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Turkish Tomato and Red Pepper Dip

Turkish Tomato and Red Pepper Dip

By Rose HattabaughJune 11, 2021

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Slow Cook Time
    35 minutes
  • Rating

There are countless variations on this fresh, flavorful Turkish meze known as ezme. In general, most are combinations of raw vegetables—finely chopped tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions, drained to rid the mixture of excess moisture, then seasoned. Seasoning varies, but we found that adding chilies and paprika, fresh parsley, a drizzle of thick pomegranate molasses and some lemon juice gave us a balanced, full-flavored dip. Serve with toasted pita or lavash, alone or as an element of a meze platter.

Tip

Don’t forget to seed the tomatoes to remove some of their moisture. Also, don’t try to process all of the vegetables at once. Processing in batches results in more evenly sized pieces. And pulsing, rather than letting the machine run, helps ensure the vegetables are chopped, not processed to a puree.

Ingredients
  • 1

    pound ripe tomatoes, cored, halved crosswise and seeded

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, quartered

  • 1

    medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered

  • Kosher salt

  • 1

    teaspoon sweet paprika

  • 1

    teaspoon ground sumac (optional)

  • 1

    serrano chili, stemmed, seeded and minced

  • ¼

    cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1

    tablespoon pomegranate molasses, plus more to serve

  • 1

    tablespoon lemon juice

  • extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

Step 1

In a food processor, combine half the tomatoes, half the onion, half the bell pepper and 1½ teaspoons salt. Pulse until the vegetables are chopped into rough ⅛-inch pieces, 10 to 12 pulses; do not puree them. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl.

Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, onion and bell pepper and another 1½ teaspoons salt, then add to the first batch in the strainer. Let drain, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.

Step 2

Discard the liquid collected in the bowl, then transfer the vegetables to the bowl. Add the paprika, sumac (if using), chili, parsley, molasses and lemon juice, then stir to combine. Taste and season with salt.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with oil and additional pomegranate molasses.

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