Turkish Acılı Ezme (Spicy Tomato and Pepper Spread)

Name: Turkish Acılı Ezme (Spicy Tomato and Pepper Spread)
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) ripe plum or vine tomatoes, cored, seeds scooped out, flesh cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 2 medium (30 g) fresh red chile peppers (such as Fresno or Turkish hot peppers), seeded for milder heat, very finely minced; ½ medium (about 4 oz) (115 g) yellow onion, finely diced into ⅛-inch (3 mm) pieces; 2 cloves (8 g) garlic, finely grated or minced; ½ cup, packed (25 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped; 1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt; 1 tsp (3 g) ground sumac; 1 tbsp (6 g) Aleppo pepper flakes (pul biber); 1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste; 2 tbsp (40 g) pomegranate molasses; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; ¼ cup (30 g) walnuts, toasted, finely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, hand-chopped Turkish meze of ripe tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, onion and parsley, tangy with pomegranate molasses and lemon. It gets better as it marinates, and it's perfect with flatbread, kebabs or grilled meats.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: —
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: About 3 cups (8 servings as a meze)

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Ingredients

8 servings

1½ lb (680 g) ripe plum or vine tomatoes, cored, seeds scooped out, flesh cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
2 medium (30 g) fresh red chile peppers (such as Fresno or Turkish hot peppers), seeded for milder heat, very finely minced
½ medium (about 4 oz) (115 g) yellow onion, finely diced into ⅛-inch (3 mm) pieces
2 cloves (8 g) garlic, finely grated or minced
½ cup, packed (25 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
1 tsp (6 g) fine sea salt
1 tsp (3 g) ground sumac
1 tbsp (6 g) Aleppo pepper flakes (pul biber)
1 tbsp (16 g) tomato paste
2 tbsp (40 g) pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup (30 g) walnuts, toasted, finely chopped (optional)

Equipment (6)

Large sharp chef's knife
Cutting board
Fine-mesh sieve
Medium mixing bowl (2-quart / 2 L)
Small bowl for the dressing
Airtight container

Steps

Before you start

Use ripe, flavorful, firm tomatoes; watery or underripe ones make a bland, soupy ezme.
Wear gloves when chopping hot peppers, and wash your hands and knife afterward.
Plan for at least 1 hour of marinating; 2–3 hours is even better.
Chop everything by hand; a food processor turns it into a watery purée.

1
Dice the tomatoes
- Cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds and watery pulp with a spoon, then cut the flesh into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice.
- Place in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl.
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Ready when: Pieces are small, even and no larger than ¼ inch.
Tip: A serrated or very sharp knife prevents crushing the tomatoes into juice.
2
Salt and drain
- Sprinkle the diced tomatoes with the salt and toss gently.
- Let drain in the sieve for 10 minutes while you chop the rest.
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Ready when: About 2–3 tablespoons of liquid have collected in the bowl.
Tip: Discard the liquid or save it for a drink or soup.
3
Chop the aromatics
- Finely dice the onion into ⅛-inch (3 mm) pieces, dice the red bell pepper into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces, and very finely mince the chiles.
- Grate the garlic and finely chop the parsley.
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Ready when: Everything is uniformly tiny so each spoonful has a bit of every ingredient.
Tip: Leave the chile seeds in only if you want a truly hot ezme.
4
Whisk the dressing
- In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, olive oil, Aleppo pepper and sumac until smooth and evenly red.
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Ready when: No streaks of tomato paste remain; the dressing looks thick and glossy.
5
Combine everything
- Shake the sieve to remove remaining liquid, then add the tomatoes to a medium bowl with the onion, bell pepper, chiles, garlic and parsley.
- Pour in the dressing and fold gently with a spoon until evenly coated.
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Ready when: The mixture is chunky, evenly red and glistening, not soupy.
Tip: Fold rather than stir hard, so the tomatoes keep their shape.
6
Marinate
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours, so the flavors meld and the onion mellows.
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Ready when: The ezme smells tangy and fragrant, and the onion tastes mellow rather than sharp.
7
Taste and serve
- Stir, then taste and adjust with a pinch more salt, a squeeze of lemon, or extra Aleppo pepper.
- Spoon into a shallow bowl, drizzle with a little more olive oil if you like, and scatter the toasted walnuts over the top.
- Serve cool or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Balanced: tangy, lightly sweet, salty and pleasantly hot.
Tip: Add the walnuts just before serving so they stay crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Seeding and salt-draining the tomatoes is the key to a spoonable, not soupy, texture.
Hand-chop everything very finely; uniform tiny pieces make it scoopable with bread.
Taste after marinating, as the heat and acidity change as it rests.
Serve with warm lavash or pide, as a topping for kebabs, or alongside grilled meats.

Make ahead

"Make up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate, covered. Add the parsley and walnuts just before serving for the freshest color and crunch."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight, up to 3 days (it will release some liquid; drain off and stir). Not recommended for freezing, as the tomatoes turn mushy. Serve chilled or let sit 15 minutes at room temperature."

Substitutions

pomegranate molasses → 1 tbsp lemon juice plus 1 tbsp honey or sugar, or more to taste. Gives a similar sweet-sour balance but less depth.
Aleppo pepper flakes (pul biber) → ½ tbsp crushed red pepper flakes plus ½ tsp sweet paprika. Crushed red pepper flakes are hotter than Aleppo, so use less.
ground sumac → 1 tsp extra lemon juice or lemon zest. Adds a similar tartness.
walnuts → Omit, or use toasted pistachios. Keeps the recipe nut-free if omitted.