Kisir – Turkish Bulgur Salad is one of my favorite salads from Turkish cuisine. Bulgur salad is delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare. It’s a savory vegan salad with a nutty flavor due to the bulgur. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions add a fresh touch. The dressing of pomegranate molasses, parsley, mint, lemon, and olive oil adds a lovely juicy touch. Paprika paste, pul biber, salt and pepper add spice. My favorite way to eat Kisir is in lettuce. Take a tablespoon of Kisir and place it in the middle of a lettuce leave and roll it up to form a wrap. It is an explosion of flavor on your palate. Try it out for sure!

BULGUR VERSUS COUSCOUS

Bulgur and couscous are the base ingredients for many Middle Eastern recipes, and many are confused about them. Both come from Durum Wheat, and Bulgur is pre-cooked and steamed Durum Wheat, also called Wheat Groats. When dried, the bran is removed and shredded into different grains. Usually, bleached with Caustic Soda, so be sure to use organic or the wholegrain version. You can find three types of Bulgur, fine, medium, or rough. In Turkey, they use fine Bulgur for kisir. Use the medium to fill vine leaves and the rough ones to prepare rice-like dishes (always). Bulgur comes from Mesopotamia and has been around for more than 4000 years. It tastes rich and nutty and is popular in Turkey and the Middle East. Find another tasty recipe with Bulgur on my blog – Strawberry Tabouleh with Feta.

On the other hand, couscous is prepared from durum wheat semolina and is mild in taste. The durum wheat semolina is moisturized in several stages, then rolled into balls, boiled, and sun-dried. Due to the higher water content, couscous is weaker in nutrients than bulgur. Couscous is popular in North African countries. Find my recipe for delicious lemon couscous here.

COOK BULGUR OR LET IT SOAK?

The opinions are quite different on this point! Some pour boiling water on Bulgur and let it soak for about 20 minutes. It provides a more crunchy texture. I cook it in a double quantity of water with some salt, then remove it from the stove and let it soak for 15 minutes. It tastes best this way for me. Be sure not to exceed the amount of water, for if you use too much water, your Bulgur will turn soggy. When you don’t use enough water, your Bulgur will be dry. You can season the boiling water with ground cumin or vegetable broth. Once the Bulgur has cooked, use a fork to fluff it, and then mix in the rest of the ingredients.

Kisir – Turkish Bulgur Salad

Kisir originates from the Gaziantep area in Anatolia and is a popular dish served as a cold appetizer (mezze), vegan main dish, or as a spicy side dish. It is an easy and quick dish served in lettuce leaves with cucumbers and tomatoes. It goes well with meat, fish, and vegetable dishes, and it is also great as a spicy side dish for barbecues. You can also serve Kisir as a vegan main dish. As a Meal Prep for work, Kisir Bulgur Salad is perfect as it is easy to prepare. Fill it into a jar* and enjoy it during your lunch break. Kisir is a perfect party snack and is eaten first at a salad buffet. For this purpose, I prefer to wrap it in lettuce leaves to serve as finger food. For spooning it out, I like to fill it into small dessert glasses*. Check here for more Mezze recipes.

INGREDIENTS FOR KISIR – TURKISH BULGUR SALAD

200 g fine bulgur*

400 ml water

1 bunch of spring onions

4 tomatoes

4 mini cucumbers

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley from the Turkish Grocer

1/2 bunch fresh mint from Turkish Grocer

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DRESSING

1 lemon

5 tbsp. olive oil*

4 tbsp pomegranate molasses*

2 tbsp. paprika paste (Biber salcasi)Pul Biber* to taste

 Salt and pepper to taste

OPTIONAL

Some lettuce leaves ( or romaine lettuce)

PREPARATION KISIR – TURKISH BULGUR SALAD

Bring bulgur with 400 ml water to a boil, remove from heat, and let it soak for about 20 minutes.

Wash the spring onions and cut them into rings.

Cut tomatoes and cucumbers into small cubes.

Wash herbs, dry well and chop finely.

PREPARATION DRESSING

Squeeze lemon and mix with olive oil, pomegranate molasses, paprika paste, and spices.

Add bulgur and the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix with the dressing.

The best way to eat bulgur salad is with a leaf of lettuce. Take a tablespoon of kisir and place it in the middle of a lettuce leaf and then roll it into a wrap.

Bulgur salad keeps up to 3 days in the fridge.

BEFARMAYID!

Susan

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Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe  and use the hashtag #labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.

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