Turkish · Lunch · Dinner · Snack
Acılı Ezme (Spicy Turkish Tomato and Pepper Salad)
Acılı ezme
A bright, finely chopped salad of ripe tomatoes, peppers, onion and herbs, bound with tangy pomegranate molasses and warmed with Turkish chilli flakes. It is the classic kebab-house meze, here made with just a little olive oil.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- No cooking
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 56% · Fat 36% · Protein 8%
Track it in BerryFit and see how it fits your own daily target. Get the app ›
Ingredients
For 4 servings- 3 medium370 gRipe tomatoes
- 1 medium120 gGreen bell pepper (or Turkish sivri pepper)
- 1 small15 gFresh hot green chilli
- 1 small70 gRed onion
- 1 cloveGarlic
- 1 cup loosely packed30 gFlat-leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped5 gFresh mint
- 1 tbsp16 gTomato paste
- 1 tbsp20 gPomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp15 gLemon juice
- 1 tbsp13 gExtra virgin olive oil
- 1 tspTurkish chilli flakes (pul biber)
- 1/2 tspSumac
- 1/2 tspDried mint
- 1/2 tspSalt
Steps
- 1
Halve the tomatoes, scoop out the watery seeds and discard them, then chop the flesh very finely.
- 2
Put the chopped tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl to drain while you prepare the rest.
- 3
Seed the green pepper and chop it very finely.
- 4
Seed the hot chilli (keep the seeds if you like more heat) and mince it.
- 5
Peel and finely chop the red onion.
- 6
Rub the onion with the salt in a large bowl for a minute to soften its bite.
- 7
Crush the garlic to a paste and add it to the bowl.
- 8
Chop the parsley and fresh mint finely and add them to the bowl.
- 9
Add the drained tomatoes, green pepper and chilli to the bowl.
- 10
Stir in the tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and olive oil.
- 11
Season with the chilli flakes, sumac and dried mint, and mix well.
- 12
Keep chopping and mixing on the board or in the bowl until the salad is a coarse, spoonable relish.
- 13
Taste, adjust the salt, lemon or chilli, and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use 1/2 tsp sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne if you can't find Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber).
- If you don't have pomegranate molasses, mix 1 tsp honey (or maple syrup to keep it vegan) with an extra 1 tbsp lemon juice.
- Use a red bell pepper instead of the green pepper for a sweeter, milder salad.
- For a milder version, leave out the fresh hot chilli and halve the chilli flakes.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 2 to 3 days, stirring before serving as it releases liquid. It is best eaten fresh and should not be frozen.
Make ahead
You can chop the peppers, onion and herbs a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, then drain the tomatoes and mix everything with the dressing shortly before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
Track this in BerryFit
Log Acılı Ezme (Spicy Turkish Tomato and Pepper Salad) in one tap and see how it fits your remaining calories for today.
Or ask Coach Berry to change it
Allergens and nutrition
No major allergens in the ingredients.
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (171 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 87 kcal | 51 kcal |
| Protein | 1.9 g | 1.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13.1 g | 7.7 g |
| of which sugars | 7.3 g | 4.3 g |
| Fiber | 2.7 g | 1.6 g |
| Fat | 3.7 g | 2.2 g |
| of which saturated | 0.5 g | 0.3 g |
| Sodium | 313 mg | 183 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
