Fasulye piyaz combines simple ingredients to make an easy side dish for any meal or serve it as-is for a light lunch. The tasty bean dish is an excellent choice for a meze platter with other small plates like butter bean hummus, köfte, dolmas, and sumac onions.
What is Piyaz?
Piyaz, pronounced ‘pee-ahz,’ is a Turkish salad recipe made with white beans, onions, tomatoes, parsley, and a simple lemon vinaigrette. The salad is popular in Turkish restaurants along with köfte, Adana kebab, and other grilled meats.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- White Beans: White beans, either dried or canned are the main ingredient for piyaz. I enjoy the flavor and texture of dried Cannellini beans, but use canned beans if you prefer. And since they are already cooked, all you have to do is drain and rinse the beans before using them.
- Olive Oil: Dress the salad with high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice brightens the salad, but use red wine vinegar or pomegranate molasses for a bit of variation.
- Garlic: I suggest using four fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Onion: I prefer using red onion because the strong flavor complements the other vegetables. White onions or shallots will work.
- Parsley: Garnish the salad with fresh parsley, or replace it with chopped cilantro or mint leaves.
- Sumac: Massage sumac into the onions like you would to prepare sumac onions. The ground sumac berries provide a tart and sweet flavor. Sumac is a popular Middle Eastern spice found online and in health stores. However, I recommend visiting a local Middle Eastern grocery store to explore.
Additions and Substitutions
- Replace Cannellini beans with navy, Northern, or butter beans. You can even use chickpeas and black-eyed peas.
- Incorporate green bell peppers, cucumbers, or olives into the salad.
- Include a pinch of ground Aleppo pepper or Urfa pepper flakes for even more flavor and a bit of heat.
- Combine the salad with tahini to make antalya piyazi.
- Some recipes for piyaz call for adding hard-boiled eggs.
How to Make Piyaz
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: If using dry beans, rinse and soak them in water overnight.
Step 2: Drain the white beans and place them into a stockpot. Fill the pot with water until it covers the beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook for 5 minutes.
Skim the water and discard any foam from the top. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the beans soften.
Step 3: Drain the beans and add them to a serving bowl. Toss them with three tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Cover and set them aside for 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine.
Step 4: Drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil and garnish with red onion, tomato, parsley, and a sprinkle of sumac to serve.
Expert Tips
- For best results, use quality olive oil and prioritize fresh, dried white beans over canned ones.
- If you’re concerned about the sharpness of onions, I recommend massaging sumac into them before using them in the salad.
If you enjoy piyaz, try more salad recipes from Jamil Ghar!
Serving Suggestions
- Kabobs: Adana Kebab, Koobideh Kabob, Doner Kebabs, Köfte, Joojeh Kabob
- Entrees: Moussaka, Shakshuka, Stuffed Eggplants, Al Faham Chicken
- Wrap: Chicken Shawarma, Falafel Gyro, Tantuni
- Sides: Moong Dal Instant Pot Recipe, Marinated Olives
- Bread: Lavash, Pita Bread, Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread, Air Fryer Pita Chips
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is piyaz salad from?
Piyaz is a white bean salad from Turkey, but it’s a central dish in other countries, each with its own variation.
Can I make this salad ahead of time?
For best results, prepare the salad up to 5 days before serving it. The longer it sits, the more the ingredients have a chance to combine – it’s delicious!
Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad)
- 9 ounces dried white beans drie
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- lemon juice, 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ medium vine-ripe tomato
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground sumac
- If using dry beans, rinse and soak them in water overnight.
- Drain the white beans and place them into a stockpot. Fill the pot with water until it covers the beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook for 5 minutes.
- Skim the water and discard any foam from the top. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the beans soften.
- Drain the beans and add them to a serving bowl. Toss them with three tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and set them aside for 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine.
- Drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil and garnish with red onion, tomato, parsley, and a sprinkle of sumac to serve.
- For best results, use quality olive oil and prioritize fresh, dried white beans over canned ones.
- If you’re concerned about the sharpness of onions, I recommend massaging sumac into them before using them in the salad.