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Home » Salads » Piyaz Recipe - Turkish White Bean Salad

Published: Mar 7, 2019 · Modified: May 7, 2022 by Zerrin & Yusuf

Piyaz Recipe - Turkish White Bean Salad

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Turkish White Bean Salad Recipe called Piyaz is a super tasty side dish that is packed with Mediterranean flavors. Combine white beans, tomatoes, onions and parsley, and then flavor them with a tangy salad dressing. Simple yet deliciously satisfying!

Bean salad with tomatoes and eggs in a white bowl.

Piyaz salad is one of the easiest Turkish recipes that you can make in less than 15 minutes. Just like the world-famous Turkish shepherd salad, this white bean salad is a staple side dish in Turkey and pairs well with any dish you want.

Love such easy yet satisfying salad recipes? You might want to see our bulgur salad kisir, Turkish potato salad  and Turkish eggplant salad  too.

Jump to:
  • What Is Piyaz?
  • Why Should You Make This Recipe?
  • About The Ingredients
  • Alternative Add-Ins
  • How To Make
  • Variations
  • Expert Tips
  • Serving Suggestions
  • How To Store
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Bean Recipes 
  • More Turkish Recipes 
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

What Is Piyaz?

Piyaz, pronounced as pee-ahz', is a simple Turkish bean salad recipe that you can find at any Turkish restaurant. Traditionally, it is considered to be the best companion of Turkish kofte. In Turkey, there are even kofte piyaz places which serve only Turkish meatballs, aka kofte and piyaz. You can't find anything else on their menu. Oh and yogurt drink ayran to accompany these.

This is a very simple side dish made with beans, tomatoes, onions and parsley. Then it is flavored with a salad dressing made from vinegar, olive oil and lemon juice. Another flavoring ingredient that gives piyaz salad its original taste is sumac. Please read on to learn how to incorporate this tangy spice in this salad.

This cold white bean salad is also known as one of the tasty side dishes for kabobs. Almost all kebab restaurants have it on the menu, along with cacik, roasted onions and ezme salad. So if you love kebab recipes as much as we do, you should give this bean salad a try. It pairs wonderfully with Adana kebab, lamb kebabs and chicken kebabs. 

Bean salad with onions and tomatoes in a white bowl.

Piyaz recipe has no strict measurements of ingredients indeed. Everyone can adjust it to their taste. You will always find vinegar and olive oil in bottles on the table at restaurants so that you can add extra on your salad. 

You might see different versions of bean salad in Middle Eastern, Greek and Armenian cuisines, but today we are sharing how we make it in Turkish cuisine.

Why Should You Make This Recipe?

  • It is easy to make with a few simple ingredients that are not expensive. 
  • It is ready in less than 15 minutes.
  • You can make it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator (for up to one day) until serving time.
  • Piyaz is not only a side dish, it makes a wonderful light meal on its own. 

About The Ingredients

This Turkish salad recipe with white beans is made with a few fresh ingredients and a very simple salad dressing. Let's see them in detail.

Cooked white beans, tomatoes, olive oil, parsley, lemon, onion, sumac and salt on a grey background.
  • White beans: These are the main ingredients of this recipe. You can use cannellini beans, navy beans or butter beans. In Turkey, dermason white beans or ispir sugar beans are known as the best white beans to make piyaz. So if there is a Turkish grocery around you, you can look for these types. You can either cook white dry beans or just use canned beans as we often do.
  • Onions: We do love using red onions, but you can use white or brown onions too. They should be thinly sliced.
  • Sumac: It is a Middle Eastern spice with a tangy flavor like lemon and a reddish color. Sumac is one of the key ingredients in an authentic piyaz recipe. Just like when making Turkish sumac onion salad, we massage onions with it before combining them with the other ingredients. And you can easily find it at Middle Eastern markets or big markets with world cuisine sections.
  • Tomatoes: Use juicy and tasty tomatoes like heirloom, roma, plum or cherry tomatoes.
  • Parsley: You can use flat leaf parsley like Italian parsley. We don't recommend any other herbs for this salad.
  • Salad dressing: Use a combination of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and salt. You can play with the amounts to your taste. In Turkey, grape vinegar is the common type of vinegar and often used in recipes like this white bean salad. Apple cider vinegar or even balsamic vinegar works fine as well in this recipe. 

Alternative Add-Ins

  • Hard boiled eggs: It is quite traditional to make piyaz with eggs. The ones served at kofte piyaz restaurants are always topped with slices of hard boiled eggs. However, you can leave them out if you want to keep your salad vegan. 
  • Peppers: You can add some chopped Turkish green peppers. Carliston biber or sivri biber are the most common types in Turkey. They can be found at Turkish grocery markets. You can use poblano, jalapeno, shishito or chili peppers too.
  • More spices: If you want some heat in your piyaz salad, you can sprinkle some red pepper flakes, also known as pul biber over it as a garnish. You can use Aleppo pepper, black pepper or cumin too.
  • Olives: Black olives or green olives are often used to garnish salads in Turkey. So if you are a lover of olives, you can add some in your bean salad. 
  • Garlic: You can add a clove of garlic (mashed) in the dressing for more flavor.

