Served as a sauce on kebabs or as a salsa with some pita, Turkish ezme is a treat nobody can resist. I’m sure you’ll become addicted and want to pair this terrific condiment with a zillion things once you try it .
The original post was published in 2013 and we’re updating it today with new pictures and some additional info.
Although the ingredients look simple, there is one thing I must warn you about. Just like in our Turkish Shepherd Salad Recipe, you should use top quality tomatoes in this recipe so that you have the most flavorful result. That’s why we make it only in summer because you know, tomatoes are terribly tasteless when they are not in season.
What makes this recipe that tasty and mouthwatering? The way of chopping the veggies and spices we use in it.
How to Make Ezme
Ezme as a word can be translated as mashed, so this is a kind of mashed salad. However, the method of its preperation is very significant for this salad. Genuine kebab restaurants make it using a big cleaver or a special double handled knife or a super sharp chef knife. It’s absolutely easier to chop vegetables using a food processor, but there is a remarkable difference between the flavors. It must be chopped by hand not in a device, otherwise it gets too juicy and loses flavors.
Must Have Ingredients for Turkish Ezme
Besides tomatoes, onion, garlic and parsley, another must have ingredient in an ezme salad is pomegranate molasses. It gives a very nice sweet-sourish flavor and a darker color to the salad. If you can’t find pomegranate molasses in your area, you can increase the amount of lemon juice a little. As for the spices, hot chili pepper flakes (aci pul biber) is the main one. Another spice I personally love in ezme salad is sumac, which increases its sourness and gives a subtle earthy flavor. You can add dried mint for a little refreshment and to balance the sour and hot flavors of the salad.
How to Serve Ezme
The best bread to serve with ezme is pita (pide) or Turkish lavash, which is similar to tortilla. Kebabs are generally served with these two breads, so you can dip them into ezme as a bonus! And Ayran, which is a fabulous cold yogurt drink, is undoubtedly the best drink with these irresistible foods!
Since it’s a refreshing salad, ezme is a perfect choice to accompany any dish in summer! You know what? I can even have it at breakfast! Its spiciness helps me wake up and whets my appetite to eat even more.
Ezme is considered as a salad or mezze in Turkish cuisine. It is the most common side dish served with kebabs at kebab restaurants. If you haven’t tried Turkish kebab yet, you’ve missed a lot! It is one of the foods you must taste at least once in your life! Once you try it, you will get addicted! Mezzes or side dishes served with kebab in Turkey are as tasty as kebab itself, so you must be careful not to fill your stomach just with sides! You should keep some room for kebab! And acili ezme (spicy/hot ezme) is one of those scrumptious sides.
Turkish Spicy Ezme Salad
A refreshing spicy salad you can pair especially with grilled meat or chicken.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients
- 2 tomatoes, peeled
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 green peppers
- ¼ bunch of parsley
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tsp pepper paste, optional
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp sumac
- A pinch of dried mint
Instructions
- Chop peeled tomatoes, onion, garlic, green peppers and parsley as finely as you can. The finer the better.
- Mix them in a bowl.
- Mix lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and pepper paste until smooth.
- Add this mixture into salad.
- Add salt and spices, mix well. Taste and make any adjustments you like.
- Chill it in refrigerator for half an hour and serve!
Hi There, What type of green peppers would you suggest using?
You can use any green pepper you like.
I made it last night and was great . Thank you so much
★★★★
Glad you loved it Soly!
I’ve been looking for an wand salad recipe since trying this anazinb salaam at numerous Turkish restaurants. Thank you gif sharing.
I thought I knew quite a lot of the Turkish cuisine, but I didn’t know about this salad. It looks so good and I can just imagine the taste. I am putting it on my to-cook list.
You have to give it a try Adina! I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love ezme. I’m sure it will become one o your favorite condiments.
Hello!
This is my first time on your blog and I already love it! Came here for that recipe because I was eating ezme at a restaurant just yesterday and I loved it so much! Now I just have to check out your version and other recipes as well. What I’m curious about is what kind of chili pepper are you using mostly in Turkish cuisine? In Poland people mostly do not know what they are selling and in most of the places they will just tell you that it’s chili pepper and that’s all 🙂 in some places I’m able to find piri-piri, jalapeno or habanero, but that’s i if we are talking about fresh and more spicy ones. So I started growing my own and it’s getting better and better so… I world really love to know what kind should I use in your recipes, maybe I will be ale to grow it too 🙂
Thanks a lot!
