Middle Eastern Breakfast Bowl

Filled with creamy labneh, poached eggs, and spices, this Turkish-inspired Middle Eastern breakfast bowl is a flavor and protein-packed breakfast perfect for weekday mornings.

Turkish eggs, traditionally known as çilbir and pronounced as chil-bir, is a dish of poached eggs over garlicky yogurt sauce finished with warm spicy butter or oil. If you’ve never tried it, it’s absolutely delicious and I highly recommend giving it a try, as it was the inspiration for these Middle Eastern breakfast bowls.

The combination of yogurt sauce and eggs ensures that these bowls are packed full of protein, and the olive oil and milk fat ensure they are full of healthy fats and incredibly filling. While you can enjoy them as is, I suggest serving them with warm flatbread or pita bread for a hearty, healthy, balanced, satisfying breakfast.

Why You’ll Love It

• Quick and Easy – Ready in 15 minutes, this Middle Eastern dish is perfect for a weekday breakfast.
• High in Protein – The combination of creamy labneh and eggs ensures that each bowl has over 25 grams of protein.
• Full of Flavor – These Middle Eastern breakfast bowls are filled with sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Labneh – To add some protein. Labneh, often classified as “yogurt cheese”, is a form of strained whole milk yogurt known for its thick texture, similar to that of cream cheese. You can find labneh in most major grocery stores, or make labneh at home by straining Greek yogurt. That said, you can also just swap the labneh for plain Greek yogurt or skyr in this recipe.
• Eggs – To add some more protein. I made soft-boiled eggs for my recipe, but you can make hard-boiled, fried, or poached eggs if preferred.
• Feta Cheese – To add a bit more protein and a salty bite.
• Tomatoes and Red Peppers – To add some veggies and color.
• Garlic – To flavor the tomato mixture. I used fresh garlic, but you can use garlic powder if preferred, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
• Red Pepper Flakes – To add some heat, you can also use cayenne pepper if needed.
• Fresh Herbs – To add some leafy greens, fiber, and micronutrients. I used a combination of mixed greens but any leafy green, such as spinach, parsley, or mint will work.
• Olive Oil – To add some healthy fats and good the tomato mixture. You can use regular or extra virgin olive oil.
• Za’atar Seasoning – To flavor the dish. Za’atar is a spice mix from the Middle East typically made with toasted sesame seeds, sumac, dried oregano, and thyme. You can find za’atar seasoning in most major grocery stores or you can make your own homemade za’atar spice blend.
• Pita Bread – To add some complex carbohydrates. I opted for pita but you can use flatbread, sourdough, or any other style of bread you enjoy.

Serving Suggestions

These bowls are a balanced meal with protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber; however, you can adjust the bowl to meet your personal dietary needs. For example:

• To make it higher in protein, add an extra 1/4 cup of labneh and/or an extra egg.
• To make it low-fat, use 0% labneh or Greek yogurt and swap the soft-boiled eggs for scrambled egg whites.
• To make it low-carb, omit the pita bread.
• To make them higher in fiber, use whole-wheat or whole-grain pita bread or flatbread.

More Breakfast Bowl Recipes:

• Italian Breakfast Bowl
• Green Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

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