How To Make

Red onions with sumac in a white bowl.

Prepare the onion: Make thin slices in half moon shape. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of sumac on them. Massage them altogether with your hands for 10-20 seconds. This will help the onions taste better. Put them in a large bowl.

Cooked white beans, red onion slices, chopped tomatoes and parsley in a white bowl.

Prepare the remaining salad ingredients: Rinse the canned beans under cold water and drain them. Chop the tomatoes and parsley. Put all of them in the salad bowl.

Lemon and oil dressing in a bowl and the bean salad bowl on the side.

Make the salad dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar (or grape vinegar) and salt. 

Assemble: Pour the dressing sauce over the salad and give it a good stir. Top with slices of hard boiled eggs if you want. Sprinkle extra sumac and drizzle extra olive oil over them and serve.

Bean salad with tomatoes and onions in a white bowl and two spoons in it.

Variations

Bean Piyaz with Tahini: This special Turkish bean salad is called Antalya piyazi, which is the second famous version after the classic one. It is one of the local dishes in Antalya province, a famous city located in the South coast of Turkey. So it takes its name from this city. 

To make the tahini piyaz salad dressing, combine juice of 1 lemon, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, ¼ cup tahini, salt and about 2 tablespoons of water. If you don't add water to the dressing, you will end up with a thick paste, rather than a salad dressing.

Although they are not as popular as white beans, there are a few other options to make piyaz. For example, you can substitute chickpeas, black eyed peas or even potatoes(boiled and diced) for white navy beans.

Expert Tips

  • Don't skip massaging onion slices with sumac. This really makes a difference.
  • Drizzle extra olive oil right before serving. 
  • If you are planning to make piyaz ahead of time, don't top it with eggs. It is better to eat boiled eggs on the same day. So cook the eggs and place them on the salad when you are ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions

Although it is often served with kofte or kofta kebab, this delicious salad can be served in several other ways. 

  • Enjoy it as a light lunch: This is a quite filling salad, so you can have it as a meal on its own. Pair it with breads like pide bread or lavash. Dip a piece of bread right into the bowl to get all the flavors in the juice. So good! Alternatively, serve it together with a bowl of bulgur pilaf and enjoy them together.
  • Serve it as an appetizer along with several other mezzes: Some of our favorite meze dishes to serve together are hummus, babaganoush without tahini and mucver.
  • Pair it with main dishes with meat: Some of our favorite meat dishes to serve with piyaz are beef stew, izmir kofte and kadinbudu kofte. Oh and Turkish style stuffed eggplant called karniyarik makes a perfect match too!

How To Store

Put the leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Bring it to room temperature and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil when serving.

Bean salad topped with hard boiled eggs in a white bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make piyaz ahead of time?

Yes you can. It makes a perfect food for picnic or potluck parties as you can make it ahead of time. Adding the dressing on the day you want to serve may be a good idea though so that the salad won’t get too juicy.

What does piyaz mean in Turkish?

Piyaz is a word to describe a salad with onions, sumac and parsley flavored with a tangy dressing. Although the most popular one is made with white beans, you can make it with other beans, peas, broad beans or boiled potatoes too.

More Bean Recipes 

  • Turkish White Bean Stew 
  • Black Bean Lentil Soup 
  • Fava Bean Dip 
  • Shelled Fava Beans  

More Turkish Recipes 

  • Homemade Doner Kebab 
  • Gozleme
  • Lahmacun
  • Haydari

You might also like:

  • Wheat Berry Salad (Mediterranean Style)
  • How To Cook Fava Beans (Easy Recipe)
  • Turkish Cacik Dip with Yogurt & Cucumber
  • Turkish Gozleme Recipe

As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!

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Print

📖 Recipe

Piyaz Recipe - Turkish White Bean Salad

Bean salad with hard boiled eggs in a white bowl.
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

A tangy white bean salad with tomatoes, red onions and parsley. It is flavored with sumac and a simple salad dressing with olive oil and vinegar. So easy to make and ready in 15 minutes.

  • Author: Zerrin & Yusuf
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Mixing
  • Cuisine: Turkish
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

For the salad:

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced in half moon shape 

  • 1 tablespoon sumac

  • A pinch of salt

  • 4 medium tomatoes, chopped 

  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped

  • 2 cans white beans (cannellini, navy beans or butter beans), rinsed and drained 

Salad dressing:

  • ¼ cup olive oil (preferably extra virgin)

  • 1 lemon, juiced

  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or grape vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

Optional Topping:

  • 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Instructions

  1. Put thin onion slices in a large bowl. Sprinkle sumac and salt over them. Massage with your hand for 10-20 seconds.
  2. Add in chopped tomatoes, parsley and white beans.

