This Easy Meatless Çiğ Köfte Recipe is my go-to vegetarian twist on a Turkish street food favorite from Urfa, a city in southeastern Turkey. It also works beautifully as a light meze or appetizer and has a lot in common with Kibbeh Nayyeh from Levantine kitchens.
Çiğ Köfte means "raw meatballs" in Turkish, and traditionally, it’s made with raw ground meat, fine bulgur, tomato paste, and a mix of bold spices. In this version, there’s no meat at all—but thanks to the right ingredients and a stand mixer, it’s still full of flavor and super easy to make.
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Not only is it vegetarian-friendly, but it’s also lighter and easier to digest, which makes it perfect for warm days when you want something refreshing and delicious. Everything comes together in the stand mixer—no kneading required—so it’s a great recipe to have on hand when you want something quick and homemade without much fuss.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Bulgur - Use the finest bulgur wheat for cig Kofte recipe. You can find it in the Middle Eastern or Turkish shops.
- Onion - I use 2 medium yellow onions. I grate them and squeeze out the juice to avoid the raw onion's bitter taste. The juice is great for making meatballs or as a marinade for Lamb Shish Kebabs.
- Tomato and red pepper paste - They are the staples of Turkish cooking. They add an umami flavor as well as a bright red color.
- Olive oil - I prefer using good quality extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.
- Pomegranate molasses - It is a thick syrup made with pomegranate juice and I often use it in Middle Eastern and Turkish recipes. It has an intense sweet-and-sour flavor and is perfect to use for this meatless Çiğ Köfte Recipe.
- Isot pepper - It is also known as Urfa pepper. It is a dried Turkish chili pepper from the Urfa region of Turkey. It has a smoky, raisin-like taste and ripens to a dark maroon on the plant. You can buy them from Turkish shops or online.
- Spices - My go-to spices I use for this recipe are cumin, sumac, black pepper, iso pepper, paprika, allspice, and red chili flakes for extra heat. You can adjust the amount of spices to your taste.
How to Make Easy Vegetarian Cig Kofte Recipe?
This Çiğ Köfte recipe is made by processing all the ingredients in a stand mixer, without kneading. This method saves time and results in delicious Çiğ Köfte without the need for kneading. You'll love the taste when you try our effortless Çiğ Köfte recipe.
These are the steps you need to follow for the best results:
Place the fine bulgur and salt in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Pour hot water over it, mix well, and cover. Let it sit for about 6-7 minutes until the bulgur absorbs the water and becomes soft.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients while the bulgur is resting. Peel and finely grate the onion or blitz it in a food processor.
Juice the grated/blitzed onion using a clean kitchen cloth or a fine sieve. Keep the onions for Çiğ Köfte and store the juice for making Lamb Shish Kebabs or Turkish Grilled Lamb Kofte - Izgara Kofte.
Add the grated onions to soaked bulgur along with minced garlic, tomato paste, red pepper paste, ground cumin, paprika, sumac, chili flakes, isot, olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, all spice, and black pepper.
Attach the paddle to the stand mixer and knead the mixture for about 10 minutes.
Add the chopped parsley and continue kneading for another 5 minutes, until the mixture sticks together.
Take small portions of the mixture and shape them with your fingers to create slightly elongated, oval shapes with indentations. This recipe yields 30-35 pieces, depending on the size of your meatballs.
Serve your meatless Çiğ Köfte on a platter with fresh lettuce leaves and lemon wedges. To eat, take a piece of lettuce, place a köfte in the middle, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over it, wrap it up, and enjoy!
Top Tips From the Chef
- Make sure to use fine bulgur, as it has the perfect texture for this dish. Coarser bulgur won’t soften as well and will alter the texture.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of chili flakes according to your spice tolerance. You can also add more or less garlic or lemon juice depending on your preference.
- Use a glove or lightly wet your fingers while shaping to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.
- Serve Çiğ Köfte as soon as possible after preparing to enjoy its freshest flavor and best texture.
