Ezme is a traditional Turkish salad or meze, known for its fresh, spicy and tangy flavors. It is typically served as an appetizer or sauce on the side of kebabs, but it is not limited to this. You can even enjoy it as a dip with some bread.
The best companion for Turkish kebabs is always this acılı ezme. It is a staple at kebab restaurants. And we can never have chicken shish kabobs without this simple ezme sauce.
What Is Ezme?
Ezme is a Turkish word that means "crushed" or "mashed", which perfectly describes how this dish is traditionally prepared. The fresh vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers, are finely chopped with a sharp knife, almost to a paste-like consistency, hence the name.
The dish gets its spicy kick from hot chili peppers, red pepper flakes or pepper paste. It's also tangy due to lemon juice or pomegranate molasses. It's usually left to rest before serving, so that all the flavors can meld together nicely.
It is traditionally served as a meze, a kind of appetizer commonly found in Turkish cuisine. It's often enjoyed with fresh, crusty bread or as one of the kebab side dishes. However, its vibrant flavors make it a versatile companion to many other dishes as well.
Spicy ezme salad or acili ezme as we say in Turkish, is one of those scrumptious sides similar to chilli salsa. So it won't be wrong to call it Turkish salsa.
Why You Will Like This Recipe
Here are some reasons why you will get addicted to this Turkish ezme recipe:
- Full of Flavor: It is spicy, tangy, and packed with fresh tastes. It's a fantastic blend of different flavors that can really wake up your taste buds!
- Versatile: While it's traditionally served with kebabs, ezme can accompany many different dishes. It's a great way to add a burst of flavor to any meal.
- Easy to Make: With a few fresh ingredients and simple steps, you can prepare ezme at home. It's an easy recipe, but the result is impressive.
- Perfect for Sharing: It's a perfect dish for sharing with friends or family at gatherings.
- Make ahead: You can make it ahead of time and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you serve. It keeps well for 3-4 days.
About The Ingredients
Vegetables:
- Tomatoes: Just like in our Turkish shepherd salad recipe, use the tastiest tomatoes you can find to get the best result. Any type would work fine as long as it is tasty and juicy. We find heirloom tomatoes and beef tomatoes are the best options but plum tomatoes or Roma tomatoes are great too.
- Onion: One small onion would be enough for this salad. Use any type you can find.
- Garlic: This is optional and many people make ezme without garlic. But traditional kebab restaurants, especially in the southern and southeastern parts of Turkey, always use a little garlic.
- Green peppers: Traditionally, sivri biber is used in Turkey for this ezme sauce. These peppers are thin, long and crunchy. They might be very hot or mild. It is better to taste and then decide how much to use. You can substitute green bell peppers or padron peppers for it. If you like your salad hot and spicy, you can use chili or jalapeno peppers too.
- Parsley: Don't substitute another herb for parsley in this salad. The result won't be the same.
Condiments:
- Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice. The amount here might be reduced or increased depending on how tangy you'd like your salad to be.
- Pomegranate molasses: Try to find a Turkish product if you can. There are online markets selling it. If you can't find it anywhere, leave it out and use more lemon juice instead. Check out our guide about how to make pomegranate molasses if you want to make it at home and substitutes for pomegranate molasses.
- Tomato paste: It increases the richness of the ezme as it is a concentrated form of tomatoes. Check out our guide about how to make tomato paste if you want to make it at home.
- Red pepper paste (biber salcasi): This is another special Turkish ingredient that gives this salad its amazing flavor. However, we are aware that it is not very easy to find. So you can substitute a mixture of tomato paste a little paprika for red pepper paste.
Spices:
We use three spices that are very common in Turkish cuisine:
- Hot red pepper flakes (pul biber): If you can't find red pepper flakes, use crushed chili pepper.
- Sumac: It increases the sourness of ezme sauce and gives it a subtle earthy flavor.
- Dried mint: It gives a little refreshment and balances the sour and hot flavors in the salad.
Optional Add-Ins
- Walnuts: The traditional Turkish ezme salad recipe doesn't have walnuts, but it is a good addition that makes this dip salad even richer. We recommend that you top the salad with roughly chopped walnuts instead of mixing it with the other ingredients.
- Cucumber: Although it is not traditional to add cucumbers in an ezme dip, you can add some if you want. Make sure to deseed it before chopping it.
- Red pepper: You can use finely chopped red bell pepper or Turkish kapya pepper (Romano pepper).
How to Make This Recipe
Making Turkish ezme salad is a straightforward process that can be made with two methods: The easy food processor method for a quick preparation, and the traditional method for a more authentic experience. Here's a step-by-step guide for each:
Easy Food Processor Method
- Prepare the vegetables: Chop tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and chili pepper into chunks. Grate 2 cloves of garlic. Roughly chop the parsley.
- Blend everything: Put the prepared vegetables in a food processor. Add tomato paste, pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, sumac, and dried mint over the vegetables. Run the food processor for about 15 seconds, or until everything is finely chopped but still chunky. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Serve: Transfer the ezme dip onto a plate, drizzle extra virgin olive oil over it, and serve.