  3. To make the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt. 

  4. Pour the dressing over the salad and give it a stir.

  5. Optionally, top with hard boiled egg slices, sprinkle salt and sumac over them and serve immediately. 

Notes

  1. To make Antalya piyazi, make the dressing with tahini: Combine juice of 1 lemon, ¼ cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, ¼ cup tahini, salt and about 2 tablespoons of water. If you don't add water to the dressing, you will end up with a thick paste, rather than a salad dressing.
  2. You can make it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator (for up to one day) until serving time.
  3. Put the leftovers in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Bring it to room temperature and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil when serving.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: 303
  • Sugar: 6.2 g
  • Sodium: 1010.6 mg
  • Fat: 18.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.7 g
  • Protein: 11 g
  • Cholesterol: 93.3 mg

Keywords: white bean salad, piyaz, Turkish bean salad

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Hera says

    October 13, 2019 at 8:12 am

    Made this as a side dish for a party, didn't include the egg. It was so delicious!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Julie says

    March 13, 2019 at 11:36 pm

    Love the addition of pickled onions. They are so good that I can add them on any salad! Thank you Zerrin!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      March 14, 2019 at 12:01 am

      Hi Julie! Happy to hear that you love them. Isn't it great that pickling onions is so easy and quick with this method?

      Reply
  3. JB says

    March 11, 2019 at 4:31 pm

    Where is the sumac added to the salad? I see it is only used in the optional onion marinade. Can you provide the ratios / measures for the dressing, please?

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      March 11, 2019 at 6:00 pm

      I updated the recipe. Hopefully made it clear now. Although I mostly add sumac in the dressing, it is just sprinkled over the salad at restaurants.

      Reply
  4. Marie Gamalski says

    November 08, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    Haven’t tried this recipe yet, but any girl that loves sumac, is a friend of mine!😏

    Reply
    • Zerrin says

      November 08, 2018 at 10:28 pm

      Hi Marie! So happy to hear that! I'm pretty sure you will love this salad then.

      Reply
      • Ozlem says

        September 05, 2022 at 12:07 pm

        I love this recipe! This is the one I can eat everyday :)) Thank you Zerrin

        ★★★★★

      • Zerrin & Yusuf says

        September 06, 2022 at 3:38 am

        Glad you liked it Özlem! Easy yet tasty and healthy, right?

  5. Megan says

    January 12, 2011 at 8:41 am

    Looks so fresh and delicious!

    Reply
  6. Fight the Fat Foodie says

    January 11, 2011 at 9:38 am

    looks delicious and healthy!

    Reply
  7. Cajun Chef Ryan says

    January 10, 2011 at 8:58 am

    Zerrin,
    This is one of those simply prepared yet oh so elegant dishes, another colorful winning dish.

    Bon appetit!
    CCR
    =:~)

    Reply
  8. Natalie - Turkish Travel blog says

    January 09, 2011 at 9:12 pm

    That look easy enough for me to try. Would definitely add the slices of boiled eggs on top though. Finally something I think I can make in the kitchen. Al right I know it is only a salad but it is a posh salad! LOl

    Reply
  9. Maria says

    January 09, 2011 at 3:11 pm

    I love bean salads, this one looks wonderful!

    Reply
  10. Mely says

    February 20, 2009 at 4:35 am

    Very easy to make salad. I like the simplicity of the dressing.
    Just my type of salad. Thanks for posting it.

    Reply
  11. Zerrin says

    February 19, 2009 at 5:16 am

    Daily Spud - It's so common here to put some slices of turnip, beetrot or radish near the salad.

    Natasha - These are turnips, but it's also possible to do the same with radishes. I think this will be a great snack between meals.

    Tamanna - how interesting! In fact, piyaz also contains chopped onions, but this time I just used scallions.

    Reply
    • Azniv says

      March 13, 2017 at 5:26 pm

      Made a modified version of White Bean Salad yesterday - we really enjoyed it.
      I see pickled red onions in these photos - NOT turnips . Am I mistaken?

      Reply
      • Zerrin says

        March 14, 2017 at 1:03 am

        Happy to hear that you enjoyed it. So tasty, isn't it? Those are pickled red onions, right.

  12. Fearless Kitchen says

    February 19, 2009 at 8:26 am

    There's a Turkish restaurant near my old office that serves this as a kind of free appetizer at dinner time. I've always wondered what it was called. We never ordered it, it just appeared. Since some of my friends used to go there just to get that appetizer, they'll be so happy to see this recipe! Thanks for posting it.

    Reply
  13. Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:39 pm

    Love the salad, just the kind of light meal I need these days - trying to eat lighter in between the fancier meals 🙂

    Reply
  14. Daily Spud says

    February 18, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    Interesting that you would garnish with slices of turnip - definitely not such a common garnish!

    Reply
  15. Tamanna says

    February 18, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    looks healthy, "piyaz" means "onion" in my language!

    Reply

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Meet Zerrin and Yusuf Gunaydin: The couple behind this blog. We bring Turkish food into your kitchen! From kebabs to desserts, everything you crave is here.

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