Turkey · Anatolia

Kısır (Turkish Bulgur and Herb Salad)

Fine bulgur absorbs tomato and pepper pastes, olive oil, lemon and pomegranate molasses before parsley, mint and spring onion turn it into a vivid Turkish salad.

Fine bulgur, deep red seasoning and a field of fresh herbs Salad and meze
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Large platter of herbed kısır surrounded by green lettuce
A loose, moist mound is the goal, never a wet or compact paste.
Prep 35 minutes
Cook 5 minutes
Rest 20 minutes
Serves 8
Ingredients ↓
Overview

How to Make Bright, Granular Turkish Kısır

Kısır is often compared with other parsley-and-bulgur salads, but its balance is recognisably Turkish: fine bulgur carries a concentrated red seasoning of tomato paste and pepper paste, while lemon and pomegranate molasses provide two different kinds of acidity. Olive oil rounds their edges, and abundant parsley, mint and spring onion bring freshness. The finished salad should be moist enough to eat easily from a lettuce leaf yet granular enough that individual bulgur grains remain visible.

Fine bulgur is essential. Coarse pilaf bulgur needs simmering and produces a firmer, larger grain; extra-fine köftelik bulgur hydrates under cover. The amount of water is deliberately controlled because lemon, molasses and oil will follow. Pouring in enough water to make the bulgur fully wet at the beginning leaves no room for the dressing and creates a soft paste. After the covered rest, the grain should be tender with no chalky centre and the bowl should contain no free water.

Seasoning order solves two common problems. Work tomato and pepper pastes through the warm bulgur first so no concentrated streaks remain. Add salt and pul biber while warmth can carry their aroma. Only then massage in olive oil, lemon and pomegranate molasses. This staged approach colours every grain and prevents dense paste from clinging to a few pockets of salad.

Fresh herbs enter after the bulgur has cooled to room temperature. Heat dulls parsley, collapses spring onion and drives away mint. Chop them with a sharp knife rather than repeatedly crushing them under a blunt blade, wash them thoroughly and dry them well. Water clinging to the leaves dilutes the dressing and shortens storage life.

Kısır benefits from a short final rest but not an overnight wait before the first tasting. Ten minutes lets the dressing settle; then adjust salt or lemon. Pomegranate molasses varies from deeply sour and unsweetened to thick, sugary sauce, so choose a product whose ingredient list begins with pomegranate and add it thoughtfully. Serve the salad with crisp lettuce leaves for scooping, keeping the leaves out of the dressed bowl so they never wilt.

Practical

Practical

  • Use the correct grade of bulgurLook for fine, extra-fine or köftelik bulgur. If only coarse pilaf bulgur is available, choose another recipe rather than trying to hydrate it with this no-boil method.
  • Treat water as one part of the dressingThe grain must absorb lemon, molasses and oil after hydration. Measure the initial hot water rather than covering the bulgur by eye, especially when scaling the recipe.
  • Check the pepper paste labelSome pepper pastes are hot and very salty. This version assumes mild paste. If yours is acı or heavily salted, reduce pul biber and hold back some measured salt until tasting.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Bulgur and red seasoning

  • 400 g fine bulgur köftelik bulgur
  • 450 ml very hot water
  • 60 g tomato paste
  • 35 g mild red pepper paste
  • 100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 90 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 60 ml unsweetened pomegranate molasses
  • 5 g pul biber
  • 12 g fine salt

Fresh finish

  • 180 g spring onions thinly sliced
  • 100 g flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 25 g fresh mint finely chopped
  • 2 small heads crisp lettuce leaves separated
Directions

Directions

Hydrate without boiling

  1. Prepare the fresh ingredients.Wash the spring onions, parsley, mint and lettuce thoroughly. Dry everything completely, then chop the herbs and spring onions. Refrigerate them while the bulgur is hydrated.

    No wash water collects under the herbs and the lettuce leaves feel crisp and dry.

  2. Cover the fine bulgur.Put the bulgur in the wide bowl. Pour over exactly 450 ml very hot water, stir once and cover tightly with a plate or lid for 15-20 minutes.

    The water is absorbed and the grains are swollen, tender and free of a hard centre.

  3. Fluff while warm.Uncover and rake through the bulgur with a fork, breaking every clump. Spread it slightly up the sides of the bowl so excess steam can escape.

    The grains separate when rubbed gently and no water pools at the bottom.

