Kisir (Turkish Bulgur Salad) | The Mediterranean Dish

Kisir is a Turkish bulgur salad made with fresh parsley, pomegranate molasses, and red pepper paste. It’s vegan, nutritious, easy to make, and satisfying. It’s a simple way to prep for healthy lunches and dinners all week long. 

The Kisir Salad I Grew Up Eating

In Turkey, where I am from and have lived most of my life, Kisir is served chilled as a light and healthy meal during the sweltering summers. I love it on its own, scooped into lettuce cups, or as part of a mezze spread. 

Many think that calling something a salad means it needs lettuce, but in Turkey, we have many kinds of salads, including vegetable salads and grain salads like this one. No lettuce required! Kisir, written as “kısır” and pronounced “ku-sur,” is living proof. Tart, sweet, and mildly spicy with a pleasantly chewy texture, this is unlike any salad you’ve tried! With its satisfying texture and perfect balance of flavor, this simple Turkish bulgur salad is a recipe I’ve grown up with, and I’m happy to share it with you. It’s crave-worthy, hearty, and refreshing all at the same time. 

Fine or extra fine bulgur—the same cracked wheat used to make Tabouli and Kibbeh—is rich in B vitamins, selenium, and magnesium. One cup boasts about 6 grams of protein. When it comes to making grain salads, bulgur is one of the easiest grains to use. Simply soak it in hot water for 15 minutes or so, and it’s good to go.

Kisir Bulgur Salad Ingredients and Substitutions

Though some of these ingredients may seem exotic, they’re all easy to source online and well worth the effort. Trust me: a few Mediterranean pantry staples will open up a whole world in terms of flavor. You’ll need:

• Fine bulgur serves as the base of the salad (more info below).
• Olive oil allows the pepper and tomato paste to heat and caramelize without burning, all while enriching the flavor. Use a high-quality extra virgin variety. We offer olive oils from Greece, Spain, and Italy in our shop.  
• Tomato paste and Turkish red pepper paste (Biber Salçası) add a concentrated depth of flavor. You can make the pepper paste yourself, find it in select Middle Eastern markets, or order it online.
• Urfa biber is a red chili flake from the Turkish city of Şanlıurfa, which adds a mildly spicy and tannic quality that complements the pomegranate molasses nicely.
• Ground cumin adds an earthy, warming element. 
• Kosher salt enhances the flavor.
• Pomegranate molasses adds a complex depth of flavor: sweet, syrupy, tangy, tannic, and a tiny bit earthy. You can make it yourself from fresh pomegranate juice, or order my favorite store-bought version at our shop.
• Lemon juice balances the sweetness of the pomegranate molasses and gives the salad a fresh zing. Lime juice also works.
• Green onions add oniony goodness without dominating the flavor. Shallot, chives, or a small amount of red onions work as a substitute. 
• Parsley adds freshness and a lemony, peppery flavor. I wouldn’t substitute with dried parsley, but you could use fresh mint or cilantro instead.
• Tomatoes: Use juicy, sweet tomatoes that are still firm when ripe. I used Roma, but cherry or grape tomatoes would be good choices as well. 

Ingredient Spotlight

Bulgur is made from cracked wheat and ranges from fine to coarse, with each variety bringing a pleasantly nutty flavor and chewy texture. Though not as common in the US, bulgur is a major staple of the Mediterranean Diet.

This whole grain is particularly popular in Turkey and the Middle East where it’s used in soups, salads, and even as a wrapping for meatballs, as with Turkish İçli Köfte or Middle Eastern Kibbeh. It’s incredibly easy to make, quick, and nutritious.

In fact, you don’t even need to cook fine bulgur! It just needs a quick soak in hot water. Plus, it’s high in fiber and protein, low in fat, rich in essential vitamins and minerals like iron and magnesium (see the USDA for the full breakdown).

How to Make Kisir

This bulgur salad is best served cold. Try to give the bulgur enough time to chill in your fridge. Here are the steps:

• Get ready. Bring just over 2 cups of water to a boil. 
• Cook the bulgur. Place 2 cups of fine or extra fine bulgur in a mixing bowl and pour about 1 cup of boiling water over it. Stir. The bulgur should immediately absorb the water. Pour another 1 cup of boiling water over top, enough to just cover the bulgur. Cover the bowl and set aside until the bulgur is tender and has absorbed all of the water, about 15 minutes.
• Prepare the paste. In a small pan over medium heat, stir together 3 tablespoons olive oil with 1/4 cup tomato paste, 3 tablespoons Turkish red pepper paste, 1 teaspoon Urfa Biber, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and a big dash of salt. Stir until the pasted, oil, and spices have combined. 
• Pour the paste mixture over the bulgur. Add 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well (or knead with gloved hands as is traditional) until the bulgur is fully coated in the paste. 
• Cool. Set the bulgur in the fridge to cool while you chop the rest of the ingredients. 
• Prepare the veggies and herbs. Trim and finely chop 6 green onions (both white and green parts). Chop enough parsley leaves and tender stems to yield 1 cup chopped parsley. Dice 3 tomatoes—if they are too soft or watery, you may want to halve them and squeeze out the seeds over your sink before chopping.
• Mix the kisir salad. Once the bulgur has fully cooled, mix in the chopped onions, parsley, and tomatoes. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. 
• Finish and serve. Garnish with more fresh parsley and serve.

What to Serve with Kisir

I serve Kisir salad on its own as a light lunch, or as a part of a mezze spread with other light bites like Dolmas, Bean Salad with Tahini, and Mercimek Köftesi, another red lentil and bulgur recipe common in Turkey.

To make the salad more finger-food friendly, scoop the bulgur salad into lettuce cups and sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top. And because Kisir is meant to be eaten as a cold salad on hot days, it only makes sense to serve it with Turkey’s beloved salty yogurt drink, Ayran, which is also meant to cool you down when the weather warms you up.

It also pairs well with any grilled recipe; serve Kisir with Turkish Döner Kebabs or Shish Tawook for a flavorful backyard BBQ!

More Mediterranean Bulgur Recipes

A Note from Suzy

“Mezze is a big part of Mediterranean culture and I love having Ozlem’s Kisir salad as part of my mezze spread!”

Try Turkish Bulgur

Authentic, all-natural, extra-fine bulgur made from hard red winter wheat berries.

Frequently Asked Questions