These side dishes make kebabs taste so much better by adding balance, freshness, and a bit of variety to the table. A good kebab is already a great start, but the extras you serve with it can turn it into a full meal. Fresh salads, warm flatbreads, simple dips, and a few easy rice dishes all go really well with grilled meat. They are easy to make, use everyday ingredients, and help you put together a table that feels full and inviting effortlessly.
Beetroot Hummus
This homemade Beet Hummus recipe is simple, reliable, and honestly comes out nicer than anything from a tub. It is one of those dishes that quietly becomes part of your regular rotation. Once you make it at home, it is hard to go back.
To learn more: Beet Hummus Recipe
Smokey Aubergine Salad
Patlıcan Salatası is a smoky, delicious and healthy Turkish salad made with roasted aubergines, sweet peppers, red onion, and a simple olive oil dressing. It’s the kind of dish you can throw together for a quick weeknight meal or serve with kebabs when you have people over.
To learn more: Patlican Salatasi - Smokey Turkish Eggplant Salad
Laffa Flatbread
Laffa bread is a soft, chewy flatbread that comes from Iraq. It’s a bit thicker than pita and is great for kebabs, scooping up dips, or just eating warm on its own. If you’ve had shawarma or falafel in a big, soft wrap, it was probably laffa.
To learn more: Laffa - Iraqi Flatbread
Shawarma White Sauces
Shawarma White Sauce, also known as Tarator, is a creamy and delicious Lebanese condiment made with a few simple ingredients such as yogurt, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. It is ready in only 5 minutes and complements perfectly Middle Eastern dishes like shawarma wraps, Falafel, Urfa Kebab - Turkish Ground Lamb Kebab, and doner kebabs.
To learn more: Shawarma White Sauce - Lebanese Tarator
Sumac Onions
Sumac Onions, also known as Turkish Red Onion Salad, are essential to many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. This tangy, spicy, and crunchy condiment is quick and easy to prepare, making it a perfect side dish or garnish.
To learn more: Sumac Onions - Turkish Red Onion Salad
Pickled Red Cabbage
This deliciously crunchy and tangy Turkish-style pickled red cabbage is a must-have on your menu all year round. It makes a wonderful garnish for dishes like Lebanese Shawarma, and Kumpir (Turkish Baked Potatoes), or to serve with Turkish Chicken Shish Kebab and Chicken Doner Kebab - Tavuk Doner.
To learn more: Turkish Pickled Red Cabbage
Lebanese Rice Pilaf
Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli is an absolute delight from the heart of the Middle East. It is packed with flavor and made with just a handful of pantry staples.
Simple, and incredibly easy to prepare, ready in just 25 minutes, and turns out fluffy every single time.
To learn more: Lebanese Rice Pilaf with Vermicelli
Lavash Bread
Lavash bread is a thin and soft Middle Eastern flatbread that has been a staple in many countries for centuries.
Traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven, this flatbread is particularly popular in Turkey, Iran, and Armenia, where it's enjoyed with a variety of kebab dishes.
To learn more: Middle Eastern Lavash Bread
Haydari
Haydari is a delicious Turkish Yoghurt Dip made with feta cheese, thick strained yogurt, fresh herbs, and chopped walnuts. This tangy dip is one of the most popular mezes in Turkey and also is widely served in Turkish restaurants with kebabs and Pita Bread along with Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme).
To learn more: Haydari (Turkish Yoghurt Dip)
Acili Ezme Salada
Turkish Acili Ezme Salad is a spicy Turkish dip/appetizer commonly served at restaurants alongside a basket of warm Turkish Pide Bread or Pita Bread. This flavorful and nutritious dip is made from a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs, which are finely chopped and mixed together with olive oil and spices.
To learn more: Turkish Acili Ezme Salad
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