Kısır (Turkish Bulgur Salad)

Written by: Cooks of Heraclea

Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 17

Kisir, Turkish bulgur salad with tomato and pepper paste, fresh herbs, and pomegranate molasses, served with romaine lettuce leaves and lemon wedges

This is the salad we pile onto every summer table. Fine bulgur steamed soft, then worked by hand with tomato paste, biber salçası, and raw onion until every grain turns brick-red. Lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and a generous pour of our olive oil bring the tang. Fold in the herbs — don't hold back. Scoop it into crisp romaine leaves and eat it with your hands. Make it a few hours ahead if you can; the flavors settle and it only gets better.

Ingredients:

1½ cups fine bulgur wheat
1 cup hot water
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Turkish red pepper paste (biber salçası)
1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
2½ Tbsp pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi)
3 Tbsp Heraclea Early Harvest EVOO
4 green onions, finely chopped
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ cup chopped dill
3 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
Romaine lettuce leaves, for serving
Lemon wedges, to garnish

Steps:

In a large bowl, combine the bulgur, salt, pepper, pul biber, tomato paste, red pepper paste, and chopped yellow onion. Use your hands to mix and squeeze the ingredients, which will soften the onion.
Pour over the hot water, stir, and cover. Let steam for 15 minutes, until the bulgur absorbs all the water.
Add the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and olive oil. Knead or mix well.
Fold in the parsley, dill, green onions, and tomatoes.
Serve spooned into romaine lettuce leaves with a squeeze of lemon on top.