This Turkish white bean salad called Piyaz is ready in just ten minutes. It's an easy and tasty side dish that pairs nicely with many Mediterranean flavors.
We have many Turkish recipes here and they're all made with fresh and delicious ingredients. This Turkish white bean salad, also known as piyaz, is another delicious salad that we love. Just like Turkish potato salad, Turkish bulgur salad (kisir) and Turkish tomato salad (gavurdagi), this salad uses simple, fresh ingredients and a delectable dressing!
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A Turkish take on white bean salad
Turkish cuisine includes many mezzes and side dishes characterized by rich flavor profiles. This white bean salad, also called piyaz, is a great accompaniment to almost any main dish. It's made mainly with white beans (preferably cannellini beans) and a delicious zesty dressing. This simple salad hold so much flavor and anyone who tries it comes back for seconds!
What I love the most about this salad is that it can be prepared in ten minutes or less, which makes it perfect for a quick side dish. If you're a fan of fattoush or tabouli, you're going to love piyaz.
Ingredients
- White beans - The main ingredient you need for this Turkish salad is cannellini or navy beans. You can either use canned beans or cook them yourself. Check out The Spruce Eats to learn how to cook beans for use in salads.
- Tomatoes - It's best to use firm tomatoes that are not too seedy for this recipe. I recommend using roma tomatoes.
- Red onion - Red onions add so much flavor to salads. Slice them thinly to add a bit of crunch to the salad.
- Parsley - Fresh herbs are the perfect way to add flavor and brightness. Parsley is generously used in many Turkish salad recipes including Piyaz.
Let's not forget about the dressing since it hold the special flavor of this salad. You need the following ingredients:
- Olive oil: Use quality extra virgin olive oil to make salad dressing, it makes all the difference!
- Lemon juice: It's best to use freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe.
- Sumac: This tangy and bright spice is a staple in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. You can find it at ethnic Arab, Persian or Mediterranean stores.
- Aleppo pepper: If not available, you can use chili pepper flakes.
Instructions
- Wash and dry the tomatoes and parsley.
- If using canned beans, make sure you drain the excess water, rinse and drain them and then place them in a large bowl.
- Finely chop the parsley, dice the tomatoes, and add them both to the white beans. Thinly slice the red onion and mix it in to the salad as well. Give it all a nice stir and set it aside.
- In a small bowl mix sumac, Aleppo pepper, and salt. Add in lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil and stir well. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it so all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes and then serve.
You can even serve this salad as a full meal on warm summer days. A bowl of this salad with a slice of crusty bread would be a perfect summer lunch - no oven required!
Frequently asked questions
Since this salad has a dressing and includes tomatoes, it's best to consume it right away or within a few hours. If preparing ahead of time, make the dressing and the salad without the tomatoes and refrigerate separately. Once ready to serve, dice and add the tomatoes and toss with the dressing before serving.
This salad is originally made with white beans so either cannellini or navy beans would work for this recipe.
Serving suggestions
This is a great side dish for many Turkish and Mediterranean recipes including karniyarik (stuffed eggplant) and kofta kebab.
It also goes very well with kabobs. If you're looking for mains to serve with this, take a look at our recipes for beef shish kabob, chicken shish kabob and salmon shish kabob.
You can also add this salad to a mezze spread and serve it with hummus, tabouli and cacik.
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More salad recipes
Step-by-Step Recipe
Turkish White Bean Salad
Ingredients
- 1 can cannellini beans drained
- 2 tomatoes diced
- ½ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tsp sumac
- ½ tsp Aleppo pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 lemon juice of
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Place the drained cannellini beans in a large bowl and add chopped tomatoes, sliced red onions and chopped parsley to the beans. Stir well and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix sumac, Aleppo pepper, salt, lemon juice and olive oil and pour it on the salad.
- Toss the salad with the dressing and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Serve cold as a side dish.
Notes
- It's best to use firm tomatoes that are not too seedy for this recipe.
- This salad is best served within a few hours.
- This would make a great side dish for dishes such as grilled chicken, karniyarik and shish kebabs.
Diana
This was the perfect salad to bring with me to my last family gathering! It was a big hit!!!!
Nellie Tracy
Delicious! Great recipe to have on hand for summer meals!
Lisalia
What a great flavor combo! Loved the white beans that give this salad a heart flavor and excellent protein. Thanks for another great recipe!
Ashley
The perfect summer salad! Full or protein and delicious flavors! We loved it!
Liz
I love white beans! They're so creamy and delicious. I've been looking for new ways to use them so this Turkish salad is perfect!
Jessica
Fresh, simple and crunchy- this was the perfect side dish for my lamb burgers! I had just a little leftover and used it on my salad the next day.
Shay Simmons
This looks so good but I am going to wait to make it for another month, when the tomatoes in our garden are ready.
wilhelmina
This sald is so easy to stir together and so satisfying!
Christina
I could eat this all summer long! It's the perfect lunch for me!
Jessica Formicola
PERFECT for a BBQ and potluck! Everyone raved and wanted the recipe.
Amanda Finks
Love this simple flavorful recipe! So good!