Kisir – Turkish bulgur salad

Kisir is so delicious! This delicious salad is a classic of Turkish cuisine and is quick and easy to make. Would you like to try the Turkish bulgur salad? Here you can find out how to do it and also get a few tips and tricks.

The most important facts at a glance: What is Kisir?

• Kisir is a Turkish bulgur salad that is quick and easy to prepare.
• The correct preparation of bulgur is crucial for the consistency of kisir – but this is also super easy.
• Kisir is versatile and a perfect accompaniment to summer parties and barbecues and keeps easily for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Kisir Turkish: an aromatic salad delight

Kisir has its origins in south-eastern Anatolia, a region that stretches across the cities of Antalya, Adana, Mersin and Gaziantep. The juicy and refreshing Turkish bulgur salad is now very popular all over the world.

Kisir consists mainly of bulgur. Bulgur is a pre-cooked wheat meal from which the bran is removed after drying. You can find out all about bulgur in this article.

The difference between kisir and other salads such as tabouleh is that the focus of kisir is on the bulgur, while tabouleh (also known as taboulé) consists mainly of parsley. Both salads are vegan, by the way.

The ingredients for a simple kisir salad

To make a really good and authentic Turkish bulgur salad, you need the following ingredients:

• fine bulgur
• boiling water
• pointed bell pepper
• tomatoes (I use cherry tomatoes)
• spring onions
• parsley
• Mint
• paprika or tomato puree
• lemon juice
• Pomegranate syrup
• Olive oil
• chili flakes
• Salt, pepper

I also like to use it as a garnish:

• Some parsley
• Some mint
• Pomegranate seeds

You can usually get almost all of these kisir ingredients in well-stocked supermarkets. If you have trouble finding fine bulgur or pomegranate syrup, you can buy both at Turkish supermarkets or online.

Step-by-step guide to the perfect Turkish bulgur salad

Making Turkish bulgur salad is really easy and quick. Just stick to my recipe and nothing can go wrong.

1. Cook the bulgur: The first step is to cook the bulgur. Place the bulgur in a bowl or pot and pour the boiling water over it. Carefully stir the bulgur briefly and then cover and leave to soak for approx. 10 minutes. The bulgur then soaks up the water. Leave the bulgur to cool and then fluff it up carefully with a fork.
2. Chop the vegetables: While the bulgur is cooling, you can wash and finely dice the pointed peppers and tomatoes. You should also wash the spring onions first and then cut them into fine rings.
3. Wash and chop the herbs: You should wash the parsley and mint well, as there may still be some sand and debris on them. You can then pluck the leaves from the stalks and chop them finely. Put some of the leaves to one side for garnishing.
4. Dressing: It consists of pomegranate molasses or pomegranate syrup (Nar Ekşisi), olive oil and lemon juice. Here you can simply mix everything well and season with salt and pepper.
5. Mix the kisir: Now that you have prepared all the ingredients, you can mix them together with the bulgur in a bowl until everything is well blended. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper if necessary. The paprika or tomato puree gives the bulgur salad its typical red color.
6. Garnish: Now you can sprinkle the bulgur salad with pomegranate seeds and fresh herbs and serve.

Kisir – bulgur with vegetables and spices

The great thing about kisir is that you can make wonderful variations to the bulgur salad. I’m pretty sure that every family has its own recipe anyway. You can modify the salad by adding other ingredients, e.g.

• Cucumber
• Radish
• Feta cheese
• Za’atar
• Sumac
• Pul Beaver
• Isot Beaver
• Cumin

Kisir recipe: Refreshingly spicy bulgur salad

How and on what occasion you can serve Kisir

Presentation is everything! After all, you eat with your eyes. But there are still a few serving suggestions that have more than just a visual impact. Personally, I always like to serve the Turkish bulgur salad with crisp lettuce leaves.

As I said, not just for the look, but because you can use them to make delicious salad boats. Simply add some kisir to a lettuce leaf and enjoy the delicious freshness!

And for even more freshness, simply add more herbs, which you can wrap in the lettuce leaf or simply sprinkle over the bulgur salad.

You can simply place Kisir in a large bowl on the table for a social gathering or in small preserving jars as part of a buffet, for example – just as a little inspiration.

Personally, I can actually just eat my fill of the salad, but kisir is also an excellent accompaniment to e.g.

• Chicken skewers
• Minced meat skewers
• Halloumi skewers
• or other grilled delicacies

The salad goes particularly well with a large mezze table, where many smaller delicacies come together and can be enjoyed to your heart’s content.

You don’t actually need an occasion. But let’s say you’re invited to a barbecue with friends, then Turkish bulgur salad is the perfect gift for the buffet or for birthdays or other celebrations.

You can also prepare the salad a day in advance and keep it in the fridge. However, I would mix in the vegetables just beforehand so that the salad tastes perfect.

Storage tips for your simple kisir salad

It can happen that you can’t do everything at once and there is still some of Kisir left. It doesn’t matter, because you can keep the salad in the fridge for a good 3 to 4 days at most.

Note, however, that the flavor is lost the longer you leave it out.

For everyone who doesn’t always want to go to the canteen at work: The Turkish bulgur salad is not only delicious, but also ideal for a meal prep. Simply prepare it the evening before and take it with you to work the next day.

However, you should not freeze kisir. The taste would suffer and the consistency would simply be a little more mushy. It is therefore better to enjoy kisir as fresh as possible. And because bulgur salad is so quick and easy to prepare, you can simply make it fresh from time to time.

Turkish bulgur salad – simply delicious!

What can be said in summary? I really love Kisir! It is an incredibly tasty and very easy to make bulgur salad that is more than the sum of its ingredients.

You can get all the ingredients in a well-stocked supermarket (even bulgur) and can actually get started straight away. The Turkish bulgur salad is versatile and easy to adapt. You can prepare it well and take it to work as a meal prep or enrich the buffet at a party with friends.

In any case, I wish you lots of fun trying them out and enjoying them. Please let me know in the comments how you liked it. And if you liked the Turkish-style bulgur salad, please give the Kisir recipe a rating.

How healthy is Kisir?

Kisir is very healthy as it is rich in fiber, protein, B vitamins, magnesium and iron. So, let’s enjoy a plate of it!

You can find more bulgur recipes in this colorful recipe collection – try it out! And if you’re craving more salads, try my best summer salads!

You can also follow me on Instagram for even more inspiration about Levante cuisine.