Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme)

Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme) is a spicy Turkish dip commonly served at restaurants alongside a basket of warm Turkish Pide Bread or Pita Bread. It is very easy to make this delicious ezme salad at home and customise it to your taste.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Related Recipes
• Top Tip From the Chef
• Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme)

You can serve this spicy ezme sauce as an appetiser, a condiment or a part of a mezze spread. It also works great as an accompaniment salad/salsa to any grilled meat or kebabs.

Why This Recipe Works?

• You can take this refreshing Turkish salsa to a summer party or picnics, it is a delicious summer dish.

• It is very easy to make this delicious Turkish ezme salad in just 15 minutes, with no cooking required.

• You can adjust this spicy Turkish Salad to your taste by tweaking the portions of each ingredient. 

• This tasty Turkish vegan dish has a delightful mixture of sweet, spicy, refreshing, and zingy flavors.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Ingredients For the Salad

• Tomatoes - They are the star ingredient of this recipe. Use the tastiest tomatoes you can find to get the best result. I prefer beefsteak or Roma tomatoes but any type would work fine as long as they are tasty and juicy.

• Green peppers - Traditionally, thin, long, and crunchy Turkish sivri biber is used for this ezme recipe. They might be very hot or mild so it would be a good idea to taste them before using them and then decide how much to use. Alternatively, you can use any green pepper you can find.

• Red pepper - I use romano peppers but any sweet type of red pepper works with this recipe.

• Onion - One small onion is enough for this salad. Use any type you can find.

• Parsley - It is one of my favorite herbs that add flavor and brightness to salads. It is very popular to use this aromatic herb in many Turkish salad recipes such as Piyaz (Turkish Bean Salad) and Turkish Shepherd Salad (Coban Salatasi).

Ingredients For the Dressing

• Pomegranate molasses - It is a thick syrup made with pomegranate juice and is commonly used in Middle Eastern / Turkish recipes. It has an intense sweet-and-sour flavour and is perfect to use for salad dressings or marinade. You can buy it from most Turkish / Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon . Don't substitute it with any other molasses. Instead, use extra lemon juice.

• Lemon juice - It is the perfect element that adds freshness to salads and is commonly used in dressings. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice, not bottled ones. You can reduce or increase the amount depending on how tangy you'd like your salad to be. 

• Olive oil - I use a good quality extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings.

• Red pepper paste - It is a rich, delicious paste made with juicy, spicy red peppers and I use it quite often in my Turkish recipes. You can buy red pepper paste from Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon. Alternatively, you can substitute tomato paste for red pepper paste and add some extra chili flakes to the salad.

• Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it online from Amazon.

• Pul biber - Hot red pepper flakes called "pul biber" in Turkish are the main spice for this ezme salad. You can buy them from Turkish or Middle Eastern shops as well as online from Amazon.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This is a very simple recipe and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

Prepare the Dressing

Turn the garlic into a paste using a pestle and mortar, or finely grate using a Microplane and place it in a bowl. Add the red pepper paste, tomato paste, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt, pul biber, and dried mint to the bowl. Give them a good stir using a whisk or a spoon and set it aside.

Prepare the Vegetables

Finely dice the tomatoes, peppers (both red and green), onion, and cucumber using a sharp knife. Place them in a large bowl. Alternatively, you can use a food processor to chop your vegetables. The texture and the taste won't be as good as hand-chopped but will save you time if you are in a rush. 

Finely chop the parsley leaves and add them to the vegetables. Add the sauce to the vegetables, stir well until all combined, and place the Turkish ezme salad in a serving bowl. Drizzle extra olive oil and pomegranate molasses over it when serving.

Related Recipes

For more delicious and healthy Turkish Vegan Dishes why not try:

• Imam Bayildi (Turkish Stuffed Eggplant)

• Yaprak Sarma - Dolma (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

• Şakşuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze)

• Barbunya (Turkish Style Borlotti Beans)

• Vegan Moussaka with Aubergine

• Mercimek Kofte (Lentil Balls)

• Biber Dolmasi (Turkish Stuffed Peppers)

• Mediterranean Green Beans (Taze Fasulye)

• Easy Authentic Hummus Recipe

Top Tip From the Chef

There are no strict rules about the amounts of the ingredients here. We all have our own preferences, and this recipe can easily be adjusted accordingly! Take this recipe as a starting point and create your own version by tweaking the vegetables and spices. 

I hope you enjoy the process of making this spicy Turkish Ezme Salad as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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