Top Vegetarian Cuisines to Try When Visiting Istanbul
Turkey has been influenced by several different cultures over the course of history. These influences can be seen in the many historical sites, monuments, and cultural lifestyles of the natives living in various parts of Turkey.
While all of these help tourists understand and learn Turkey's deep history, one lesser-known aspect of cultural influence is the many traditional cuisines that can be enjoyed in Turkey. Given Turkey's close association with the Mediterranean Sea, there is a misconception regarding the cuisines of Turkey that they mostly contain non-vegetarian items. However, many vegetarian cuisines are made in Turkey that people who prefer eating vegetables can enjoy.
Best Vegetarian Cuisines to Try In Istanbul, Turkey
Tourists can access all of these dishes all over Turkey, but the best place among all of them is the largest city of Turkey which is Istanbul. So, let's take a look at the top vegetarian cuisines when visiting Istanbul:
Mercimek Çorbası From Last Ottoman Cafe & Restaurant
If we are discussing the traditional vegetarian cuisines of Turkey, no such discussions can be completed without talking about the Mercimek Çorbası. This is a traditional soup that is made by combining onion, tomatoes, and carrots along with red lentils with an elegant touch of spices like cumin and paprika making for one of the best vegetarian Turkish foods in Istanbul.
To add even more to the amazing taste of this soup, it is also served with crusty bread and lemons on the side which makes for a truly memorable dish that you can enjoy in any part of the day. We recommend the Last Ottoman Cafe and Restaurant which serves this dish as a complimentary item alongside their tasty kebabs.
Menemen From Resto Han
For tourists looking for the perfect breakfast before they embark on their trip through Turkey, no other dish can fulfill that role better than the Menemen. Menemen is a simple dish made from eggs, tomatoes, green peppers, and onions with a touch of Black Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes, making it among the best vegetarian foods in Istanbul.
In Istanbul, it is common to see this dish being served alongside bread, making it the perfect breakfast to start your day. You can eat this dish from any street stall in Istanbul, but the Resto Han is a great choice to experience this amazing dish alongside the other traditional dishes that are served within this establishment.
Lahmacun from Roof Mezze 360
Italy is the most well-known country when it comes to pizzas as this extremely popular dish originated from there however, Turkey has its own version of pizza in the form of Lahmacun. This dish is traditionally made in non-vegetarian form, but there are variants that substitute the meat with vegetables and herbs making it one of the best vegetarian foods in Istanbul.
These vegetarian versions use vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, parsley, and peppers mixed with some herbs on the same thin and crusty flatbread for the base as the traditional version of the dish. While you can get the traditional version everywhere in Turkey, the vegetarian version is harder to find which is why we recommend Roof Mezze 360.
Sarma from Istanbul Anatolian Cuisine
One of the ways to enhance your dining experience is to have a tasty appetizer before the main dish arrives for a tasteful experience. Luckily, Turkey has a tasty appetizer for its visitors to have and that is the Sarma. Sarma is a dish from the Ottoman Era that is made by mixing rice, currants, pine nuts, and grape leaves along with a mix of several spices.
Sarma is commonly served with yogurt to make for an excellent vegetarian dish. Sarma is among the few popular dishes in Turkey that can be accessed anywhere. We suggest delving into its tastes at the Anatolian Cuisine to truly experience it alongside other vegetarian Turkish foods in Istanbul.
Künefe from Mivan Restaurant & Cafe
Desserts are one of the most important aspects of any dining experience that determine our final impressions of the experience. When it comes to a traditional dessert to enjoy, your main dish in Istanbul is Künefe which you can try in Mivan Restaurant & Cafe. Künefe is a dessert made from cheese and sugar syrup applied on a phyllo dough with a touch of crushed pistachios on the top.
The combination of all these ingredients makes for a taste that is one of the memorable tastes of any cuisine you can grace your tongue within Turkey, making Künefe a must-try vegetarian food in Istanbul.
İmam Bayıldı from Istanbul Kebab Cafe & Restaurant
Among the best vegetarian dishes that are served in Turkey is the İmam Bayıldı. This is a dish that involves serving stuffed eggplants with a mixture of garlic, tomatoes, and several spices, cooked in olive oil which makes for a truly unique dining experience. The taste from all these ingredients is quite strong which is why this dish is commonly served with bread or rice as a balancer of the taste. All of these make İmam Bayıldı one of the best vegetarian dishes in Turkey which has been made here since the Ottoman Empires era.
Mücver from Sultan Palace Cafe Restaurant
Another tasty vegetarian appetizer that is commonly served in Turkey is the Mücver. Mücver is a fritter dish that is made from grated zucchini, spices, and herbs, cooked in a manner to keep the outer layer crispy while having a softer inside that is best enjoyed with a dip in a garlic-flavored yogurt.
Due to the large quantity that you get of these fritters in one order, Mücver is an appetizer that is best enjoyed in a group of people as you share your experience with the dish with each other.
There are a lot of places where you can enjoy Mücver in Turkey, but we recommend the Sultan Palace Cafe Restaurant to enjoy this appetizer before dining on other excellent traditional cuisines of Turkey.
Çiğ Köfte from Atölye Restaurant
The Çiğ Köfte is a dish that may surprise some of you who are well aware of the Turkish traditional dishes, but it is one of the best vegetarian cuisines of Turkey.
Çiğ Köfte was originally a non-veg dish as the name translates to ‘raw meatball’. However, after concerns rose in Turkey regarding food safety, the non-veg version of this dish started being served less and replaced with its vegetarian counterpart.
Vegetarian Çiğ Köfte is made from mostly the same ingredients as the non-veg version including wheat, tomato paste, garlic, and onions, with a touch of red pepper flakes, black pepper, and cumin, served with lettuce and lemons. This dish is most commonly found in urban areas like Istanbul where Atölye Restaurant is the best option for trying this tasty cuisine out.
Turkey is a country that has a very rich history that ties back to several cultures of the past such as Greek, Roman, Ottoman, Persian, and Byzantine to name a few.
While the country has several attractions for tourists to explore such as the ancient ruins of Hierapolis, the Lynian Way, and several castles and beaches, one of these attractions that gets often overlooked is the tasty traditional cuisines of Turkey.
Turkey is mostly known for serving non-veg cuisines due to its close distance to the Mediterranean coast, but it also has several vegetarian options on the menu as well. So, if you wish to take your taste buds on a journey through the exquisite flavors of traditional Turkish vegetarian cuisines in Istanbul, start applying for your Turkish tourist e-visa early and book all your reservations in advance.
Check your eligibility for Turkey Visa and apply for Turkey e-Visa 72 hours in advance of your flight. Bahamas citizens, Australian citizens, Cypriot citizens and Mexican citizens can apply online for Electronic Turkey Visa.