Kısır is a bright and herby Turkish grain-based salad that makes a delicious side dish for any meal. It is easy to make, cost-effective, and incredibly versatile. Most often eaten in the spring and summer, this salad is zingy, sweet, sour, and full of different textures for the mouth to come alive with intrigue. My mouth waters even as I search for the words to describe this salad. Some people compare kısır to Syrian/Lebanese tabbouleh because they both include grain, fresh herbs, and bright flavors. I love to eat this in a lettuce cup with a squeeze of lemon!
Try out the recipe and watch the video below to learn a few tricks for preparing Turkish Kısır.
To purchase the illustrated print of the Turkish Kısır recipe, check out the shop! We have all our prints available for purchase!
Turkish Kısır
Makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
Bulgur or American cous cous, 1.5 cups
Water or vegetable/chicken stock, 2 cups boiling
Tomato/Pepper paste, 1 Tablespoon
Yellow onion, 1 cup chopped
Lemon, juice of one lemon
Olive oil, 1 Tablespoon
Pomegranate molasses, 5 Tablespoons
Salt + Pepper to taste
Fresh Mint, 1 cup chopped finely
Fresh Dill, 1 cup chopped finely
Fresh Green Onion, 1 cup chopped finely
Fresh Parsely, 1 cup chopped finely
Tomato, sliced for presentation
Cucumber, sliced for presentation
Directions:
Take a large bowl and add bulgur. Then boil 2 cups of water and add to the bowl of bulgur. Cover the bowl with a kitchen cloth and set it aside so the bulgur can absorb the water and cook.
In a medium-sized pan, add olive oil over low heat then add onions. Let the onions caramelize to build flavor and then add the tomato paste. Mix in the paste until fully incorporated with onions. Remove from heat and let cool.
Once the onions have cooled, add the onion mixture to the cooked bulgur. Make sure the bulgur, onions, and tomato paste fully cooled so they do not wilt the herbs. Stir to incorporate.
Add in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle in pomegranate molasses and lemon juice, stir to incorporate.
To serve, use a small bowl and press the kısır into the bowl. Then place your plate on top of the bowl and flip the bowl over to have a beautiful hemisphere shape.
Garnish with cucumber, tomato, and a squeeze of lemon! Eat immediately or stick it in the fridge until you are ready to eat.