Kisir
If you've got fine bulgur, flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint, you're most of the way to this Turkish side: about 60 minutes of cooking across 5 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 5 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan. At medium difficulty across 5 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (5)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Place the fine bulgur in a large bowl, pour over the boiling water, cover and leave to stand for about 15 minutes until the grains have swelled and softened and the water is absorbed.
- Fluff the bulgur with a fork, then stir in the tomato paste and red pepper paste, working them through with your hands or a spoon until every grain is evenly coloured.
- Finely chop the spring onions, parsley, mint and tomato and add them to the bowl along with the cumin.
- Pour in the olive oil, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses, season with salt, and mix thoroughly until the salad is moist, fragrant and well combined.
- Taste and adjust the lemon and salt, then chill for 20 minutes to let the flavours meld before serving on lettuce leaves with extra lemon wedges.
You'll use: Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Kisir
- Turkish rice (vermicelli rice) Miscellaneous
- Imam bayildi with BBQ lamb & tzatziki Lamb
- Ezme Vegetarian
- Grilled aubergines with spicy chickpeas & walnut sauce Vegetarian
Tips & common questions
How long does Kisir take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 5 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lemon?
Try lime. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Kisir vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Kisir is an original Turkish recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Kisir and turshu.jpg by E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.