Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad)

I picked up piyaz from a Turkish friend who used to bring it to every single potluck we hosted, without fail, in a giant Tupperware that never went home with leftovers. It took me embarrassingly long to ask her for the recipe, mostly because I assumed something this good had to be complicated. It is not.

Piyaz is a Turkish white bean salad built on the kind of pantry staples most of us already have: canned white beans, tomato, cucumber, red onion, and a tangy dressing sharpened with sumac. It’s traditionally topped with hard-boiled egg and olives and served as part of a larger meze spread, or alongside grilled köfte, but it’s substantial enough to eat as a light meal on its own with some crusty bread.

It sits comfortably next to our other Mediterranean salads, like Fattoush (recipe on the site) and Tabbouleh (recipe on the site), and if you’re the type to make a big spread of dips, our Zaalouk (recipe on the site) rounds things out nicely.

Piyaz Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 0 minutes · Total: 20 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~240 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained (or 3 cups cooked dried beans)
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt, for macerating the onion
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1/2 English cucumber, sliced into half-moons
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac, plus more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• 8 to 10 black olives
• Crumbled feta, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the sliced red onion in a small bowl, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and massage briefly. Let sit 10 minutes to soften and mellow the bite, then rinse and pat dry.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beans, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and parsley.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, sumac, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
5. Transfer to a serving platter, arrange the hard-boiled eggs and olives on top, and sprinkle with a little extra sumac.
6. Top with crumbled feta if using, and serve at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

• Piyaz is a staple street-food and meze salad in Turkey, often served alongside grilled köfte or as part of a larger spread.
• Sumac has a tart, lemony flavor; find it in the spice aisle of well-stocked grocery stores or at a Middle Eastern market. If you cannot find it, extra lemon juice and zest gets you close.
• Salting and rinsing the onion is a small step that makes a big difference, taking away the harsh raw bite while keeping the crunch.
• The undressed salad keeps for a couple of days; add the dressing just before serving so the vegetables stay crisp.