all the baklava is made with olive oil, and with a good amount of certainty.
Good point, I’ll make it clearer in the text. Thanks.
Normally Baklava can’t be Vegan since it has butter and milk cream in between the slices.
That Gozleme looks so much like Aloo Parathas …. and misir is sure something I have fond memories of only we call it Bhutta in India… 🙂
BAKLAVA IS NOT VEGAN! It has eggs in it.
Not always – and not the baklava at Güllüoğlu.
It is true that it is not vegan because of the butter (which can be replaced by margarine) but I have NEVER heard of eggs in Baklava. That is the strangest idea
They brush them with eggs to get color on the top for baking reasons. I is written in the ingriedients if you look before you buy.
The article could use a few corrections/notes:
Cig kofte is not vegetarian. A vegan equivalent is “Mercimek Koftesi”
Gozleme might include eggs
Baklava usually includes honey
Also mentionable: Zeytinyagli fasulye, Kuru Fasulye, Pirasa (leeks)
Thanks for the article!
Cig kofte – “The kind sold in specialty shops and small street stalls is made from bulgur wheat rice – not meat.”
Gozleme might include eggs
Baklava usually includes honey << true and true, it depends.
Also mentionable: Zeytinyagli fasulye, Kuru Fasulye, Pirasa (leeks) << great additions, thanks!
Isn’t mercimek koftesi made with red lentils and wheat bulgur? At least that’s how I make it 🙂
Kumpir (stuffed baked potato) is also vegan, depending on what you put in it. It is a delicious street food and very filling. Just be sure to ask for no butter when they are preparing the potato. Some of the vegan filling options are pureed olives (zeytin ezmesi), ketchup, pickles, green peas, corn,black and green olives, kisir (a couscous-like bulgur dish), pickled beets,and vegetable salad. I highly recommend it.
Hello, Karaköy Güllüoğlu Baklava is not vegan. You can see on their website for each kind of baklava that they use eggs.
Thanks. I’ll check again that if the diabetic version contains eggs.
It is correct that Karaköy Güllüoğlu is not vegan!
both sarma and dolma are vegan too
Don’t forget şakşuka!
Absolutely, great add!
Thanks so much!
I am lucky in Istanbul as I travel with people who speak fluent English and Turkish. However it is simple to say “I am vegetarian. No eggs, no cheese, no milk, no honey”. I have always been amazed how much food there is – more than you can possibly eat. However, expect to only be able to eat meze and no main course. The vegetable strews are generally terrible. Stuffed breads are amazing. Outside major cities you’ll need a way of explaining veganism, even the concept of being vegetarian is very confusing to most people. I hope this helps.
Baklava usually includes honey, it’s vegetarian, not vegan.
Most baklava in Turkey is made with liquified butter and honey, so check if olive oil has been used instead.
We were at Karaköy Güllüoğlu today and confirmed that the Phyllo dough contains egg. So, most of their baklava are out of the equation. In fact, they not only contain egg but also “clarified butter”.
Thanks – I’ll have to swing by and get a few updates and then correct the page as needed.