Antalya Piyazi (Turkish White Bean Salad with Tahini)

In Antalya, Piyaz Is a Little Different

Every time we share our classic Turkish piyaz on Instagram or Facebook, there's always someone from Antalya in the comments saying, "That's not piyaz! Where's the tahini sauce?" Well, this recipe is for you, Antalya!

Antalya is a beautiful coastal city in the south of Türkiye, famous for its beaches and stunning scenery. But we're not here to talk about the beaches today. We're here for its piyaz!

In most parts of Türkiye, piyaz is a simple white bean salad with onions and tomatoes, dressed with sumac, olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar. But in Antalya, it comes with a generous amount of creamy tahini sauce. 

And piyaz is taken seriously in Antalya! You'll find places called piyazcı, where piyaz is the star of the menu. You can order it with köfte (Turkish meatballs), a soup (like mercimek corbasi) or other grilled meats, or simply enjoy a plate of piyaz on its own.

About the Ingredients

Turkish white bean salad with tahini is proof that you don't need fancy ingredients to make something really delicious. Just a few simple ingredients, and the result is amazing!

Here are a few notes on the key ingredients.

• White beans: In Antalya, piyaz is traditionally made with a local variety called Çandır beans. But does that mean we can't make Antalya piyazi if we don't live there? Of course not! We use canned cannellini beans, including the liquid in the can, and the result is delicious. Hopefully, our friends from Antalya won't get too angry with us for not cooking the beans from scratch this time! Sometimes a shortcut is worth taking.
• Onion: Both red and white onions work well here, so use whichever you prefer.
• Parsley: Fresh flat-leaf parsley is a must. No swapping it for other herbs!
• Tahini: The star of that wonderful sauce! Make sure you use good-quality tahini, as some brands can taste quite bitter. Our favorites are Koska, a Turkish brand we've loved for years, and Belazu and Al Nakhil, which we discovered in the UK. All three are available on Amazon.
• Vinegar: Grape vinegar is commonly used in Türkiye, but we've found that red wine vinegar is quite similar. In fact, we actually prefer its tanginess, so that's what we use in this recipe.
• Boiled eggs: These go on top of the piyaz when serving. Make sure they're fully hard-boiled, not soft or jammy in the middle.

You'll find the full list of ingredients with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

How to Make Antalya Piyazi

Making Antalya piyazi is really easy! The only thing that needs a little attention is getting the tahini sauce just right.

First, hard-boil the eggs, then peel them and set aside.

For the tahini sauce, mix together the tahini, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, reserved liquid from the canned beans, mashed garlic, salt and cumin. You'll notice the mixture getting thicker as you stir. Gradually add warm water until it's smooth, creamy and pourable. We use about 50 ml, but you might need a little more or less depending on your tahini. Give it a taste and adjust the salt or acidity to your liking.

Now comes the easy part! Spread the drained beans on a large plate and gently toss them with 5–6 tablespoons of the tahini sauce, or more if you prefer. Top with sliced onion, tomatoes, parsley and hard-boiled eggs. Finish with a little salt and black pepper and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serve with the remaining tahini sauce on the side so everyone can add more if they like.

You can also make individual portions by dividing the beans among four plates, adding some tahini sauce and toppings to each, and finishing with olive oil.

You'll find the full step-by-step instructions with exact measurements in the recipe card below.

Getting the Tahini Sauce Just Right

The tahini sauce is what makes Antalya piyazi so special, so we want it to be really good! It should be creamy, tangy, garlicky and nutty, with that wow factor from the very first bite.

One of our little tricks is to use some of the liquid from the canned beans in the sauce. It's slightly thick and starchy, which helps give the sauce a creamy consistency.

If you're cooking dried beans from scratch, you can follow the bean-cooking method in our Turkish white bean stew recipe. Just save some of the cooking liquid to use in the tahini sauce.

Another important thing is getting the consistency right. When you mix the sauce ingredients together, except for the water, the tahini will get quite thick. Don't worry, that's normal!

Gradually add warm water, stirring until the sauce is creamy and pourable. You might need a little more or less water than we've suggested, depending on your tahini.

And finally, always taste the sauce before adding it to the beans. Does it need a little more salt? A bit more lemon juice or vinegar? Adjust it until you're happy with the flavor.

Don't Be Shy with the Tahini Sauce!

Antalya piyazi isn't the kind of bean salad you just drizzle a little dressing over. The beans are served in a generous amount of creamy tahini sauce, with plenty of it pooling around them on the plate. In fact, you might even think it looks more like a soup than a salad!

Of course, how much sauce is enough is really up to you. We like to serve some extra in a small bowl at the table, so everyone can add more to their own plate if they want. We love dipping bread into the sauce and even eating it by the spoonful!

How We Serve Antalya Piyazi

In Antalya, piyaz is famously served with köfte, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy it. Sometimes, we just have a big plate of piyaz with fresh bread, and that's a meal on its own!

Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it:

With Köfte or Kebabs

• Şiş Köfte (Turkish Meatball Skewers) – An Antalya specialty and one of the most traditional pairings for this piyaz.
• Turkish Kofte – Another classic choice. Köfte and piyaz are always a great match!
• Turkish Chicken Kebabs – A nice alternative if you prefer chicken.

With Soup

A bowl of soup followed by a plate of piyaz makes a satisfying lunch or dinner. Here are a few soups we'd recommend:

• Turkish Chicken Soup
• Turkish Red Lentil Soup
• Ezogelin Soup

With Fresh Bread

Don't forget the bread! You'll want something to soak up all that tahini sauce. These are some of our favorites:

• Tırnak Pide (Turkish Fingerprint Flatbread)
• Ramadan Pide
• Turkish Lavash Bread

How to Store Leftovers

Antalya piyazi is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just put everything in an airtight container, even if it's already mixed together.

When serving leftovers, we like to drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the top. And if you have some extra tahini sauce, add a little more of that too!

Any leftover tahini sauce can be stored in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week. It will thicken as it sits, so give it a good stir and add a splash of water if needed to make it creamy and pourable again.

Can You Make It Ahead?

Yes! You can make the piyaz a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. We'd recommend adding the fresh parsley and hard-boiled eggs just before serving.

And here's a little tip: Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the top and add a little more tahini sauce when serving. It'll taste as good as freshly made!

Can I Use Other Beans?

Traditionally, Antalya piyazi is made with white beans, and that's what we'd recommend if you want to keep it close to the original. Besides cannellini beans, you can use haricot beans (navy beans). Butter beans work too, although they're much larger.

Cannellini beans are always our first choice, but we've tried making this salad with black beans and red kidney beans when we didn't have any cannellini beans at home. And both turned out delicious!

Of course, it won't be traditional Antalya piyazi anymore, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy that wonderful tahini sauce with other beans. So feel free to experiment with whatever beans you have in your cupboard!

More Turkish Salads to Try

If you enjoyed this Antalya-style piyaz, here are a few more Turkish salads we love making at home. 

• Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad)
• Turkish Shepherd Salad (Çoban Salata)
• Turkish Red Cabbage Salad
• Turkish Potato Salad
• Turkish Eggplant Salad