Spicy Tomato Meze
Finely chopped tomatoes, peppers, onion and parsley with a spicy, tangy dressing.
The Turkish pantry
Pepper (red, sweet)
A fresh sweet pepper for crisp chopped salads, roasting and cooked vegetable dishes.
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Fresh red sweet pepper is the subject here, including sweet kapia-type peppers. Shape alone does not establish heat level: check that the pepper is sweet. Pepper paste, dried paprika and pickled peppers are separate ingredients.
Types & forms
Fresh red sweet pepper
Firm raw flesh with a green stem and internal seeds; the guide and nutrition record concern this form.
Roasted pepper · comparison
Softer flesh, often peeled after roasting; jarred products may contain salt, acid or oil.
Pepper paste and dried pepper · comparison
Concentrated or dried products with different moisture, seasoning and quantities.
What to look for when buying
- Look for firm, sound flesh without mold, wet splits or soft collapsing areas. Choose sweet rather than hot peppers when sweetness is required.
- For roasting, broad fleshy peppers are easier to peel than very thin-walled ones. For a chopped salad, select a pepper with a crisp texture.
Prepare & cook
- Rinse under running water, then remove the stem, seed core and loose seeds. Cut to the size specified by the recipe.
- Chop finely for ezme; use even larger pieces where the recipe expects a distinct bite. If roasting, follow that recipe’s peeling and cooling steps.
Store it well
- Refrigerate whole peppers and check them for soft or spoiled areas before use.
- Keep cut pepper covered in the refrigerator. Roasted or dressed peppers need their own prepared-food storage instructions.
Substitutions depend on the dish
Another sweet pepper
Yellow or orange sweet pepper changes color and sweetness; green pepper usually tastes less sweet.
Jarred roasted pepper
Use only when a softer cooked texture suits the dish; drain and account for added salt, oil or vinegar.
Nutrition
Peppers, sweet, red, raw [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 26 kcal |
| Protein | 0.99 g |
| Total fat | 0.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.06 g |
| Carbohydrate | 6.03 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.1 g |
| Total sugars | 4.2 g |
| Sodium | 4 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 7 mg |
| Iron | 0.43 mg |
| Potassium | 211 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
Raw red sweet pepper, edible portion; not roasted pepper, pepper paste or a separately analyzed kapia cultivar. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
The linked recipes use red sweet pepper in different preparations. A kapia-shaped illustration shows one possible form, not a cultivar certification or an exclusive regional origin.
Cook with Pepper (red, sweet)
Baba Ganoush
Coarsely chopped charred eggplant, peppers and tomato with garlic, olive oil and lemon.
Thin Flatbread with Spiced Meat
Very thin flatbreads spread with minced lamb, tomato, peppers, onion and herbs.
Chicken Skewers
Yogurt-marinated chicken thighs grilled with peppers and served on warm lavash.
Baked Lamb and Eggplant Tray Kebab
Finely chopped vegetables mixed with ground lamb and baked in a thin layer over sliced eggplant.
Chickpea Wrap
Warm lavash wraps soft chickpeas with sumac onions, parsley and sweet red pepper. Cumin and Turkish red pepper flakes season the filling, while olive oil softens the sharp onion mixture.
Lamb and Vegetables Baked in a Skillet
Chunks of lamb baked over onion, peppers and tomato with garlic, thyme and melted butter.
Red Pepper and Walnut Dip
Roasted red peppers and walnuts with fresh bread crumbs, pomegranate molasses and cumin.
Roasted Eggplant and Pepper Salad
Roasted eggplant and red peppers mixed with fresh vegetables, vinegar and olive oil, with sweet corn on top.
Thin Flatbread with Spiced Meat
Thin oval flatbreads carry an onion-free topping of lamb, garlic, tomato, peppers and parsley. The finely chopped filling is spread to the edges and baked on a hot surface until the base is cooked and the edges crisp.
Tomato and Eggplant Stew with Rice
Eggplant, tomato, sweet red pepper and rice gently cooked with olive oil, onion and garlic.