Piyaz is a vibrant Turkish bean salad bursting with flavor, featuring sumac onions, fresh herbs, and white beans drizzled with a zesty lemon vinaigrette. With its simple ingredients and bold tastes, this dish is a must-try! Check out the recipe below to learn how to make it!
PIYAZ RECIPE HIGHLIGHTS
- Vibrant: The fresh ingredients deliver incredible flavor with minimal preparation.
- Easy: Use canned beans instead of dried ones, as traditional recipes suggest. This saves time and effort without sacrificing taste!
- Healthy: This salad is not only delicious but also nutritious! It’s loaded with fiber and protein from the beans, along with a wealth of vitamins and nutrients from the vegetables.
HOW TO MAKE PIYAZ (TURKISH WHITE BEAN SALAD)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 can butter beans (15 oz), drained
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (45 ml)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo chili flakes (pul biber)
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, combine the sliced onions, sumac, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Rub the sumac and salt into the onions with your hands for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes, butter beans, and parsley to the bowl. Gently mix everything together with the onions.
- Pour in the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss again until all ingredients are well combined.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
- Optional: Cover the bowl and let the salad marinate for 20-30 minutes before serving.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
NOTES:
- If needed, you can substitute red wine vinegar with extra lemon juice or use apple cider vinegar instead.
- To minimize excess water in the salad, scoop out the seeds and gel-like insides of the tomatoes.
- You can replace butter beans with cannellini beans, chickpeas, or great northern beans.
RECIPE VARIATIONS
- Substitute white onion for red onion.
- Use chickpeas in place of butter beans.
- Replace parsley with fresh cilantro or mint.
- Opt for sesame oil instead of olive oil for a nuttier flavor.
- In some regions of Turkey, sesame seed paste (tahini) is added to soften the sharp, tangy flavors. If you’d like, try incorporating 2-3 tablespoons into the recipe.
- For an extra kick, add Aleppo pepper (pul biber) for some spice.