Why You'll Love This Meatless Çiğ Köfte Recipe
This meatless version is packed with nutrients from the bulgur and fresh parsley. It's a great option for a light lunch, a side dish, or even a snack.
Çiğ Köfte is a fantastic dish to serve at gatherings. It’s a bit unique and always a hit with guests. Plus, it's easy to make a large batch.
Getting the family involved in shaping the köfte can be a fun and interactive activity. Kids love the hands-on experience!
One summer, my family and I went on a picnic, and I decided to bring meatless Çiğ Köfte. It was an absolute hit! Easy to transport, no need to keep it hot, and everyone loved wrapping the köfte in lettuce leaves under the shade of a big oak tree.
Serving Suggestions
The traditional way to serve meatless Çiğ Köfte is with fresh lettuce leaves. Place a piece of Çiğ Köfte in the middle of a leaf, roll it up, and enjoy. Accompany your Çiğ Köfte with fresh herbs such as mint and parsley and squeeze fresh lemon juice over it.
Another popular way to enjoy Çiğ Köfte is by wrapping it in Lavash Bread. This makes for a great lunch or light dinner when served with a glass of Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink) and some Pickled Red Cabbage.
Storage Instructions
You can refrigerate leftover meatless Çiğ Köfte for up to a week. However, I don't recommend freezing it, as the texture and taste change when thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, the meatless version is completely safe to eat as it doesn't include raw meat. If you're trying the traditional version with raw meat, make sure to use very fresh, high-quality meat and follow safe handling practices.
Çiğ Köfte can be spicy, depending on the amount of chili flakes and pepper paste used. You can adjust the spice level to your preference.
Çiğ Köfte is a traditional Turkish dish made from bulgur, spices, and other flavorful Middle Eastern ingredients. Traditionally, it includes raw meat, but there are popular meatless versions that use ingredients like walnuts instead.
Related Recipes
For more delicious recipes you can make with fine bulgur, why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious vegan Cig Kofte Recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
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Easy Meatless Çiğ Köfte Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g fine bulgur
- 450 ml hot water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium onions (grated)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon red pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon sumac
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon all spice
- 120 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon isot
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup pomegranate molasses
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Place the fine bulgur and salt in the mixing bowl of your stand mixer. Pour hot water over it, mix well, and cover. Let it sit for about 6-7 minutes until the bulgur absorbs the water and becomes soft.
- Prepare the rest of the ingredients while the bulgur is resting. Peel and finely grate the onion or blitz it in a food processor. Juice the grated/blitzed onion using a clean kitchen cloth or a fine sieve. Keep the onions for Çiğ Köfte and store the juice for making Lamb Shish Kebabs or Turkish Grilled Lamb Kofte - Izgara Kofte.
- Add the grated onions to soaked bulgur along with minced garlic, tomato paste, red pepper paste, ground cumin, paprika, sumac, chili flakes, isot, olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, all spice, and black pepper.
- Attach the paddle to the stand mixer and knead the mixture for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and continue kneading for another 5 minutes, until the mixture sticks together.
- Take small portions of the mixture and shape them with your fingers to create slightly elongated, oval shapes with indentations. This recipe yields 30-35 pieces, depending on the size of your meatballs.
- Serve your meatless Çiğ Köfte on a platter with fresh lettuce leaves and lemon wedges. To eat, take a piece of lettuce, place a köfte in the middle, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over it, wrap it up, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure to use fine bulgur, as it has the perfect texture for this dish. Coarser bulgur won’t soften as well and will alter the texture.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of chili flakes according to your spice tolerance. You can also add more or less garlic depending on your preference.
- Use a glove or lightly wet your fingers while shaping to prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.
- You can also use Lavash Bread to wrap cig kofte. It makes a great lunch when served with a glass of Ayran (Turkish Yogurt Drink) and some pickled red cabbage.
- Serve Çiğ Köfte as soon as possible after preparing to enjoy its freshest flavor and best texture.
Lauren
Made these koftes today and we really enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing your recipes with us all.
Ayla Clulee
Dear Lauren, it is my pleasure!