My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
Çig Köfte (Vegetarian Turkish Koftes)
Turkish çig köfte is tangy, zesty, and full of umami! Completely vegetarian, this is a no-cook kofte unlike any other, made with a base of soaked bulgur. The bulgur is mixed with walnuts, tomato paste, red pepper paste, spices and herbs to create a soft dough thats easily shaped into unique köftes. It all comes together in a food processor and only needs a few hours of chilling time. Serve in crispy lettuce wraps and top with onions, radish and all the fixings!
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I am a fan of any recipe made with bulgur, because I simply adore it. But add to it sumac, Aleppo pepper and Turkish red pepper paste and it is bound to be amazing because these are all flavour boosters.
My favourite part about cig kofte is that the bulgur doesn’t even need to cook. Just soaked! This whole recipe can be whipped up in 30 minutes. And although its a completely different presentation, it actually has a similar flavour profile to kisir.
Cig actually means “raw” in Turkish and the real recipe actually uses raw beef, similar to a steak tartare. But to save money, Turkish people invented this vegetarian version that has the same flavours but without the meat.
Ingredients and Step by Step Process
Gather your ingredients. A few notes on some of the harder to find ingredients:
- Sumac and Aleppo pepper are required spices here to get that authentic flavour, usually found at middle eastern stores, or you can buy them online. If you don’t have them, substitute chili flakes for the Aleppo pepper and omit the sumac.
- Pomegranate molasses is another necessary ingredient. If you can’t find it, you can make your own pomegranate molasses at home using pomegranate juice.
- Red pepper paste: also essential in so many Turkish recipes, to get that authentic flavour. But you can substitute tomato paste if you can’t get your hands on it.
- And yes – trust me on the ketchup! I was hestitant to use it at first, but I prefer the flavour with the ketchup. It adds that necessary umami and hint of sweetness that brings the flavours together.
Start by soaking the bulgur in hot water and set aside for 15 minutes. The bulgur does not need to cook.
In a small food processor, process the onion, tomato and garlic until finely chopped. Then, add the rest of the ingredients except for the bulgur.
Once the ingredients form a smooth mixture, add the soaked bulgur along with an ice cube. The ice cube helps the processor stay cool as it processes the dough.
Process the mixture long enough (at least 1 minute or so) until a smooth dough forms. You’ll know its ready when it is easy to form into little balls. Cover it and chill the mixture for a few hours to help it hold together.
Once ready to serve, shape the cig kofte as pictured: grab a few tablespoons, place in your palm, then squeeze it with your fingers until the classic shape is formed which has the ridges that are indented by the fingers.
Keep going until the mixture is all used up. Lay the koftes on a platter over crisp lettuce leaves. Serve with sliced radish, sliced onions, sumac, lemon wedges and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
Cig kofte is perfect to serve as an appetizer for a summer BBQ or a middle eastern dinner. To turn them into a substantial meal, I love wrapping them up in bread with all the fixings and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses on top. The perfect lunch!
If you tried these recipes, please consider leaving a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page – I’d love to hear from you! You can also hop on over to Instagram and say hello!
Çig Köfte (Vegetarian Turkish Koftes)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup fine bulgur, 150 g
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1/4 yellow onion, small
- 1/4 tomato, small
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sumac
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup parsley
For Serving
- lettuce leaves
- chopped onions
- sumac
- sliced radishes
- pomegranate molasses
Instructions
- Note: The dough needs to chill for a few hours so plan accordingly!
- Start by placing the 3/4 cup fine bulgur in a medium sized bowl. Pour over the 1/3 cup hot water and allow the bulgur to soak for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small food processor, process together the 1/4 yellow onion, 1/4 tomato, and 1 clove garlic until finely chopped. Add in the 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon red pepper paste, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper, 1/4 teaspoon sumac, 4 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses. Process until smooth. Add in the 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1/4 cup walnuts, and 1/2 cup parsley and process once more until smooth.
- The bulgur will have absorbed the hot water by now and softened. Add it to the food processor along with an ice cube and process for 1-2 minutes until well combined and the mixture forms a soft dough. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours to firm up.
- To shape the kofte, take 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture, place it into the middle of your palm and squeeze your hand shut to form a cylindrical shape that has ridges from the shape of your fingers. Repeat with the rest of the mixture (check the blog post for photos!).
- To serve, place the çig köfte on a platter lined with lettuce leaves. Serve with chopped onions and sliced radishes mixed with sumac and pomegranate molasses.
Notes
- This recipe uses a few ingredients like Aleppo pepper, sumac, and red pepper paste that give it that true authentic Turkish flavour. If you don’t have these, you can follow my substitutions listed in the ingredient section of the blog post.
- Cig kofte is typically served as an appetizer, but I also love turning it into a substantial lunch by wrapping the kofte in bread instead of lettuce leaves and it is just perfect with all the fixings!
This is so good. I have been wanting to try it for a long time. I’m so glad I made it. I had left overs and added some to a sandwich and it was perrrrfect.
Made this for a family member with a very restrictive diet and they sung praises about this dish and said it tastes very authentic