Turkish White Bean Salad (Piyaz) Recipe
Turkish white bean salad (Piyaz) is filled with white beans, tomatoes, and a red-wine vinegar and sumac dressing. This Mediterranean salad has a perfectly sweet-and-tangy flavor that will keep you wanting more.
Turkish white bean salad, or piyaz, is a simple side dish filled with bold flavors. While Americans like cold bean salads, piyaz is typically served at room temperature. But that is not a hard-and-fast rule. Next is the Turkish salad dressing, made with red wine vinegar, sumac, and extra virgin olive oil. The sumac adds a slight, unforgettable berry flavor.
Finally, this Mediterranean bean salad centers on white beans, parsley, tomatoes, fresh lemon, and red onions. Toss it all together, and you’ll have a side dish that will be a hit at your next BBQ!
This salad works perfectly as part of a Mediterranean mezze that includes tabbouleh, ezme, and batata harra, spicy Middle Eastern beans. If you prefer a warm bean option. Try my Mediterranean white beans with fresh herbs.
Piyaz Ingredients
Key Ingredient Notes
Fresh Lemon Juice
Always use fresh lemon juice. If you use bottled juice, the flavor will not be the same.
White Beans
White bean piyaz is typically made with navy beans. However, you can use your preferred white bean, such as cannellini, great northern, or butter beans.
Sumac
Sumac is a traditional Arabic spice made by crushing sumac berries. A sprinkle of Sumac is optional, but highly recommended. I also use it to make sumac red onions and in my Turkish Shepherd salad recipe.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Piyaz
Step One: Prep the Onions
Put the sliced onion in a small bowl with most of the lemon juice and the sumac. Use your hands to massage the onions for 20 to 30 seconds until they soften and start to release their juices. Stir in the red wine vinegar and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Combine everything
Step Two: Combine the Ingredients
In a large bowl, add the drained beans, tomatoes, and parsley. Pour the onion mixture over the top, then drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Gently toss to coat everything without smashing the beans.
Step Three: Rest and Serve
Piyaz is best at room temperature. Give it a final stir before serving and finish with a little extra squeeze of the remaining lemon juice if you like. I usually put it in a medium bowl and keep some pita wedges nearby for the leftover dressing.
Perfect Pairings
- Turkish grape leaves are more exciting than your average Middle Eastern grape leaf. They have currants and pine nuts. Giving them a sweet flavor.
- Lebanese hummus is the smoothest hummus you will ever have. It takes a few extra steps, and oh my, is it worth it!
- Shepherd’s salad is another Turkish delight. It’s made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. The dressing also has sumac!
- Moroccan eggplant dip is perfect for eggplant lovers who don’t like baba ghanoush (like me). Roasting the eggplant gives it a deeper flavor.
How Do I Store Piyaz?
Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Before serving, drain any excess liquid and squeeze on a fresh lemon.
How Did It Go?
I hope you loved this Turkish white bean salad recipe as much as I do! Before you go, please leave a rating and a comment to let me know how it went.
White Bean Salad (Turkish Piyaz)
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 small bowl
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup small to medium tomatoes, if using cherry or grape tomatoes, halve them. If using Campari or Roma tomatoes, cut them into wedges.
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ cup flat-leaf or curly parsley
- 1 15-ounce can white navy beans*
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the onions: Put the sliced onion in a small bowl with most of the lemon juice and the sumac. Use your hands to massage the onions for 20–30 seconds until they soften and start to release their juices. Stir in the red wine vinegar and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Combine everything
- Combine everything: In a large bowl, add the drained beans, tomatoes, and parsley. Pour the onion mixture over the top, then drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently so everything gets coated without smashing the beans.
- Rest and serve: Piyaz is best at room temperature. Give it a final stir before serving, and finish with a little extra squeeze of the remaining lemon juice if you like. I usually put it in a medium bowl and keep some pita wedges nearby for the leftover dressing.
AMAZING RECIPE! I don’t love parsley (sorry!), so left it out, but added some crushed garlic for extra flavor – shouldn’t matter, except for weirdos like me who side eye parsley! Sumac is *magic* – your “massage the onion with sumac” etc was EVERYTHING.
Thank you so much Aliza for taking the time to let me know you liked my recipe! It means so much to me. I am glad you liked it and LOL on the garlic. In my house if a recipe calls for 1 cloves, we add 5. We love it too!