Turkish Yoghurt Recipes • Turkey's For Life

Where would Turkish cuisine be without its darling: Natural yoghurt? Turkish yoghurt recipes galore!

We’ve rounded up our list of Turkish yoghurt recipes in the list below.

Creamy natural Turkish yoghurt in a blue and white bowl. — Silky, thick and creamy – Turkish süzme yoghurt

Smooth, Thick & Creamy

Thick süzme yoghurt (süzme means strained) with its wonderful, smooth, thick and creamy texture is the absolute best as far as we’re concerned.

Even though we’d been on holiday to Fethiye a few times previously, when we first moved here, we were astounded at the size of the yoghurt pots for sale in the shops and supermarkets.

Astounded at the huge plastic ‘bins’ in the chest fridges of the Fethiye markets – being sold by the weight; mountainous scoops of thick, plain yoghurt being dolloped into tubs for waiting customers.

What on earth were people using all that yoghurt for?

Needless to say, it didn’t take us long to realise that yoghurt – süzme yoghurt in particular – plays a central role in Turkish cuisine.

It’s used in many different ways. And we’re also now part of the crew who buys yoghurt by the tubload.

There’s always some süzme yoghurt in our fridge!

How Is Yoghurt Used In Turkish Cuisine?

Here, you’ll see why Turkish people buy yoghurt by the literal bucket load. It really is a staple ingredient.

A side dish of Turkish yoghurt: Lots of people just like to have a small bowl of Turkish yoghurt with rice dishes like the famous Turkish rice (şehriyeli pilav) in a separate bowl. And maybe some kuru fasulye or something similar.
Another bastion of Turkish cuisine – Turkish soups – also has a yoghurt soup as part of the collection. It has various names and guises: Yayla çorbası, düğün çorbası and ayran aşı.

It’s sometimes served as a cold soup but we’ve always eaten it warm (but not hot).

A creamy white yoghurt soup in a bowl. There are green vegetables beneath the surface. — Turkish yoghurt soup – great for warm summer days or also a comfort food

There are numerous Turkish yoghurt recipes that are also popular dips and meze dishes (small plates to share) both in Turkish restaurants and in home cooking.

These make use of dried and fresh herbs (often fresh dill), lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and cooked and raw vegetables.

A plate of fried courgette slices on a bed of yoghurt and topped with fresh, chopped dill. — Yoghurt as a bed for fried courgettes at Çarıklı Et Restaurant in Fethiye

It’s used as a bed on top of which other ingredients nestle. And it’s also a topping. A creamy Turkish yoghurt topping for sıcak ot (sauteed herbs) is essential.

A plate of sauteed greens topped with thick Turkish yoghurt and toasted flaked almonds. — Sıcak ot (sauteed herbs) is always topped with süzme yoghurt

And it’s also a central ingredient in main dishes and desserts – mixed with other ingredients to create some of Turkish cuisines most famous dishes. Or used as an accompaniment to meat dishes.

And let’s not forget the famous Turkish mantı. Delicious with oodles of yoghurt!
It’s a drink and a spreadable dip: Of course, there’s also the famous Turkish yoghurt drink, ayran, too! Thick Turkish yoghurt watered down to a thinner consistency make a drink.

In contrast, the thick consistency of süzme Turkish yoghurt can be strained even further and used to make a spreadable dip – labne.

You can find our ayran recipe – and other Turkish yoghurt recipes – in the list below.

What Are The Health Benefits Of Yoghurt?

It’s easy to see why natural yoghurt is so widely eaten in this part of the world.

We’re not nutritionists. But you can find out more about the health benefits of yoghurt in its natural form.

When you buy Turkish yoghurt – or Greek yoghurt – make sure it is completely natural and free from any sugars or artificial flavourings.

If you do this, you could benefit in the following ways:

A boost in important nutrients such as calcium and B vitamins
It is high in protein
A boost in digestive health
It might strengthen your immune system
It could benefit heart health
It can help to promote weight management

Our Turkish Yoghurt Recipes

Naturally, over the years, we’ve experimented with various Turkish recipes and that means süzme yoghurt has become a central part of our diet.

Here’s our list of Turkish yoghurt recipes that we’ve added to the blog. And no doubt this list will continue to grow because, believe us, this isn’t a complete collection.

If you don’t have access to Turkish süzme yoghurt, you can use good quality, thick Greek yoghurt instead.

Let's begin with a selection of yoghurt meze plates…

A green plate with a portion of haydari yoghurt dip. The dip is topped with olive oil and dried mint.

Haydari Recipe – Classic Turkish Yoghurt Dip

Haydari is a Turkish yoghurt meze or dip that is made with natural strained yoghurt (süzme yoğurt). It is quick and easy to make yet packed with flavour.

Use it as a dip for raw vegetables, lavash bread or Turkish pide bread; as a valued addition to your meze table or as one of your side dishes to grilled meats and grilled veggies.

Haydari is healthy, versatile and a firm favourite for many – including ourselves.