Turkish breakfast is the best reason to get out of bed in the morning! The meal consists of meats, cheeses, fruit, veggies, and a little something sweet. It’s a gluten free and grain free plate that is filling, healthy, satisfying and great any time of day!
Pancake lovers out there will probably hate me for this, but I think that Americans get short changed when it comes to breakfast. Yes, the entire menu at IHOP is satisfying, but only in a short-term-enjoyment, long-term-low-blood-sugar-misery kind of way.
The first time I had a full Turkish breakfast, it was like the clouds had parted and the plate had been sent down from the heavens. THIS is what breakfast should be.Â
There are no hard and fast rules about what is on a Turkish Breakfast plate.
The only rule is that there has to be a little bit of everything:Â protein, fat, and carbs; meat, cheese, and veggies; savory and sweet. So, please, use your creative license.
You can eat it with bread on the side if you want, but you won’t miss it if it’s not there. It compliments coffee or tea or fresh juice – whatever is your morning drink of choice. And it is easy to prep in advance and throw it all on the plate first thing in the morning.
Actually, maybe one rule.
I might be making this up, but there must be sumac. Sumac is a spice found in middle eastern food in general, but I especially associate it with Turkish breakfast, which – in my experience – is almost always sprinkled with a dusting of sumac.
You can, of course, leave it off. Many people do, I’m sure. Just don’t try to convince me it’s Turkish breakfast without the sumac. ????
No matter what…
A Turkish breakfast place is so satisfying. It’s filling, but not heavy and very balanced in terms of flavors and nutrition. Plus, even though it’s called breakfast, it is a fantastic meal for any time of day!
By the way, scroll down past the recipe for a virtual tour of Istanbul!
For more information about what I ate in Istanbul, click here! And for another Turkish recipe you can make at home, check out this post.
For more travel posts (including Paris and London, which were the other two stops on this trip), go here!
A Full Turkish Breakfast
Turkish breakfast is the best reason to get out of bed in the morning! The meal consists of meats, cheeses, fruit, veggies, and a little something sweet. It's a gluten free and grain free plate that is filling, healthy, satisfying and great any time of day!
Ingredients
- Hard boiled eggs, typically one per person
- Stuffed grape leaves
- Sliced green peppers
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced cucumbers
- Black olives
- Green olives
- Dried apricots
- Good quality cured meat, like salami
- Good quality salty cheese, like feta
- Good quality creamy cheese, like mozzarella
- Sumac, salt and pepper, for sprinkling
- Chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the egg(s) in quarters and place in the center of the plate.
- Arrange the remaining items on the plate around the egg.
- Garnish the egg with sumac, salt and pepper, and sprinkle the entire plate with flatleaf parsley.
Notes
- If you are only making one serving, you only need a few of each item. If you're making a platter to feel multiple people, assume 2-4 pieces of each item per person. With so many edibles on the plate, you'll fill up fast!
- To make this vegetarian, simply omit the meat and add an additional hard boiled egg and some extra cheese.
- If you want a little bit more sweetness, serve it with a dollop of chocolate hazelnut spread and some bread or cut up fruit to spread it on.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 701Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 323mgSodium: 1924mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 5gSugar: 12gProtein: 41g
Jessi says
Wow! LOVED these pictures! Haven’t been to Istanbul but now II really want to! That breakfast looks AWESOME too!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
It is wonderful! I hope you get to go someday!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Oh my goodness, Nora! The sites, sounds, and smells at the markets especially must have been incredible (save the cig smoke from the corn vendor)! What is in the stuffed grape leaves? This breakfast looks so filling and nourishing… one that would hold me over till lunch for sure! What an amazing trip. Thank you for sharing your fun with us!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
They were so incredible, Traci! Even the smoke wasn’t that bad (especially compared to Paris), so no complaints from me. In Istanbul, well, at restaurants, grape leaves are typically stuffed with rice, spices and sometimes currants unless other wise noted. I think that they also eat them with meat in them, but seemed not to be as common as it is in Greece, at least not where we were eating. All the food is so wonderful!
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
Nora, this breakfast looks SO epic! I hadn’t realized, but this is what I’m truly meant to eat every morning. Gorgeous photos, too.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Ah, so glad it’s not just me! It’s the most wonderful start to the day!
Monica says
Wow!! What a feast, and what gorgeous photos (once again)! Pancakes got nothing on the full Turkish breakfast plate! (:
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
No way they don’t! 🙂
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says
Nora, these photos are absolutely amazing, and I really need this breakfast in my life. I am a HUGE fan of the low-carb, vegetable-heavy Middle Eastern breakfasts (I just did a few posts on the Israeli breakfast spread, in partnership with Faith from An Edible Mosaic), and this plate really does the region justice. Great work – and I’m thrilled to have discovered your blog through IG.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thank you so much, Ksenia! A breakfast like this really gets the day off on the right foot, doesn’t it? I remember your breakfast work with Faith – I loved that series! I am so glad to have discovered your work as well 🙂
GiGi Eats says
Istanbul and TURKEY in general = my favorite country THUS FAR! However, I am going to Taiwan on Wednesday… So who knows if that will change my mind!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Same here! It would take a lot for another country to beat it in my book 🙂 I hope you have a blast in Taiwan!
Sadie says
WOW. Gorgeous, Nora!!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thank you, Sadie!
Compass&Fork says
Hi Nora
Great recipe and photos! It brings back many fine memories of Turkey. Great people, great food, great sights. We think that Turkey might be our new favorite country.
Cheers….Mark
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Thanks, Mark! It’s definitely one of mine too!
Agnes Ardiyanti says
I just discovered a nice Turkish grocery store nearby, so I am looking for reasons to visit them more often. This breakfast is definitely a good idea, delicious and colorful! And great pictures of Istanbul too. The corona crisis makes travelling difficult, but I can imagine the color, the smell … a nice distraction I need. Thank you!
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
You’re so welcome!
Rubia S says
I would like to try this recipe.
Nora (A Clean Bake) says
Hope you enjoy it!