Build the dressing in the grain

  1. Work in both pastes.Add tomato paste, pepper paste, salt and pul biber to the warm bulgur. Use a spoon and then clean hands to rub the seasoning evenly through the grain.

    The bulgur is uniformly red-orange with no dark paste streaks or pale pockets.

  2. Add oil and acids.Pour in olive oil, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses in three additions, mixing thoroughly after each. Taste now, remembering that herbs will soften the intensity.

    A squeezed handful holds briefly, then falls apart without releasing liquid.

  3. Cool before the greens.Leave the dressed bulgur uncovered for about 10 minutes, turning it once. Do not add parsley or mint while steam is still rising.

    The bowl and bulgur feel no warmer than room temperature.

Fold, rest and serve

  1. Fold in fresh herbs.Add spring onions, parsley and mint. Fold from the bottom with two large spoons until evenly distributed, avoiding hard pressing that would bruise the greens.

    Green flecks are dense and bright, and no compressed wet layer forms at the base.

  2. Give it a short rest.Cover and rest for 10 minutes. Taste a full spoonful containing both bulgur and herbs, then adjust only with small amounts of salt or lemon.

    The flavour is tart, savoury and rounded, with neither paste nor molasses dominating.

  3. Arrange with lettuce.Spoon the kısır loosely onto a platter and surround it with dry lettuce leaves, or place small portions in individual leaves. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.

    The salad mounds softly and the lettuce remains rigid enough to scoop it.
Practical

Practical

Choose true pomegranate molasses

A concentrated unsweetened product brings fruit acidity, while pomegranate-flavoured sauce can make the salad candy-sweet. Read the label and begin with less if the product contains added glucose.

Prepare ahead in stages

Hydrate and dress the bulgur several hours ahead, then refrigerate. Fold in dry herbs closer to service and keep lettuce entirely separate for the best colour and crunch.

Control points

Control points

  • The bulgur is still hard. Sprinkle over 30 ml very hot water, cover for 5 minutes and reassess. Repeat only if necessary so the salad does not become wet.
  • The kısır is mushy. Too much hydration water was used or the grain is overly fine. Spread it on a tray to cool and fold in a little dry hydrated bulgur if available.
  • The herbs turn dark quickly. They were wet, bruised or added to warm bulgur. Dry them thoroughly, use a sharp knife and wait until the dressed grain is cool.
  • The flavour is aggressively sour. Add a little more olive oil and hydrated bulgur rather than sugar. Sweetening masks the balance but does not restore it.
Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Calories355 kcal
  • Protein8 g
  • Carbohydrates52 g
  • Fat15 g
  • Saturated fat2 g
  • Fiber10 g
  • Sugars7 g
  • Sodium690 mg

1 of 8 servings — Approximate values depend strongly on the salt content and concentration of the two pastes and pomegranate molasses.

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens · Food safety

Allergens: Wheat/gluten

Food safety: Wash herbs and lettuce thoroughly and dry them before they touch the finished salad. Cool the hydrated bulgur before adding fresh greens and refrigerate within 2 hours. Use clean serving utensils because the salad receives no further cooking.

Storage: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days with lettuce stored separately. Let the salad stand for 15 minutes and refresh with lemon before service. Do not freeze.

FAQ

FAQ

Is kısır the same as tabbouleh?

They share bulgur and herbs, but kısır is usually redder and more intensely seasoned with tomato paste, pepper paste and often pomegranate molasses. Its bulgur-to-parsley balance is also different.

Should the bulgur be boiled?

Not when using fine köftelik bulgur. Measured very hot water and a covered rest soften it sufficiently. Boiling this grade commonly makes the final salad sticky.

Can I omit pomegranate molasses?

Yes. Increase lemon juice gradually and expect a brighter, less fruity acidity. Do not replace it automatically with a sweet bottled pomegranate sauce.

What else can be added?

Cucumber, tomato and pickles appear in household variations, but they also release water and shorten storage. This focused version keeps the grain, pastes and herbs at the centre.

Every grain should carry the dressing

Every grain should carry the dressing

Balanced kısır is vivid but not heavy: red-orange bulgur stays separate, herbs remain green and lemon and pomegranate sharpen rather than sweeten the bowl.

Measure the hydration water, distribute paste before liquids and wait for the bulgur to cool before folding in completely dry herbs.

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