Just like the Turkish takeaway... Try this ezme salad soon!
Anyone who loves a good Turkish feast like I do will be familiar with ezme salad. You make it with the freshest ingredients you can get your hands on and it's so good!
Ezme salad is known for its bold and vibrant flavours, combining the heat of chilli peppers with the tanginess of lemon juice and sometimes pomegranate molasses. This makes it an exciting accompaniment to many dishes, adding a lively contrast to richer, heavier foods like grilled meats, kebabs, or even flatbreads.
What is ezme salad?
Ezme salad is a traditional Turkish dish known for its vibrant flavours and spicy kick. It is a finely chopped salad made primarily from fresh vegetables and herbs, typically including tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley. You season the salad with olive oil, lemon juice and spices such as chilli flakes, sumac, and sometimes a bit of red pepper paste for added heat. Often pomegranate molasses is added for a sweeter and tart flavour.
Ezme salad is often part of a meze (appetizer) alongside other dishes like kebabs, or flatbreads. The name "ezme" means "crushed" or "mashed" in Turkish, which refers to the finely chopped or mashed texture of the ingredients. This salad is loved for its refreshing yet spicy flavour, making it a perfect accompaniment to rich, savoury dishes.
What special ingredients do you need to make ezme salad?
You will need sumac, aleppo chilli powder or flakes and Turkish style red pepper paste. You can purchase these ingredients online and at Turkish grocers. I have a homemade Turkish red pepper paste that you can try here.
How spicy is aleppo chilli powder?
I has a good kick to it but it's still, in my opinion on the mild side. If you can't get it, try a 50/50 mix of paprika and cayenne chilli powder.
How long can you store ezme salad in the fridge?
This salad is best on the day you make it. You can, however store it in an air tight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Be sure to stir it well before serving if you do.
Can you freeze ezme salad?
I don't recommend doing this as ezme salad is all about the freshness of the ingredients. If you freeze it, you will notice a change in texture and it could become quite watery too.
If you have a lot left over, you might like to freeze it and use it in a stew or soup where the change in texture won't be as noticeable.
Step by step photographs.
What do you serve with Ezme Salad?
Ezme salad is delicious on its own with perhaps a bit of bread. You might like to try some of these Turkish and not Turkish favourites though. Slather it over the top or serve it on the side and enjoy!
Mains
Turkish Style Mediterranean Grilled Fish, Slow Cooked Lamb, Lahmacun, Pide, Turkish Chicken Wings, Manti,
Kebabs
Looking for other kebab ideas? These may not all be Turkish but they will go very well with this ezme salad.
Tantuni - Grilled Steak Wraps, Beef Shish Kabobs, Turkish Chicken Kebabs, Iskender Kebab, Pork Gyro, Döner Kebabs,
Meze
Just one meze is often all you need but a selection will always be better. Try these with your Ezme Salad!
Easy Hummus, Muhammara, Turkish Onion Salad, Baba Ganoush , Corn on the Cob, Chickpea Salad, Gavurdagi Salad
Breads
Lavash Flatbread, Homemade Pitas
Sauces and Things
Adding your ezme salad to a kebab can be delicious. It can often be made even better with these toppings.
Tahini Sauce, Red Döner Sauce, Garlic Sauce (Taum), Pickled Jalapeños, Habenero Sauce, Serrano Sauce, Jalapeño Sauce
Related
These are my favourite things to serve with ezme salad as part of a meze platter:
Pairing
A good meze or two always goes with with any of these!
Have you tried this recipe for ezme salad?
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Turkish Ezme Salad
Perfect for any occastion. This ezme salad is delicious on its own but even better as part of a meze platter.
Ingredients
- 6 tbps flat leaf parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- 1 red onion
- 5 green pickled wax peppers
- 1 red paprika pepper
- 4 medium size tomatoes
- FOR THE DRESSING
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Juice of 1 lemons
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp aleppo chilli flakes
- 1 tsp sumak
- 2 tbsp red bell pepper paste
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion, bell pepper and wax peppers. I usually chop them separately first and then mix them together to chop even smaller.
- Now slice the tomatoes thinly. This makes it easier to finely chop the tomatoes. You want the tomatoes to be very finely chopped and then add them to the other chopped ingredients, leaving any excess juice behind.
- To make the dressing, place the dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the dressing to the other salad ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Place in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 380mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g
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