Turkish Ezme Salad – Spicy, Fresh & Full of Flavor

If you’re craving something refreshing yet bold, this Turkish Ezme salad is exactly what you need. A mix of roasted red peppers, tomatoes, onions, chili, mint, and lemon — it’s the perfect side to grilled dishes, meats, or simply enjoyed with a piece of bread. In Turkey, it’s often served alongside kebab, but once you try it, you’ll love it as a standalone dish too.

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers

• 1 onion

• 3 tomatoes

• small bunch of parsley

• 2 chilies (to taste)

• salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp tomato or pepper paste

• 1 tsp sumac

• 1 tsp dried mint

• olive oil (preferably high-quality, e.g. @ndcmuscat)

• juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

1. Roughly chop the peppers, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and chili, then blend everything together in a food processor.

2. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove excess liquid.

3. Add salt, pepper, dried mint, sumac, paste, lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well.

4. Let the salad rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can develop.

5. Before serving, drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Enjoy it with grilled meat or fresh bread.

Tip:
For a deeper, smokier flavor, quickly roast the peppers in the oven or on a pan before blending — it gives the salad that authentic Turkish meze touch.

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Lahmacun – Turkish Pizza

Traveling the world brings countless sights and delights, but the world of food is just as fascinating and perfect for discovering new flavors. Today, I’m introducing you to Lahmacun, a traditional Turkish dish often nicknamed Turkish pizza. For Turks, however, it means as much as the beloved hot dog does to Americans – an everyday favorite they can’t imagine life without.

A thin yeast-based dough topped with a spicy meat-and-vegetable mixture makes Lahmacun a wonderful culinary treat to bring to your own table.

Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 4 pieces (30 cm each, cup measure – 0.20 l)

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 cups flour

• 1 teaspoon dry yeast

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

• olive oil, for brushing

Topping

• 350 g ground lamb

• 1 onion

• 5 cloves garlic

• 2 medium tomatoes

• 1 medium yellow bell pepper

• 1 fresh chili jalapeño

• 1 teaspoon ground paprika

• 3 sprigs fresh mint and parsley (each)

• 50 g arugula and parsley leaves

• 2 lemons

• salt, coarsely ground black pepper

Preparation – Step 1: Prepping the topping

• Peel and roughly chop the onion.

• Peel the garlic cloves.

• Wash, dry, and clean the tomatoes, pepper, and chili, then cut into chunks.

• Rinse the mint and parsley sprigs, removing the leaves from the stems.

• Place all prepared vegetables and herbs in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

• In a bowl, combine the ground lamb with the chopped vegetables and herbs.

• Season with ground paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Preparation – Step 2: Making the dough

1. Sift flour into a large bowl and add the dry yeast, salt, and sugar.

2. Pour in the lukewarm water and stir with a wooden spoon, kneading for about 4 minutes until a dough ball forms.

3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead firmly for another 4 minutes. Shape into a smooth ball.

4. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 25 minutes.

5. Once risen, divide the dough into 4 portions, shape into balls, and roll out into circles (about 30 cm in diameter, 0.5 cm thick).

6. Brush the rolled-out dough lightly with olive oil.

Preparation – Step 3: Baking

1. Spread one quarter of the topping evenly over each dough circle, leaving about 1 cm of empty border around the edge.

2. Place the Lahmacun on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 220 °C (430 °F) for 15 minutes.

3. Once baked, sprinkle with fresh arugula and parsley leaves, serve with half a lemon on the side, and enjoy immediately.

Variations

• You can replace the lamb with ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version.

How to eat it?

Lahmacun is best enjoyed fresh from the oven. Drizzle with lemon juice, roll it up like a wrap, and savor the full burst of Turkish flavors.