Ezme is a classic Turkish sauce, condiment and appetizer that’s usually served on the side of kebabs with some fresh bread. It’s ready in 10 minutes and is so delicious thanks to tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

 

My love for Turkish cuisine is known and I’m happy to share all the recipes with you. From classic simit and cilbir to gozleme, sumac onions and red lentil soup, Turkish food, like many other Mediterranean dishes is packed with vegetables, nutrients and of course, a lot of flavor!

What is ezme?

Depending on the use, ezme is an appetizer, dip, sauce or salad. Ezme means “mashed” which served well here since all the ingredients are chopped very finely by hand or a food processor.

It’s made mainly with tomatoes and olive oil, which makes it a healthy addition to the table. Each region of Turkey has a different way of making it and some like it spicy, known as acılı ezme. It’s one of the most loves barbecue side dishes in Turkish cuisine.

3 Tips to make the perfect ezme

1. Use top quality tomatoes: The main ingredient used in this recipe is tomatoes. Make sure you’re using high quality tomatoes, just like you do for Gavurdagi (Turkish tomato walnut salad) especially if they’re not in season. I prefer to make this salsa in summer because that’s when tomatoes are in their prime.
2. Chop finely: While using a food processor is much easier, it’s best to make this dish using a chef’s knife and chop the ingredients finely by hand.
3. Let the flavors combine: If time permits, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to incorporate.

Ingredients

Tomatoes: As I mentioned before, tomatoes are the main part of this dish. You want to make sure that they’re firm, fresh and flavorful.

Onion and pepper: White or yellow onion would work for this recipe. You also need sweet green and red pepper such as red bell pepper and Anaheim or Italian pepper.

Spices: A combination of salt, pepper, Aleppo pepper and sumac would add a lot of flavor to this sauce. Sumac adds a touch of sourness that works well with the sweetness of the tomatoes. I also add just a little bit of tomato paste for more intense flavor and color.

Olive oil: As always, quality extra virgin olive oil is all you need.

Instructions

Chop the tomatoes, onions and peppers very finely and mix them in a bowl. Add the minced garlic and finely chopped parsley to the vegetables and stir to combine.

Add in the tomato paste, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Aleppo pepper and sumac. Stir well and make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve as mezze, sauce or salad.

Variations

As I mentioned above, there are several ways to make this dish and the ingredients might slightly differ in each recipe. In order to make ezme more sour, you can add some pomegranate molasses or more lemon juice alongside olive oil.

Another variation is acılı ezme which translates to spicy ezme. This version uses spicy Aleppo pepper.

How to serve ezme

You can serve ezme as an addition on wraps such as beef shawarma or doner with pita or lavash. It can also be served as a condiment alongside dishes such as kumpir (Turkish stuffed potatoes), kofta kebab or kebabs like shish tawook, grilled chicken or beef shish kabob.

Another way to serve this classic Turkish dish is on a mezze platter with hummus, baba ganoush, muhammara, labneh and Turkish pide bread or pita chips.

Frequently asked questions

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