Turkish Bulgur Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup coarse wheat bulgur (cracked and peeled (2 C cooked))
• 1 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 TBSPs. roasted red pepper paste
• 1 tablespoon water, for the sauce
• 3 TBSPs. olive oil
• 1 cup cucumber (petite diced)
• 1 small red bell pepper (petite diced)
• 1/2 cup green onion (chopped)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 2 TBSPs fresh mint (finely chopped)
• 3333/10000 cup red onion (sliced)
• 2 TBSPs. Jalapeño Pepper (finely diced, OPTIONAL if you like it spicy)
• 1 tsp. cumin powder
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 large lemon)
• 2 tbps. pomegranate molasses
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 TBSPs. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Bulgur
2. Rinse the bulgur well until the water is clear and drain completely.
3. In a pot, bring 1.5 cups of water to boiling point and add the bulgur. Stir the bulgur, and allow it to boil.
4. Once the bulgur starts boiling, cover with the lid and reduce the heat to the lowest setting and allow it to cook for 15-20 minutes (cooking times vary per brand).
5. Once cooked, remove from the heat and also remove the lid. Fluff the bulgur up using a fork and allow it to cool up for about 10 minutes.
6. Salad
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
8. Wash and chop all the veggies and set aside.
9. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a shallow pan over medium-low heat. Add in the tomato and red pepper paste. Let the paste mixture simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add one tablespoon of water to the sauce and mix well.
10. Add in the cooked bulgur to the sauce. Mix everything together to coat the bulgur well. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
11. In a bowl, add the bulgur and all the chopped veggies. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well to combine. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
12. Serve the Kisir Salad at room temperature or chilled, garnished with additional herbs and veggies like lettuce, olives, fresh tomatoes, chopped radish, onions or a side of protein.