I made this last night and served it today with lavaş and grilled lamb. I chopped everything by hand, which was not difficult as the recipe is very easy. For me, it has a little too much liquid, I prefer my ezme less wet, but the flavour was very nice! I love it with the sumac and pomegranate molasses. I took a picture for you, but I can’t add it… Anyway you know what it looks like 😀
Katheryn, did you say grilled lamb, lavaş and ezme? Tell me your address, I will be there within minutes! That is the favorite of most Turkish people. Are your ancestors from Turkey? You can send the photo to my email if you like. Thanks for letting me know someone is making my recipe and loving it.
This looks/sounds delicious. Kind of a cross between a salsa and tabouli. It’s not too wet for lavash? I’d be afraid I’d end up dripping all over the place. I’ll be more likely to scoop this with pita chips – or serve it over a steak salad. That would be awesome! 🙂 And I’m with you – I rarely use the blender or food processor for this kind of thing. Aside from the visual appeal, I think it layers the flavors better.
Thanks Chris! We make small bites with lavash and then have the juicy part with spoon. Using knife for this salad definitely makes difference!
This is our favorite!!!! the very best. We always always get a plate of Acili Ezme when we go out and eat, esp. witht he lavash they serve. Yours sound very similar to the one we love. Bookmarked! I have to make this soon. Thank you so much!
Hi Soma! So you can find Acili Ezme at restaurants in your area, great! I’m sure it will be a hit in your home when you make it!
Thank you for this awesome acili ezme!! I was looking all over in the internet but didn’t find one I would like to try. I will definitly try yours though! I loved acili ezme very much when I was in Turkey! Thanks!
Hi Kathrin! There are variations of Acili Ezme, but this one is my favorite. Hope you like it too!
Beautiful photos. Just beautiful.
-Em
Thank you Emily! Photos are shot by my husband:)
I love Turkish kebabs and have eaten a lot of them growing up! This salad makes my mouth water!
Hi Julia, you will love Turkish kebab more when you eat it with this acili ezme!
Wonderful! This flavorful salad must taste really good.
Cheers,
Rosa
Hi Rosa, you love it if you love spicy and sour flavors together.
What chili powder do you like? On my last trip to Turkey the main souvenirs I bought were pepper flakes: Maras, Urfa and Adiyaman styles.
Hi Faye, we call the pepper flakes from Urfa isot. It’s a bit different from others with its a little sweetness. Maras pepper is the best if you can find. I’m not familiar with Adiyaman pepper. Well, I use the one made by mom:) She grows her own hot chili peppers and dry them under sun and then grind. Hers is the best for me:) Her chili powder is so vibrant in color and really hot in taste, just the way I like!
Wonderful delicious ezme Zerrin 🙂 I see you keep the juices of the tomatoes, and I can just imagine dipping the bread on that delicious juice!
I am also drooling over the mini pizzas, they look amazing : ) eline saglik!
Ozlem
Thank you Ozlem! I love my ezme juicy, so yes I don’t leave tomato juice out. It’s more refreshing this way. And I love to have it with spoon, not fork.
Your Ezme reminds me so much of Mexican salsa. We also using it as a topping or eat it like in your photo. Thanks so much for sharing this fantastic recipe. I love all Turkish food:)
Wow! We have similar dishes then, great! I’ve never tried Mexican salsa, must search for its recipe!
I know exactly what you are saying when you talk about sacrificing the convenience of a blender and sticking with a knife:) It is much more tedious, but so well worth it!
I love everything about this meze and cannot wait to try it (I even have a bottle of pomegranate molasses in the pantry!)
Right Lana, if you are after good food, tedious methods are always worth! You will get addicted to this salad when you add pomegranate molasses in it.
I’m fascinated by this and I love all these flavors so I’m sure I would like it!
Thanks Kalyn for stopping by! I remember that you love sumac, so I think this acili ezme is just for your taste.
This salad is right up my alley. I’ve recently tried lavash bread for the first time, didn’t even know it is Turkish! Your post are so interesting and informative!
Thank you Daniela! Lavash is a bread we mostly pair with kebab or other grilled meat. And I love to have it with this salad too! I’m sure you will love it this way too!