Delicious and Healthy Turkish Recipes

These delicious and healthy Turkish recipes are made with fresh seasonal ingredients and aromatic spices. From comforting lentil soups to vibrant salads and perfectly spiced grilled dishes, every meal offers a balance of flavors and textures. Many traditional Turkish recipes use simple, natural ingredients like olive oil, lentils, yogurt, and fresh herbs to create healthy and delicious dishes. These meals come from a long tradition of home cooking that focuses on fresh, seasonal ingredients and easy techniques.

Turkish Cabbage Rolls

Turkish Cabbage Rolls (a.k.a Lahana Sarmasi or Dolmasi) is a flavourful dish made of cabbage leaves filled with spiced meat and bulgur mixture.

You can prepare these stuffed cabbage rolls ahead and reheat them before serving them to your dinner guests. Perfect dish for entertaining!

To learn more: Lahana Sarmasi - Turkish Cabbage Rolls

Menemen - Turkish Scrambled Eggs

menemen eaten with a piece of bread — Ayla Clulee

If you're looking for a meal that is both delicious and easy to make at any time of the day, then look no further than this Menemen - Turkish Scrambled Eggs Recipe!

With soft, perfectly scrambled eggs, juicy tomatoes, and Turkish green peppers, this one-pan dish can be ready in 20 minutes or less.

To learn more: Menemen - Turkish Scrambled Eggs

Grilled Lamb Kofte

Grilled Lamb Kofta (Izgara Kofte in Turkish) is one of the most popular street foods in Turkey made with minced lamb and aromatic spices such as coriander and paprika.

It is extremely easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients and some basic cooking skills.

To learn more: Turkish Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte

Orzo Soup

sehriye Corbasi paired with borek and lemon — Ayla Clulee

Arpa Şehriye Çorbası, or Turkish Orzo Soup, is a comforting and delicious tomato-based soup consisting of orzo pasta, and chicken stock, and flavored with garlic, mint, and flaked chili. This Turkish favorite is super easy to make, uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, and works beautifully as a quick starter or a light, comforting meal. It’s the kind of dish that feels like a warm hug in a bowl!

To learn more: Arpa Şehriye Çorbası - Turkish Orzo Soup

Braised Celeriac

kereviz Yemegi served with focaccia — Ayla Clulee

Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği (or Braised Celeriac) is a delicious Turkish & Mediterranean dish consisting of celery root and carrots braised in olive oil and orange juice. This healthy dish combines the nutty and earthy celeriac with sweet carrots and citrusy oranges.

To learn more: Zeytinyağlı Kereviz Yemeği - Braised Celeriac

Tarhana Soup

Turkish Tarhana Soup, or Tarhana Çorbası, starts with dried tarhana powder—a fermented blend of flour, yogurt, and vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, onions, and herbs. The result is a deliciously rich, tangy soup with a creamy texture, perfect for chilly days or when you want something warm and nourishing.

To learn more: Turkish Tarhana Soup - Tarhana Çorbası

Green Bean Stew

etli taze fasulye yemeği served with salad and bread — Ayla Clulee

Etli Taze Fasulye Yemegi, or Green Bean Stew with Meat, is a traditional Turkish vegetable stew where fresh green beans and meat are simmered in a simple tomato sauce until tender. This delicious and simple dish has been a family favorite in our household for many years.

To learn more: Etli Taze Fasulye - Green Bean Stew with Meat

Rice Stuffed Courgettes

kabak dolmasi - rice stuffed zucchinis served with a bowl of salad — Ayla Clulee

Kabak Dolması, or Rice-stuffed courgettes is a traditional dish that brings together fresh courgettes and a flavorful filling made with rice, ground meat, fresh herbs, onions, and spices.

To learn more: Kabak Dolmasi - Rice Stuffed Zucchini

Stuffed Artichokes

Zeytinyagli Enginar Dolmasi - Stuffed Artichokes is a tasty and nutritious dish that's packed with Mediterranean flavors.

This traditional Turkish recipe features artichokes stuffed with vegetables and aromatics, and cooked in olive oil and lemon juice.

To learn more: Zeytinyagli Enginar Dolmasi - Stuffed Artichokes

Green Lentil Soup

Mediterranean lentil soup garnished with chopped parsley — Ayla Clulee

Mediterranean Lentil Soup is a healthy, yet incredibly flavorsome dish made with green lentils, onions, carrots, and celery cooked in a tomato-based broth.

It is flavored with bay leaves and cumin and then brightened with a generous amount of lemon juice.

To learn more: Mediterranean Lentil Soup

Et Sote - Beef Tava

stir fried beef and vegetables — Ayla Clulee

Et Sote (or Beef Tava) is a delicious Turkish classic made with beef strips, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and peppers. This simple, quick, and wholesome beef stir fry is packed with Mediterranean flavors and is perfect for a busy weeknight meal.

To learn more: Et Sote

Bamya - Turkish Okra Stew

Turkish bamya stew with chicken — Ayla Clulee

Bamya, also known as Bamia or Bamyeh, is a classic Turkish stew dish made with okra, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and lemon juice.

This delicious and healthy stew traditionally contains lamb, beef, or chicken, and the secret to its rich flavor is the long, slow simmering process that gently brings the flavors together.

To learn more: Bamya - Turkish Okra Stew

Guvec - Turkish Lamb Casserole

Kuzu Guvec is a Turkish Lamb Casserole dish made with lamb and vegetables slowly cooked in an earthenware pot.

Same as Baked Prawns (Karides Guvec), this authentic dish has rich, earthy, and smoky aromas, and is low in calories, nutritious and gluten-free.

To learn more: Kuzu Guvec (Turkish Lamb Casserole)

Fellah Kofte

Fellah Köfte served with yogurt — Ayla Clulee

Fellah Koftesi is a delicious vegetarian bulgur dish made with simple ingredients such as bulgur, semolina, onion, tomato and pepper paste, and spices. You can serve this traditional Turkish recipe as a vegetarian main, an appetizer, or as a side dish.

To learn more: Fellah Koftesi