Piyaz is one of those salads that shows up quietly on the table and somehow works with everything. It’s simple, built around white beans, but never boring. A good olive oil, lemon, sumac, and a handful of fresh herbs are really all it needs. I usually make it as a side for grilled meat or fish, but it also holds its own as a light lunch. It’s filling without being heavy, fresh without trying too hard, and easy to pull together with pantry ingredients. Ingredients 2 cups white

Mercimek köftesi is a staple on Turkish mezze tables and one of the most popular vegan dishes in Turkish home cooking. Made with red lentils, fine bulgur, herbs, and warm spices, these soft lentil patties are filling, flavorful, and completely plant-based. They’re shaped by hand, served cold, and almost always eaten wrapped in crisp lettuce with a squeeze of lemon. No frying, no baking, and no last-minute cooking. That’s part of the appeal. Mercimek köftesi works just as well

Ezogelin soup is one of those bowls I never skip when I see it on a lokanta menu in Turkey. It’s familiar in the best way, filling, warming, and quietly comforting. The kind of soup you order without thinking, because you already know it will be good. Made with red lentils, a little rice and bulgur, tomato paste, and dried mint, it’s simple but layered. Nothing flashy, just ingredients that work well together. At home, it’s one of the most satisfying soups to make, mostly han

Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek çorbası) is one of those soups that shows up again and again in Turkish kitchens, especially on colder days. It’s simple, filling, and made with ingredients that are usually already in the pantry. Onion, lentils, a couple of vegetables, and time. What makes it special is how it’s finished. A little butter warmed with paprika and dried mint, spooned over the top just before serving. And if there’s leftover bread on the counter, turning it into quick c

Karnıyarık is one of those classic Turkish home-cooking dishes that always feels like a proper meal. Soft eggplants, a simple minced meat filling, and a light tomato sauce that keeps everything juicy in the oven. It’s familiar, comforting, and very doable at home, even if you don’t make Turkish food often. The eggplants are peeled in stripes, softened, then filled generously. The filling is straightforward: onion, garlic, ground meat, and tomato. Nothing complicated, just the

Ciğer tava is one of those dishes that doesn’t need much explaining if you grew up with Turkish food. Thinly sliced liver, lightly floured, fried quickly, and served hot. Crisp on the outside, tender inside. Nothing complicated, nothing hidden. This is the kind of food you eat standing up at a small table, with onion salad on the side and maybe a piece of bread to soak up what’s left on the plate. It’s bold, direct, and best eaten right away. Ingredients 500 g of fresh beef o