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This authentic Turkish Ezme (Acili Ezme) takes just 15 minutes to make - prep included - and is super healthy loaded with veggies and not much else. A delicious spicy sauce, dip and meze that you will want to have with everything.
Why you will love this recipe
- Super healthy loaded with veggies and not much else
- Quick & easy to make - just chop and mix
- 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 (if it lasts that long!!)
What you need to make it
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Tomatoes should be pretty 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 interchangeable, and any color bell pepper works
- Chili flakes - I use Aleppo chili flakes 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 another type of vegetable oil
How to make it
- Start by peeling your tomatoes. To do this, use a sharp pairing knife and gently slide it under the skin of the tomato.
- After peeling, remove the hard stem as well
- Repeat for all tomatoes
- Chop the tomatoes very small
- Chop the onion very small
- Chop the padron peppers very small
- Chop the red bell pepper very small
- Chop the cucumber very small
- Bring out your food processor
- Add chopped onion, padrón peppers and red bell pepper to the food processor
- Mix for 15 seconds
- Stop and check if the pieces are small enough - they should be super small! - and if not, mix for 15 seconds more.
- Add the cucumber
- Mix for a maximum of 10 seconds
- Mix with a spoon again
- Make sure everything is small enough
- Add tomatoes
- Add salt
- Add chili flakes
- Add olive oil
- Cover and start the food processor again
- Mix for a maximum of 10 seconds
- Taste test and adjust seasoning if needed
- Your ezme is ready to serve!
Tips & tricks
- Peel your 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 or you risk ending up with soup instead
- Follow the order of adding the veggies to the food processor or you risk ending up with soup instead
- Only run your food processor for 10 seconds at a time after adding cucumbers and tomatoes! Otherwise you risk ending up with soup instead.
- 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
Ezme is a Turkish salsa, sauce, salad or meze - depending on who you ask - that's based on tomatoes on peppers. It's sometimes also called Acili Ezme and "ezme" in Turkish means "to crush". There are many different versions of ezme - some with pomegranate, some with garlic, some without - and they range from chopped salads to mixed sauces.
Yes, you can make ezme ahead of time. Either the same day or even the day before - just keep in mind it will become a bit more "saucy" and more spicy as it sits.
No, ezme does not freeze well.
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.
Ezme is also delicious as a sauce for 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 delicious sauces
Spicy not your thing? Then find your new favorite in the complete sauce archives or go straight to some of my favorites like:
Did you love this recipe? Rate it 5 stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion peeled and chopped very small
- 2 padrón peppers chopped very small
- ½ red bell pepper chopped very small
- ½ cucumber chopped very small
- 5 tomatoes chopped very small, stem removed, peeling optional
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili flakes*
- 1.5 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Place chopped onion, chopped padrón peppers and chopped red bell pepper in a food processor and cover. Run the food processor for 15 seconds, then stop it, take off the lid and stir with a spoon. Check if the pieces are small enough (they should be tiny), if not, cover and run the food processor for 15 more seconds.
- Add the cucumber and run the food processor again for 10 seconds.
- Mix, then add the tomatoes, salt, chili flakes and olive oil and run the food processor again for 10 seconds. Take off the lid, taste test, and add more chili flakes if you would like it spicier. Then place on a nice plate and serve!
Equipment needed for this recipe
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Tomatoes should be pretty 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 interchangeable, and any color bell pepper works
- Chili flakes - I use Aleppo chili flakes 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 another type of vegetable oil
Tips & tricks
- Peel your 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 or you risk ending up with soup instead
- Follow the order of adding the veggies to the food processor or you risk ending up with soup instead
- Only run your food processor for 10 seconds at a time after adding cucumbers and tomatoes! Otherwise you risk ending up with soup instead.
- Taste test and add a little spice at a time, especially if you're afraid of making it too spicy.
- If it's too watery pour it in a strainer to drain the liquid
- Store it for up to a week - keep it in an airtight container in the fridge
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
Lauren Vavala | Delicious Little Bites
Ohhh I've never had a salsa with cucumber in it. I don't think I've ever seen padron peppers before either - gotta find those asap so I can try this!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Hope you find them, Lauren! Otherwise you can just use green bell pepper instead - it has almost the same taste. Let me know how it turns out!
Helen of Fuss Free Flavours
This sounds utterly delicious and so versatile. Such an easy way to make it and totally fuss free. I can think of so many ways to enjoy this salsa.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Helen! I use it for everything!
Beth Sachs
I've never heard of this before but it tasted great. I served it with grilled fish.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Beth!
Anjali
Omg this salsa turned out to be so delicious!! I feel like I'll be using it as a topping for just about everything now!
Emmeline Kemperyd
So happy to hear that, Anjali! I actually sometimes even have it on top of a sandwich for breakfast 😉
Dannii
A little pot of this always comes with our favourite takeaway and I have always wondered how to make it. I can't wait to try it.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Let me know how it turns out, Dannii!
Elaine
This is such a versatile recipe! Great tips and lots of visual instruction to make it turn out perfectly!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Elaine!!
Sally @ Savory With Soul
This looks really good! Just like a favorite salsa I make, but with a few changes (like the addition of cucumber). Will have to try this - along with it being a great dip, it looks like it would be great over lots of things - rice, meats, or as a crostini topping. And the colors are fabulous! Saving to make soon! Thanks!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Yeah you are so right - it goes with anything. Same here it’s like my salsa but with cucumber, chili flakes instead of jalapeño and no cilantro. Love both!!
Alice | SkinnySpatula
This would be amazing with some crackers or pita chips. The pics are mouthwatering!
Emmeline Kemperyd
Oh yes!! Great idea!
Irina
I always put some sauce aside with a main dish. This spicy sauce will perfectly fit our menu. I should give it a try!
Emmeline Kemperyd
I hope you do! 😃
Dannii
I love this stuff and always ask for extra at our local Turkish restaurant.
Emmeline Kemperyd
So cool you knew what it was!! 😀 But totally agree, soo yummy.