2 cups boiling water
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1 heaping tbsp. sweet red pepper paste
2 medium tomatoes
2 medium cucumbers
6 to 8 green onions
A handful fresh Italian parsley leaves
3 or 4 sprigs of fresh mint
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or pomegranate sour
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt, more or less to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes, more or less to taste
Put the bulgur in a large mixing bowl. Pour the boiling water over it. The water should completely cover the bulgur by about 1/4 inch (add a bit more boiling water if needed). Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, then wrap it in a towel. Set it aside for about 15 minutes to allow the bulgur soften. While the bulgur softens, prepare your vegetables. Begin by peeling the onion and garlic and chopping them as finely as you can. Mix the chopped onion and garlic with the pepper paste and set aside. Chop the tomato, cucumber, green onions, parsley, and mint in the same manner and put them in a separate bowl. The finer you chop them, the better your salad's texture will be. Remove the cloth and cover from the bowl of bulgur. Wearing rubber gloves, fluff the bulgur up with your fingers. Drizzle lemon juice or pomegranate sour and the oil over the top and toss it through with your fingers. Next, add the pepper paste mixture and work it evenly through the bulgur. Add the chopped vegetables and herbs and continue tossing with your fingers until all the ingredients are evenly dispersed. Add salt and black pepper and taste for seasoning. You can serve your kısır salad right away, or you can cover and refrigerate it for several hours. Make sure to fluff it up with your fingers again just before serving.