Spicy Ezme Salad with homemade tomato paste

👨‍🍳 Method

For the homemade tomato paste ✓ Homemade · or skip – back to store-bought

1. 1
   Wash the tomatoes, remove the cores and quarter each tomato.

   KnifeCutting board
2. 2
   Put the tomatoes, the salt and half of the olive oil in a wide pot, cover and cook over medium heat about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and release their liquid.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
3. 3
   Pass the tomatoes and their liquid through a food mill or sieve and return the purée to the pot: the skins and seeds stay behind.

   Food millorFine sieve
4. 4
   Cook uncovered about an hour at a lively simmer, stirring now and then, until the purée reduces by half.

   StoveWooden spoon

   💡The paste burns easily as it dries: stir and scrape the bottom and edges, and once it is thick, don't walk away.
5. 5
   Preheat the oven to 110°C (230°F).

   Oven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
6. 6
   Grease a wide baking dish with the rest of the olive oil and pour in the purée in a thin layer. Dry in the oven about 3 hours, stirring and scraping the edges every 30 minutes, until the paste is thick, sticky and brick red.

   OvenBaking sheetSilicone spatula
7. 7
   Let the paste cool.

   Jar

For the Salad Dressing

1. 8
   In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, sumac and salt until smooth.

   Bowl

To assemble

1. 9
   Cut the tomatoes, red pepper, onion and chili pepper fine.

   KnifeCutting board
2. 10
   Put the tomatoes, red pepper, chili pepper and onion in a large bowl.

   Bowl
3. 11
   Add the tomato paste and mix.
4. 12
   Pour in the dressing and toss well.
5. 13
   Add the parsley and toss.
6. 14
   Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes so the vegetables absorb the dressing.

   Refrigerator

   💡Resting in the dressing improves the salad: the vegetables absorb the flavor, and hard vegetables (cabbage, carrot) also soften a little.