Ezme

Name: Ezme
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: turkish
Ingredients: 2-3 large ripe tomatoes quartered, around 400g; 1 medium red Romano pepper deseeded and roughly chopped; 1 medium sivri biber or small green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped; 1 small onion roughly chopped; 2 large garlic cloves crushed; 25g fresh flat-leaf parsley; 2 tbsp red pepper paste; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses; 1 tbsp pul biber; 2 tsp sumac; 1 tbsp dried mint; 60ml extra virgin olive oil

⏱ 10 mins 🍽 Serves 8 🌶 turkish ✅ Easy 🏷 Side dish

This vibrant Turkish ezme salad is a traditional side dish, perfect for serving alongside grilled meats or as part of a meze spread. The recipe combines tomatoes, red Romano pepper, and green chilli, which are finely chopped and strained. These are mixed with a flavourful sauce of red pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, and aromatic spices like sumac and pul biber. It yields 8 servings and takes only 10 minutes to prepare, offering a fresh, tangy, and slightly spicy accompaniment.

Ingredients

2-3 large ripe tomatoes quartered, around 400g
1 medium red Romano pepper deseeded and roughly chopped
1 medium sivri biber or small green chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 small onion roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves crushed
25g fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp pul biber
2 tsp sumac
1 tbsp dried mint
60ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

Place the tomatoes and all the peppers into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Transfer this mixture to a sieve positioned over a bowl and allow it to drain. Next, add the onions, garlic, and parsley to the processor and blitz until finely chopped, then set this aside separately.
In a serving bowl, combine the red pepper paste, tomato purée, pomegranate molasses, pul biber, sumac, dried mint, and most of the 60ml extra virgin olive oil. Whisk thoroughly to form a cohesive sauce. Add the processed onion mixture and the strained pepper and tomato mixture, along with 1 tsp flaky sea salt. Mix everything together well, then finish by drizzling the remaining extra virgin olive oil over the top before serving.