Tomato and Pepper Appetizer: Healthy Turkish Ezme Recipe

Ezme is a familiar dish in Turkish restaurants and homes. Its name is Turkish for “crushed” or “mashed,” and this mixture of finely chopped or pureed vegetables has a texture between a sauce and a salsa. Its main ingredients are ripe tomatoes and bell peppers, seasoned with garlic and herbs.

Ezme is usually served with other appetizers or on the table for all to share, but you can enjoy it in many other ways, such as a dip with vegetables or whole-grain pita chips, as a spread for sandwiches and wraps, or as a dressing for a low-fat coleslaw or tuna salad. Serve it with pasta, chicken, or fish as a light sauce, or use it as a dressing for fish tacos. 

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Make plenty ahead of time and serve it room temperature or chilled hours later or in the next day or two. It’s an ideal recipe for summer or anytime.

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Don’t worry if you can’t access specialty ingredients like pointed green peppers, pomegranate syrup, or sumac. The recipe will still turn out delicious!

Recipe for Tomato and Pepper Appetizer: Healthy Turkish Ezme

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients: 

• 3 large tomatoes or 4-5 large Roma tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper (an American variety is fine, or you can use a pointed Turkish green pepper for authenticity, or try an Anaheim pepper for spicy heat)
• ½ medium red onion, peeled and finely diced
• (Optional) 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• ½ cup of flat or curly leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup of mint leaves, optional
• (Optional for spicy heat) 1 small red or green serrano or jalapeno pepper, deseeded and finely minced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• (Optional) 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• (Optional) 1 tablespoon of pomegranate syrup
• ½-1 teaspoon of sumac (recommended)
• (Optional for spicy heat) red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

1. Deseed the tomatoes if desired, and finely dice them. Let the excess tomato juice drain. 
2. Remove the core and seeds from the pepper if desired to reduce the heat; dice the pepper. 
3. Peel and dice the onion and garlic cloves, if using.
4. Finely chop the parsley and mint, if using.
5. Mix the finely chopped vegetables and herbs together in a medium bowl. 
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate syrup, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, sumac, salt, and pepper. 
7. Pour the dressing mixture over the vegetable mixture, and stir well to combine. Let the flavors meld together for 1-2 hours at room temperature or in the fridge. Before serving, taste and adjust the salt, lemon juice, and pepper to taste. 

Nutrition information per serving: 110 calories; 6 grams of fat; 1 gram of saturated fat; 220 mg of sodium; 11 grams of carbohydrates; 7 grams of sugar; 3 grams of fiber; 2 grams of protein

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