Traditional Method
- Chop the vegetables: On a cutting board, chop tomatoes, onion, garlic, green peppers, and parsley very finely. Keep them all on the board and continue chopping them altogether. This helps the flavors combine well. Transfer the mixture into a bowl.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, tomato paste, and pepper paste until smooth. Add in salt, red pepper flakes (pul biber or Aleppo pepper), sumac, and dried mint.
- Mix everything: Pour the dressing into the bowl with the mashed vegetables and give it a good stir.
- Serve: Drizzle extra olive oil and pomegranate molasses over the ezme when serving, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Making Turkish ezme is an easy process, but there are some important tips you should keep in mind to ensure your dish is as delicious as possible:
- Seeding the Tomatoes: To avoid a watery ezme, you can de-seed the tomatoes before chopping them. We often skip this as we don't mind the juice in our Turkish style salsa.
- Fineness of Chopping: Vegetables should be finely chopped, but not completely pureed. The texture should be a little chunky. If you're using a food processor, be careful not to over-process.
- Adjust to Taste: The spiciness and tanginess of ezme can be adjusted according to your preference. Feel free to tweak the amount of chili peppers, pomegranate molasses, or lemon juice to suit your taste.
- Rest Before Serving: The flavor develops nicely when it's allowed to rest for a bit before serving. If you have time, let it sit for an hour or so in the refrigerator.
Want A Thicker Consistency?
If you prefer your tomato ezme with a thicker consistency, using a food processor for chopping and then straining the vegetables can help. Here's how:
- Chop in a Food Processor: Begin by preparing your vegetables as usual - chopping into chunks. Then, place them into a food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped but still a bit chunky.
- Strain the Vegetables: After processing, transfer the chopped vegetables to a fine-mesh strainer. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow excess liquid to drain off. This will result in a thicker, less watery base for your ezme.
- Prepare the Dressing: While the vegetables are straining, you can prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, mix together lemon juice, tomato paste, pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and your spices (such as salt, red pepper flakes, sumac, and dried mint). Whisk until everything is well combined.
- Assemble the Ezme: Once the vegetables have drained, transfer them into the bowl with the dressing. Stir well to ensure all the vegetables are coated with the dressing.
By following these steps, you'll end up with a thicker, heartier ezme dip that's packed with flavor yet has a more substantial texture.
Serving Suggestions
Aci ezme (spicy ezme), with its vibrant, tangy flavor, makes a versatile companion to many Turkish food. Here are some serving suggestions to inspire you:
- With Bread: Traditional Turkish pide bread, pita, bazlama or lavash bread for scooping up this flavorful dip.
- With Kebabs or Grilled Meats: It is often served as a side dish with kebabs or other grilled meats. Its fresh, spicy flavor complements the smoky taste of the grilled meat beautifully. We often enjoy it with kofte, döner kebab, lahmacun, kofta kebab or shish lamb kebab.
- As Part of a Meze Platter: Include this ezme sauce in a meze platter with other dips and appetizers, such as Turkish hummus, baba ganoush, and stuffed grape leaves.
- In Wraps or Sandwiches: Add a spoonful of spicy ezme in your wraps with chicken doner or sandwiches for a burst of flavor.
- On Baked Potatoes: Belive it or not, we love it even as a topping on Turkish baked potato kumpir.
And as a beverage, refreshing yogurt drink ayran is definitely the best drink to pair with all these irresistible foods!
Storage
Ezme should be stored in the refrigerator. Place it in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing the flavors of other foods in your fridge. It will last for about 3-4 days.
When you are ready to serve, allow it to come to room temperature first. Give it a stir and then serve.
FAQs
No, we don't recommend canned tomatoes. You have to use fresh tomatoes for this authentic dip.
Yes, you can still make ezme without pomegranate molasses. If you can't find it in your area, substitute it with tamarind paste or lemon juice.
Yes, you can, but be careful not to over-blend the vegetables. We want the ezme to have a slightly chunky texture, not be a puree.
The only additional vegetables we recommend are cucumbers and green onions. Make sure to deseed them first to prevent the ezme from becoming watery.
More Turkish Salads
More Turkish Recipes
- Bulgur Pilav
- Turkish Stuffed Eggplant
- Kisir (Turkish Bulgur Salad)
- Mercimek Corbasi (Turkish Lentil Soup)
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📖 Recipe
Ezme Recipe (Turkish Acili Ezme)
INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium ]tomatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 small green bell pepper or 2 Turkish green peppers
- 1 small red chili pepper
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon pepper paste (biber salcasi)
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (nar eksisi)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon sumac
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
INSTRUCTIONS
Easy Food Processor Method
- Prepare the vegetables: Chop tomatoes and the onion, green pepper and chili pepper in chunks. Grate 2 cloves of garlic. Chop the parsley roughly.
