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.
Key Ingredients
- 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
- Prioritize fresh ingredients. For best results, I recommend using fresh veggies, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, and dried white beans over canned beans.
- Prepare the onions beforehand. If you’re sensitive to the bite of raw onions, try soaking the sliced onions in cold water for a few minutes, then drain well in a colander before adding them to the salad. You can even take a few minutes to massage the sumac into the onion slices to soften and sweeten them, rather than stirring the ground spice into the salad.
If you enjoy fresh-tasting piyaz, try more salad recipes from Jamil Ghar!
Serving Suggestions
- Kabobs: Adana Kebab, Koobideh Kabob, Doner Kebabs, Köfte, Joojeh Kabob
- Entrees: Moussaka, Moroccan 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!
More Recipes with Beans:
Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad)
- 9 ounces dried white beans drie
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- lemon juice, one lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ medium vine-ripe tomato
- ¼ cup parsley leaves, 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.
- Prioritize fresh ingredients. For best results, I recommend using fresh veggies, high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, and dried white beans over canned beans.
- Prepare the onions beforehand. If you’re sensitive to the bite of raw onions, try soaking the sliced onions in cold water for a few minutes, then drain well in a colander before adding them to the salad. You can even take a few minutes to massage the sumac into the onion slices to soften and sweeten them, rather than stirring the ground spice into the salad.