Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad)

Name: Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 250 g finest grade bulgur; 250 ml boiling water; ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil; ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice; 40 ml pomegranate molasses; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp red pepper paste; 1 ½ TSP salt; 1 TSP flaked chilli (pul biber); ½ TSP freshly ground black pepper; 5 spring onions ((sliced)); 1 small red onion ((diced)); 1 cup flat-leaf parsley ((chopped)); ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves ((chopped)); tomatoes, cucumber slices and lettuce leaves ((to garnish))

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If you're looking for a delicious and flavorful salad recipe for your summer BBQ parties, look no further than the Traditional Kisir Recipe!

This spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad is the perfect dish to impress your guests and add some variety to your table.

Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad) is served with lettuce leaves

Jump to:

What is Kisir Salad?
Difference Between Kisir and Lebanese Tabbouleh
What is Bulgur Wheat?
Why This Recipe Works?
Ingredients You'll Need
Step-by-Step Instructions
Top Tips From the Chef
Serving Suggestions
Storage Instructions
Recipe FAQs
Related Recipes
Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad)

Made with a mixture of fine bulgur wheat, fresh herbs, and vegetables, such as parsley, mint, and scallions, Kisir is bursting with zesty flavors and satisfying textures.

This delicious, healthy, and filling Turkish Bulgur Salad is great to enjoy on its own as a main dish, but also perfect as a meze or side dish with any grilled meat, chicken, or fish.

As well as being delicious, Kisir is full of health and goodness coming from fresh vegetables, bulgur wheat, and pomegranate sauce which is full of antioxidants.

Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad) is served with lettuce and tomatoes

What is Kisir Salad?

Kisir is a spicy, and refreshing salad made with bulgur wheat, tomato paste, fresh herbs, and vegetables.

It is one of the most loved and popular recipes. Every household/family has its own version of this delicious salad.

Like many other traditional recipes, this Kisir recipe can vary from region to region.

My version of this bulgur salad is from southeast Turkey where a generous amount of tomato and red pepper paste is a part of the mixture.

Kisir, also known as Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad, is one of these dishes that tastes even better the next day when all ingredients have blended and soaked well.

You can eat it as a salad, but also roll it in little lettuce leaves or grape leaves and eat it as a snack.

Difference Between Kisir and Lebanese Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is a green Lebanese salad with plenty of parsley and a little bulgur.

Kisir uses bulgur as the base and the herbs (usually parsley and mint) are added as a flavoring.

Also, the dressing for Kisir has tomato and/or pepper paste, olive oil, lemon juice, and pomegranate molasses.

The dressing for Tabbouleh only has olive oil, lemon juice, and/or pomegranate molasses.

What is Bulgur Wheat?

Bulgur wheat is a whole grain made from cracked durum wheat.

It is widely used in Turkish cuisine as well as Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisines for many recipes such as Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Rice Pilaf), Icli Kofte (Turkish Kibbeh), Turkish Boza Drink, Easy Meatless Cig Kofte Recipe, and Tabbouleh (Lebanese Tabouli Salad).

Bulgur wheat is delicious with a nutty flavor and texture and is nutritious. It is available in a variety of grinds such as fine, medium, coarse, and extra coarse.

The coarse and extra coarse are perfect for making pilaf, and fine / medium is good for soup, salad, and koftas.

Why This Recipe Works?

You can prepare this authentic kisir recipe a couple of days in advance and it's a great recipe to make in a big batch.

You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to five days, and the taste will be even better.

This Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad is a delicious, easy-to-make dish with vibrant flavors. You can serve it as a side dish, a part of a meze platter, or as an appetizer, making it a versatile addition to any meal.

Made with ingredients such as bulgur, olive oil, vegetables, pomegranate molasses, and herbs, this healthy meal is ready in 20 minutes!

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

Labelled picture of ingredients for kisir salad

Bulgur - Use the finest-grade bulgur wheat for this recipe. This type of bulgur only needs to be soaked in some liquid and then it's ready to eat. You can find it in the Middle Eastern / Turkish markets and online from Amazon.

Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it from Amazon .

Red pepper paste - Turkish red pepper paste (biber salcasi in Turkish) is a rich, delicious paste made with juicy, spicy red peppers and I use it quite often in my Turkish recipes. You can buy it from Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon. Substitute it with tomato paste if you don't have it in hand.

Olive oil - I always use good quality extra virgin olive oil when it comes to salads.

Vegetables and herbs - I use red onions, green onions, flat-leaf parsley, and fresh mint leaves to mix with the salad, and crunchy cucumbers & juicy tomatoes to garnish it.

Lemon juice - I always use lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemons instead of bottled lemon juice for a fresher and more delicious taste.

Pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi)- It is a thick syrup made with pomegranate juice and is commonly used in Middle Eastern / Turkish recipes. It has an intense sweet-and-sour flavor and is perfect to use for salad dressings or marinade. You can buy it from most Turkish / Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon . Don't substitute it with any other molasses. Instead, use extra lemon juice.

Step-by-Step Instructions

This Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad) is super easy and there are only a few steps that you need to follow to achieve the best results:

Place the bulgur in a large bowl and pour boiling water on it.

Give it a good stir and cover it with a cling film or a clean kitchen towel.

bulgur is soaked with hot water for 20 minutes

Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes until the water is fully absorbed.

Prepare your vegetables and herbs while resting the bulgur wheat.

When the bulgur absorbed all the liquid and softened, fluff it with a fork.

Add the tomato paste, pepper paste (biber salçası), olive oil, lemon juice, salt, chili (pul biber), black pepper, and pomegranate molasses.

the flavourings are added to fluffed bulgur

Mix it well until it's completely incorporated.

bulgur wheat and aromatics are mixed well until all incorporated

Add the chopped parsley, mint, spring onions, and diced onion.

Give them a good stir and transfer the kisir into a salad bowl or individual bowls.

The vegetables and herbs are added to bulgur

Garnish your salad with cucumber slices, tomatoes, and lettuce leaves.

Top Tips From the Chef

Although it is very easy to make this delicious salad, it can get too dry or too soggy if you don't use the right amount of water for the bulgur. Make sure to soak the bulgur for at least 15 - 20, or until the grains are soft.

Don't use medium or coarse bulgur. Fine or very fine ground bulgur is best for salads including Kisir Salad.

Use lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemons instead of bottled lemon juice for a fresher and more delicious taste.

Don't substitute the pomegranate molasses with any other molasses. Instead, use extra lemon juice.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve Kisir with some fresh lettuce as an appetizer or as part of a mezze platter along with Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme), Pacanga Boregi, Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feta Dip), Muhammara - Acuka (Red Pepper Dip), or Barbunya (Turkish Style Borlotti Beans).
You can also serve Kisir as a light lunch or as a substantial dinner with some Patlican Kebabi (Eggplant Kebab), Adana Kebap, Guvec (Turkish Lamb Casserole), Baked Sea Bass in foil - Firinda Levrek, or Lamb Shish Kebab.

Storage Instructions

Store any leftover Kisir in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

This dish tastes great chilled and is perfect for a refreshing snack or light meal.

I don't recommend freezing Kisir Salad.

Recipe FAQs

Which bulgur to use for Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad?

Bulgur is a kitchen staple in Turkey and there are different grades of milling used for different dishes. Fine or very fine ground bulgur is best for salads like Kisir or Tabbouleh Salads. Although I highly recommend using fine-grade bulgur, fine couscous will work well as a substitute if you can't find it.

Can I make Turkish Bulgur Salad in advance?

Yes, it's best to make kisir a few hours before serving for the flavors to develop. You can make it a day or two in advance and keep it refrigerated until you need it.

Is Kisir gluten-free?

Traditionally, Kisir is made with bulgur wheat, which contains gluten. However, you can use gluten-free bulgur or other grains such as quinoa or rice to make a gluten-free version.

For more delicious and healthy bulgur recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Traditional Kisir Recipe (Spicy Turkish Bulgur Salad) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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