- Blend everything: Put the prepared vegetables in a food processor. Add tomato paste, pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, sumac, dried mint over the vegetables. Run the food processor for about 15 seconds or until everything is chopped finely but still chunky. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Serve: Transfer the ezme dip on a plate, drizzle extra olive oil over it and serve.
Traditional Method
- Chop the vegetables: On a cutting board, chop tomatoes, onion, garlic, green peppers, and parsley very finely. Keep them all on the board and continue chopping them altogether. This helps the flavors combine well. Transfer the mixture into a bowl.
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, tomato paste, and pepper paste until smooth. Add in salt, red pepper flakes (pul biber or Aleppo pepper), sumac, and dried mint.
- Mix everything: Pour the dressing into the bowl with the mashed vegetables and give it a good stir.
- Serve: Drizzle extra olive oil and pomegranate molasses over the ezme when serving, if desired.
Video
NOTES
For A Thicker Consistency:
- Chop in a Food Processor: Begin by preparing your vegetables as usual - chopping into chunks. Then, place them into a food processor. Pulse until they are finely chopped but still a bit chunky.
- Strain the Vegetables: After processing, transfer the chopped vegetables to a fine-mesh strainer. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow excess liquid to drain off. This will result in a thicker, less watery base for your ezme.
- Prepare the Dressing: While the vegetables are straining, you can prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, mix together lemon juice, tomato paste, pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and your spices (such as salt, red pepper flakes, sumac, and dried mint). Whisk until everything is well combined.
- Assemble the Ezme: Once the vegetables have drained, transfer them into the bowl with the dressing. Stir well to ensure all the vegetables are coated with the dressing.
Pro Tips:
- Seeding the Tomatoes: To avoid a watery ezme, you can de-seed the tomatoes before chopping them. We often skip this as we don't mind the juice in our Turkish style salsa.
- Fineness of Chopping: Vegetables should be finely chopped, but not completely pureed. The texture should be a little chunky. If you're using a food processor, be careful not to over-process.
- Adjust to Taste: The spiciness and tanginess of ezme can be adjusted according to your preference. Feel free to tweak the amount of chili peppers, pomegranate molasses, or lemon juice to suit your taste.
- Rest Before Serving: The flavor develops nicely when it's allowed to rest for a bit before serving. If you have time, let it sit for an hour or so in the refrigerator.
Storing:
Ezme should be stored in the refrigerator. Place it in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing the flavors of other foods in your fridge. It will last for about 3-4 days. When you are ready to serve, allow it to come to room temperature first. Give it a stir and then serve.NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Adina says
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.
Zerrin says
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.
Kasia says
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!
Stephen Narramore says
Hi Kasia, I understand what you mean when you are looking for "foreign ingredients" in Poland. I spent 2-3 years in the Silesian area and I did find I could get many from Carrefour markets. Not everything but many items. Sumac & Pomegranate molasses are great to use. Regards peppers, most of the regular Red Yellow & green peppers work well to cut & dice & cook with. For stuffing use thin green skinned peppers (for Dolma) Im sure there is a Polish cusine version of stuffed peppers!
Lamb meat is not easy to find, and its expensive in Poland, and not so easy to get a good quality Lamb as we can buy here in the UK. Good luck with your Turkish food journey.
Zerrin says
Hi Stephen! Thank you for your contribution!
Katheryn says
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 😀
Zerrin says
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.
Chris at Hye Thyme Cafe says
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.
Zerrin says
Thanks Chris! We make small bites with lavash and then have the juicy part with spoon. Using knife for this salad definitely makes difference!
Soma says
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!
Zerrin says
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!
Kathrin @ ginger, lemon & spice says
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!
Zerrin says
Hi Kathrin! There are variations of Acili Ezme, but this one is my favorite. Hope you like it too!
Emily @dishtell.com says
Beautiful photos. Just beautiful.
-Em
Zerrin says
Thank you Emily! Photos are shot by my husband:)
Julia | JuliasAlbum.com says
I love Turkish kebabs and have eaten a lot of them growing up! This salad makes my mouth water!
Zerrin says
Hi Julia, you will love Turkish kebab more when you eat it with this acili ezme!
Rosa says
Wonderful! This flavorful salad must taste really good.
Cheers,
Rosa
Zerrin says
Hi Rosa, you love it if you love spicy and sour flavors together.
Faye Levy says
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.
Zerrin says
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!
Ozlem's Turkish Table says
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
Zerrin says
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.
Nancy/SpicieFoodie says
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:)
Zerrin says
Wow! We have similar dishes then, great! I've never tried Mexican salsa, must search for its recipe!
Lana says
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!)
Zerrin says
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.
Kalyn says
I'm fascinated by this and I love all these flavors so I'm sure I would like it!
Zerrin says
Thanks Kalyn for stopping by! I remember that you love sumac, so I think this acili ezme is just for your taste.
Daniela @ FoodrecipesHQ says
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!
Zerrin says
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!