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Overview

Kisir

Kısır, Turkish Bulgur Salad, Turkish Tomato Bulgur Salad

This kisir recipe turns fine bulgur into a bright, tangy Turkish salad with tomato paste, walnuts, spring onions and a heap of fresh herbs, finished with lemon and pomegranate molasses. One serving is about 197 g, and the salad is ready in 30 minutes.

Kisir is the bulgur salad of Turkish home cooking, a staple of the south-eastern table around Gaziantep and Adana, where fine bulgur, tomato paste and pomegranate molasses are pantry basics. Unlike tabbouleh, where the bulgur stays firm, kisir is softened with hot water and kneaded with tomato paste until it turns rust-red, then loaded with herbs. It is the dish Turkish families make for gatherings — served at room temperature, scooped with lettuce, and eaten by hand.

Pairs well with: Lettuce leaves for scooping, pickled chillies and ayran

Provenance

Turkey flag Turkey

Gaziantep Meze Classic

Middle Eastern

Time Dedication

30m

20m prep • 10m cook

Batch Yield

6 Servings

320 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 197 g

Technical Skill

Easy

Easy (No Cooking)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Prime Metabolic Fit

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Quick Prep (<30m) Occasions: A meze spread, a picnic, a light lunch, a vegan gathering Cost: Low — about $1–2 per serving at home
Tags: Vegetables Sour Vegan Salad
A white dish of kisir — orange-red bulgur salad with herbs and cucumber

Gaziantep Meze Classic

Photo: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $1–2 per serving at home (USD)

A true kisir is judged by its balance: sour from lemon and pomegranate, warm from pul biber, and fresh from a generous handful of herbs.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 30m
P

Prep Stage: Soak the Bulgur

10 Mins • No Cooking

Put the fine bulgur in a wide bowl, pour over the boiling water, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes. The grains should swell soft and fluffy, with no water left in the bowl.

Maestro Tip: Do not drown the bulgur — too much water makes a mushy salad that no amount of herbs can save.

  1. 1

    Soak the Bulgur

    10 Mins Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)

    Pour the boiling water over the fine bulgur, stir once, cover tightly and leave for 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed and the grains are tender.

    A wide bowl soaks more evenly than a deep one.

    Done when: The bulgur is soft, fluffy and dry to the touch.

  2. 2

    Work in the Tomato Paste

    5 Mins No heat — room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)

    Add the tomato paste and half the olive oil to the warm bulgur. Knead and rub with your hands or a spoon for 2–3 minutes until every grain is evenly rust-red.

    Kneading while the bulgur is still warm is what turns it red all the way through.

    Done when: The bulgur is an even rust-red with no pale patches.

  3. 3

    Season the Salad

    5 Mins No heat — room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)

    Stir in the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, pul biber and salt. Taste — it should be sour first, then warm and earthy.

    Add the lemon in two goes: you can always add more, but you cannot take it out.

    Done when: The salad tastes bright, sour and warmly spiced.

  4. 4

    Fold in the Fresh Ingredients

    5 Mins No heat — room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)

    Fold in the walnuts, spring onions, parsley, dill, mint, tomato, cucumber and red onion, then drizzle over the remaining olive oil and mix gently so the herbs stay bright.

    Fold, do not stir hard — crushed herbs turn dark and limp.

    Done when: Herbs are evenly scattered and still bright green.

  5. 5

    Rest & Serve

    5 Mins Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)

    Leave the salad to rest for 5 minutes so the flavours settle, then taste once more and adjust the lemon or salt. Serve at room temperature, mounded on a plate with lettuce leaves alongside.

    Five minutes of rest lets the bulgur drink in the dressing.

    Done when: The salad holds its shape when spooned and tastes balanced.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Taste and adjust the sour-sweet balance — more lemon if it tastes flat, a little more molasses if it tastes sharp — then serve at room temperature with lettuce leaves for scooping.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

320

kcal / serving

Protein

8g

Complete AA

Carbs

43g

Complex

Fats

15g

Healthy

Per serving (6 servings · 1 serving ≈ 197 g)
Energy320 kcal
Protein8 g
Carbohydrates43 g
Fat15 g
Fibre9.9 g
Sugar6.3 g
Sodium347 mg
Per 100g
Energy163 kcal
Protein3.9 g
Carbohydrates21.8 g
Fat7.8 g
Fibre5 g
Sugar3.2 g
Sodium176 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin C (lemon, tomato, parsley), vitamin E and magnesium (walnuts, olive oil), folate (parsley, bulgur), iron (bulgur).

