Ezme - Spicy Turkish Salsa

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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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