A tangy, pepper-paste-dressed Turkish bulgur salad packed with fresh herbs, tomato and cucumber, similar to tabbouleh but bolder in spice.
Kisir is a fine bulgur salad from southeastern Turkey, closely related to Levantine tabbouleh but distinguished by its use of Turkish red pepper paste and pomegranate molasses, which give it a deeper, tangier profile. Fine-grain bulgur is soaked (not boiled) in hot water until tender, then tossed with a bold dressing of olive oil, pepper paste, tomato paste, lemon and pomegranate molasses before the vegetables and herbs go in. Loaded with parsley, mint, scallions, tomato and cucumber, kisir is often scooped and eaten with lettuce leaves as edible spoons, making it as much a hands-on mezze as a composed salad.
Serves 4
Pour boiling water over the fine bulgur in a large bowl, cover, and let sit 15 minutes until tender and the water is absorbed.
Stir tomato paste, red pepper paste, olive oil, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice into the softened bulgur while it's still warm.
Mixing the paste into warm bulgur helps the flavors distribute evenly through every grain.
Once slightly cooled, fold in cucumber, tomato, scallions, parsley and mint.
Season with salt and Aleppo pepper, tasting and adjusting the balance of tang, heat and salt.
Let the salad sit at room temperature or chilled for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Serve with lettuce leaves for scooping, or as a side to grilled meats.
Use fine bulgur (No. 1), not coarse — it softens fully just by soaking in hot water, no cooking required.
Mix the pepper paste and tomato paste into the bulgur while it's still warm so the flavors soak in more thoroughly.
Dice the vegetables small and uniform so the texture stays consistent with the fine bulgur grains.
A version without pepper paste, closer to plain tabbouleh, is common in home cooking when the paste isn't on hand.
Adding pomegranate seeds on top gives extra bursts of tartness and color.
Some cooks add finely diced green pepper for extra crunch and a slightly bitter note.
Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container; the flavor actually improves after a day as the bulgur absorbs more of the dressing.
Kisir originates in the Gaziantep and Urfa regions of southeastern Turkey, an area known for its heavy use of pepper paste and pomegranate molasses, ingredients that distinguish it clearly from its Levantine tabbouleh cousin.
Substitute a mix of lemon juice and a small amount of honey or brown sugar, though the flavor won't be quite as complex.
Coarse bulgur needs a brief simmer rather than just soaking — cook it in water until tender, then drain any excess liquid before proceeding.
Add a little more olive oil and lemon juice, and make sure the bulgur fully absorbed its soaking water before adding the vegetables, which release their own moisture too.
Per serving (200g / 7.1 oz) · 4 servings total
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