Ezme - Spicy Turkish Salsa

This authentic Turkish Ezme (Acili Ezme) takes just 15 minutes to make and is super healthy loaded with veggies and not much else. It's a delicious spicy sauce, salad, dip and meze that you will want to have with everything. This recipe uses common ingredients you can find at your regular supermarket.

Jump to:

• Why you will love this recipe
• What you need to make it
• How to make Ezme
• Tips & tricks
• Recipe FAQ
• How to serve it
• More quick & easy sauce recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

If you love spicy salsas, then you hav to try this Turkish Ezme salad. It's the Mesopotamian cousin of a Mexican salsa, using mainly the same ingredients, and ending up with a similar - but different - flavor profile.

While it's technically called a salad, it's actually a versatile dish that can be served in many ways: as an appetizer with pita bread, as a sauce for meat or fish, or as part of a meze platter together with hummus, olives, cheese, and anything else you desire.

Why you will love this recipe

• Quick - no more than 15 minutes!
• Easy - just chop and mix
• Super healthy loaded with vegetables and not much else
• Easy to adjust spiciness to suit your taste
• A versatile sauce/dip/meze/salad that you will come to use for everything
• Stores extremely well so you can make a batch and then top everything for a week

What you need to make it

Ingredient notes & substitutions

• Tomatoes should be ripe but firm - peel them for best results
• Yellow onion can be switched for red onion or shallots
• Red bell pepper and padron peppers give the best taste in combination, but they can be used interchangeably, and any color bell pepper works
• Chili flakes - I use Aleppo chili flakes (pul biber) that give a very authentic taste and are not super spicy. Please taste test as you go and adjust the amount of chili flakes to suit your taste.
• Olive oil gives amazing taste, but can be switched for a neutral cooking oil

Ingredient additions and variations

• Pomegranate molasses can be added with the salt, olive oil and chili flakes.
• Garlic can be added - chop it and add with the onion
• Parsley can be added with the onion
• Lemon juice can be added together with the salt, olive oil and chili flakes
• Tomato paste can be added for more umami flavor, or if you know your tomatoes are a bit lacking in flavor
• Red pepper paste can be added instead of the chili flakes, or use both. Add it when you would add the chili flakes, and start with just a little bit.

How to make Ezme

1. Place chopped onion together with Padrón peppers and bell peppers in a food processor
2. Run the food processor for 15 seconds, then check if the pieces are small enough. It should be very well chopped at this point! If not, run it again.
3. Add chopped cucumber
4. Run the food processor for just 10 seconds, to avoid the cucumber turning to mush

5. Scrape the sides with a spoon and mix it a bit
6. Add tomatoes and salt
7. Then add chili flakes and olive oil
8. Run the food processor for 10 seconds, or less, then taste test and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve in a bowl or on a plate, drizzled with a bit of olive oil or pomegranate molasses.

Tips & tricks

• Peel the tomatoes for the best result, but skip if you're short on time
• Always remove the hard core of the tomatoes, it's really worth it
• Don't skip the chopping and think it will all be solved by the food processor - you then risk ending up with soup instead
• Use a really sharp knife, especially when chopping the tomatoes, to be able to chop them as small as possible without them turning into mush
• Do follow the order of adding everything to the food processor, to achieve the best Ezme texture
• Only run your food processor for 10 seconds at a time after adding cucumbers and tomatoes! Otherwise they will likely turn to mush.
• Taste test and add a little spice at a time, especially if you're afraid of making it too spicy
• If your ezme is too watery pour it in a strainer to drain the liquid
• Store ezme for up to a week - keep it in an airtight container in the fridge

Recipe FAQ

How to serve it

The classic way to serve Ezme is as part of a meze platter, with other meze such as hummus and a side of bread, or together with kebabs.

Ezme is also delicious as a sauce for grilled meat, chicken and fish, and instead of dressing on top of your favorite salad.

Another great way to have Ezme is with chips - or even on tacos, instead of a Mexican salsa.

More quick & easy sauce recipes

Looking for more quick & easy sauce recipes like this Ezme salsa?

• Blue cheese sauce
• Vegan black olive tapenade
• Whipped Feta cheese
• Lime Aioli
• Whipped Lemon Butter

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