My husbands brother Michael has lived in Turkey for many years now.

My husbands brother Michael has lived in Turkey for many years now. I learned about Ezme salad from him and I love to have a batch on the fridge because it’s so good.

Ezme salad is a traditional Turkish dish known for its vibrant, fresh flavors and finely chopped texture, often described as a spicy tomato and pepper relish or salsa. My brother in law explained to me that its preparation varies significantly by region with some liking it spicier than others.
Ezme actually means “mashed” which makes sense since all the ingredients are chopped very finely by hand or a food processor. The flavor gets better as it sits so making it a day before you want to eat it is a great idea!
It is usually served on the side of kebabs with some fresh bread and the really great thing about it is that It’s ready in 10 minutes.
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�2 red bell peppers, roughly chopped
��1 onion, roughly chopped
��3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
��1 or 2 chilies of choice (I used jalapeño because that’s what I had), roughly chopped
��1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 heaping tbls of tomato paste
��1 tsp sumac
��1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
��juice of one large lemon

Put all the veggies in a food processor and blend until they are well chopped. Add it to a bowl. And squeeze the lemon into the bowl. In a small bowl combine the tomato paste, olive oil, salt and pepper, sumac and smoked paprika and mix well. Add the paste to the veggies and stir to combine. I like to refrigerate for at least an hour at the flavors get better as they sit. When you are ready to serve spread into a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with pitas or bread or alongside kabobs or grilled meat.