Fibre-Rich Bulgur

Fine bulgur is a whole grain with about 10 g of fibre per serving, which supports digestion and keeps you full.

Healthy Fats

Olive oil and walnuts bring monounsaturated fats and plant omega-3s, with no animal fat at all.

Fresh Herbs & Vitamin C

Parsley, lemon and tomato load the salad with vitamin C and folate — fresh flavour that is also genuinely nutritious.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Vegetables

Lettuce Leaves

Crisp lettuce cups are the traditional way to eat kisir — cool, crunchy scoops that balance the warm spice.

Pickled Chillies

Sharp pickled chillies echo the sour notes of the pomegranate molasses and add a second kind of heat.

Drinks

Ayran

Cold, salty yoghurt ayran cools the pul biber heat and turns the salad into a complete light lunch.

Full Menus

A Meze Spread with Hummus

Kisir sits happily on a meze table next to hummus and olives — the tomato-red salad against the pale, creamy dips.

Complete menu

Serve the kisir as part of a meze spread with hummus, olives and lettuce leaves, and finish with ayran.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

A Second Very Sour Dish

Kisir is already sharp with lemon and pomegranate molasses — another strongly acidic dish alongside can leave the meal one-note and may bother a sensitive stomach. This is general guidance, not medical advice.

Serving It Ice-Cold from the Fridge

Cold mutes the flavours of kisir — the tomato paste, cumin and herbs all taste flat when chilled. Bring it to room temperature before serving. This is general guidance, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA bright, filling salad — whole grain, herbs and healthy fats in one bowl.
  • ChildrenSuitable for older children with half the pul biber; the sweet-sour flavour usually wins them over.
  • ElderlySoft, easy to chew and easy to digest; keep the raw onion mild.
  • Pregnant womenGenerally suitable — all ingredients are cooked or fresh and plant-based; keep the salt moderate.
  • Breastfeeding womenA good light lunch with whole grains and healthy fats; the herbs and lemon are gentle.
  • AthletesA useful carbohydrate-rich side after training, with walnuts for extra energy.
  • Weight gainA good choice — take a generous serving with bread and extra olive oil.
  • Weight lossA good choice — high in fibre and very filling for its calories; keep the bread modest.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesBulgur is a whole grain but one serving still carries about 43 g of carbohydrate — keep the portion as written and ask your clinician about portion size.
  • High blood pressureOne serving carries about 347 mg of sodium — use less salt and ask your clinician about portion size.
  • Kidney diseaseThe dish is plant-based and moderate in sodium — a reasonable choice; ask your clinician about portion size.
  • GoutThe dish is plant-based and low in purines — a reasonable choice; ask your clinician about frequency.
  • Stomach issuesRaw onion, pul biber and the acidic dressing can irritate a sensitive stomach — use a mild version and a small portion first, and ask your clinician if symptoms persist.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseA good choice — whole grains, olive oil and walnuts with no saturated animal fat; ask your clinician about portion size.
  • Fatty liverKeep the portion modest and favour the salad over extra bread; ask your clinician about portion size.
  • Food allergiesContains GLUTEN — fine bulgur is wheat, so this dish is not suitable for coeliac disease. It also contains walnuts (tree nuts). If you have a wheat or nut allergy, ask your clinician before eating.
  • Special therapeutic dietsThis dish is vegan but NOT gluten-free — if you follow a gluten-free or low-potassium therapeutic diet, check with your clinician first.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Store in an airtight container with cling film pressed onto the surface.
In the fridge
3 days.
In the freezer
Not recommended — the herbs wilt and the bulgur turns mushy.
How to reheat
Do not reheat — serve at room temperature; take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before eating.
Freezing recommended
No — the texture does not survive freezing.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour or fermented smell, slimy texture, or darkened herbs.

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