Kisir is a simple, flavor-packed Turkish bulgur salad. It has some similarities to tabbouleh but with it's own distinct and delicious tart-savory flavors. Great as a meze dish or a side.
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I first had kisir in a Turkish restaurant in London a number of years ago. It was described on the menu as a Turkish tabbouleh with pomegranate, but it almost seems to sell it short. I know the description was mainly because this Turkish salad is less well known, but it's worth enjoying it for it's own tasty qualities.
Don't get me wrong, I am a big, big fan of tabbouleh. But kisir has some definite differences. And I don't mean that in a negative way - the differences are what makes kisir as special as it's Lebanese cousin.
What is bulgur?
Bulgur is made by parboiling, drying and cracking (or grinding) wheat berries. It's most typically made from durum wheat, but can vary, and it can be either small or large pieces. Being wheat, it's not without carbs, but it is a whole grain and high in both fiber and folate.
How is kisir different from tabbouleh?
If you look at the list of ingredients, you will probably recognize that many are in tabbouleh as well. But there are two key differences:
- The dressing for kisir is much thicker. It still includes lemon and olive oil, but also has tomato paste and, usually, pomegranate molasses.
- While some versions of tabbouleh you'll see overseas are heavily bulgar-based, traditionally it's a very herb-dense salad. Kisir uses a much smaller amount of herbs, cucumber and tomato.
Some versions of kisir use a kind of semi-spicy red pepper taste alongside the tomato paste, but I for one don't feel this needs to be spicy.
You could, in theory, skip the pomegranate molasses which is basically a syrup made from pomegranate juice. However for me it's an essential part of the flavor and it's easier to find than you might think (you can get pomegranate molasses online, if you can't find in store - affiliate link).
Kisir is traditionally served as part of a meze platter, where lots of small plates are served together at the start of the meal. However, it would be equally good as a side dish to grilled meat or vegetables, for example. It holds up well to transport it for a potluck or boxed lunch.
However you serve it, kisir is an easy, versatile salad that's packed with flavor. The soft bulgur is deliciously tart from the dressing, with just enough crunch from the cucumber to add texture. Be sure to add it to your to-make list!
Looking for ideas to serve with kisir? Try these:
- Lamb kofte
- Roasted eggplant with tahini
- Lahmacun (Turkish flatbread/pizza)
- Some bread with hummus (like Ottolenghi's recipe), muhammara and/or baba ghanoush.
- Plus see the Turkish recipes and Middle Eastern recipes archives for more ideas.
Kisir - Turkish bulgur salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup bulgur (fine if possible)
- ½ cup water boiling hot
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (UK: tomato puree)
- 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tomato
- ½ Persian cucumber or around half quantity English cucumber
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 spring onion or more to taste (scallions) - optional
Instructions
- Put the bulgur into a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water to give a layer of water over the bulgar of around ½in/1cm. Set aside to absorb the water around 10 minutes while you prepare everything else.
- Meanwhile, mix together the dressing ingredients - the tomato paste, olive oil, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice.
- Dice the cucumber and tomato relatively small and finely chop the parsley. Slice the spring onion in thin slices, if using.
- Once the bulgur has absorbed the water, drain off any excess water then mix through the dressing. Add and stir through the tomato, cucumber and parsley (plus onion, if using).
- Serve there and then or chill until needed (best served room temperature).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Oyku
Hello Caroline,
as a Turkish person and kisir lover, I would like to contribute to your recipe. I do not know what kind of bulgur you can find in stores there but we do not use this type of thick bulgur for kisir. You'd be surprised if you knew what kinds of bulgur exist 🙂 Kisir bulgur is very very thin like tabbouleh. You do not have to boil it. You just add some boiling water on bulgur and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. You can either add tomato paste or tomato and red chili/paprika paste together. Some prefer to saute tomato and paprika paste with some olive oil to increase the taste. Normally we do not add tomatoes and cucumber even though there are some tomato added versions. Some people add lettuce to increase the amount. However, there is one ingredient that you forgot 🙂 It is spring onions. This is a must. Chop them and add your salad. When I cannot find this thin bulgur, I also use whatever bulgur is available but I am sure you would find some at a Turkish supermarket. You can be generous with tomato paste and lemon juice 😉 Hope that helps.
Caroline's Cooking
Appreciate your comments - actually I was just coming back to update this recipe now I was able to get a 'better' bulgar again. I used to always simply cover bulgar with hot water, but the kind I was able to get for a while didn't work that way, hence I wrote it originally as cooking slightly, but have now updated. Other ingredients can certainly vary, I have seen quite a range so I imagine it depends what you grew up with and/or prefer. Yes I know spring onion is common in there, so added a little this time 🙂 Though in all honesty, my kids are not fans of them which is why we often skip them.
Ginny McMeans
What a beautiful recipe and pomegranate molasses sounds so good. Can't wait to find that and give this recipe a whirl.
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, you may well find it hiding in a larger store even if you didn't notice, or else it's readily available online.
Renee | The Good Hearted Woman
This looks so tasty! I just love the texture of bulgar, and I have three bottles of pomegranate molasses on the shelf waiting for something to do. I can't wait to make this!
Caroline's Cooking
Thanks, I agree bulgur has a great texture and it's all the better with this dressing