Baked in a rich tomato sauce, these Turkish-style vegetables with chickpeas is a humble yet impressive vegetarian casserole. Treat it as a side or a main meal!
My Year-Round Favorite Vegetable Casserole
- The recipe is adaptable. I swap out vegetables seasonally depending on what’s available at the farmers’ market.
- It works for everyone. The recipe is vegan and free of gluten and dairy.
- Can be a main or a side. It works as beautifully next to grilled fish as it does spooned over rice.
At my home in Turkey, the farmers’ market stalls are laden with a beautiful variety of fresh produce. I developed this wonderful vegetarian casserole to celebrate that seasonal bounty!
In Turkey, we would call this recipe “Fırında Sebzeli, Nohutlu Türlü.” Türlü literally means “a variety of” in Turkish. It refers to this bountiful vegetable bake, which is traditionally cooked on the stovetop. It’s similar to classic Mediterranean dishes like Ratatouille and Briam. The idea is to use whatever vegetable is in season combined with herbs, spices, and legumes for heartiness and flavor.
I prefer to bake my türlü in the oven, as I love the additional depth baking brings to the vegetables. You can serve it with plain rice, flatbread, or as a side to grilled meat and fish. Leftovers are great next day and it freezes well, too! Enjoy your türlü feast!
Key Ingredients
- Vegetables, a rainbow of them makes this dish wonderful. For this version, use any color beets, cauliflower, carrots, red onions, and bell peppers. In summer, feel free to swap in zucchini or eggplant for the beets. If you use eggplant, salt it for 30 minutes or so, and bake it about 10 minutes longer.
- Extra virgin olive oil: A must-have in my kitchen. It brings out the natural sweetness and earthy flavors of vegetables and provides added nutritional value.
- Spices: Dried oregano brings a robust, earthy, aromatic flavor profile. Aleppo pepper is the most popular spice in Turkish cuisine! It brings a delicious, fruity, tangy, mildly spicy warmth to this recipe, adding depth and enhancing the vegetables’ natural sweetness. Substitute with red pepper flakes, but they are spicier than Aleppo pepper.
- Canned chickpeas are an excellent source of plant-based fiber and protein and perfect for making this casserole more filling and substantial. You can substitute canned white beans here, which will be softer.
How to Make My Turkish Vegetable Casserole
This recipe is adapted from my book, Sebze: Vegetarian Recipes from My Turkish Kitchen, where I make it with summer produce like eggplant and zucchini. This is a delicious cool-season version, but use the seasonal vegetables you have on hand.
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel and cut 3 medium beets into 1-inch pieces. Cut 1 medium cauliflower into small florets. Slice 2 medium carrots in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Roughly chop 2 medium red onions, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, and 6 garlic cloves. Drain and rinse 1 (14 oz) can of chickpeas.
- Begin to soften the vegetables. In a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the beets, cauliflower, carrots, red onion, and bell peppers with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper, and some salt and pepper. Use your hands to ensure all the vegetables are well coated. Bake for 30-35 minutes, turning the vegetables around halfway through, until charred at the edges and softened.
- Season the vegetables. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large, deep baking dish. Stir in the garlic, 1 (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes and their juices, and the drained chickpeas. Season with 2 teaspoons ground cumin and a bit of salt and pepper. Combine well. Use the empty tomato tin to combine 1 1/4 cups hot water with 1 tablespoon tomato paste and mix well. Pour this into the baking dish and gently combine. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to your taste.
- Bake the vegetables. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until all vegetables are cooked through, browned at the edges, and the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.
Perfect Pairings
This vegetable casserole recipe is a versatile, multi-purpose vegetarian dish you can serve in multiple ways. Here are some ideas:
- Serve with plain rice and a dollop of plain yogurt at the side.
- Serve with refreshing Cacık dip of yogurt, cucumbers, and dried mint (similar to tzatziki).
- Serve over pasta or cooked bulgur.
- If you wish, serve with crumbled feta over the top.
- I also love to fry a few eggs and place them over the vegetables just before serving. It’s lovely for brunch.
Turkish Vegetable Casserole with Chickpeas
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Ingredients
- 3 medium to large beets, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium cauliflower, hard stalk removed and cut into 1-inch florets
- 2 medium carrots, trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 medium red onions, roughly chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
- 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/4 cups hot water
- 1 tablespoon double concentrated tomato paste
Instructions
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Get ready. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
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Season the vegetables. In a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the beets, cauliflower, carrots, red onions, and bell peppers with the olive oil, oregano, Aleppo pepper, and some salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each). Use your hands to ensure all the vegetables are well coated.
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Roast the vegetables. Spread the vegetables into a single layer and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, turning the vegetables around halfway through, until charred at the edges and softened.
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Add chickpeas and tomatoes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a large, deep baking dish. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes and their juices, and chickpeas. Season with the cumin and a bit of salt and pepper. Combine well. Use the empty tomato tin to combine the hot water with the tomato paste and mix well. Pour this into the baking dish and gently combine. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper to your taste.
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Bake the vegetables. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until all vegetables are cooked through, browned at the edges, and the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- This recipe is adapted from my book, Sebze: Vegetarian Recipes from My Turkish Kitchen, where I make it with summer produce like eggplant and zucchini. This is a delicious winter version, but use the seasonal vegetables you have on hand.
- Make Ahead: You can roast the vegetables ahead of time. Or make the whole dish in advance, as the flavors settle and it tastes even better the next day.
Nutrition
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