Turkish White Bean Salad

Here is a Turkish white bean salad that can be prepared 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 bulgur salad (kisir) and Turkish tomato salad (gavurdagi), this salad uses simple, fresh ingredients and a delectable dressing! 

A Turkish take on white bean salad

Turkish cuisine includes many mezzes and side dishes characterized by rich flavor profiles. With some dishes such as lahmacun, these sides can be as simple as fresh parsley and lemon. This white bean salad, also called piyaz, is a great accompaniment to virtually any main dish. What I love the most about this salad is that it can be prepared in ten minutes or less.

Ingredients

The main ingredient you need for this Turkish salad is cannellini or navy beans. You can either use canned beans or cook them yourself. You will also need some firm tomatoes, red onion and fresh parsley. To make white bean salad dressing, I recommend using sumac, Aleppo pepper, salt, lemon juice and of course, extra virgin olive oil. 

Preparation instructions

Wash and dry the tomatoes and parsley. If using canned beans, make sure you drain the excess water and place them in a bowl. Check out The Spruce Eats to learn how to cook beans for use in salads. 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. 

Then, 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. Serve immediately or 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!  

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

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.

Serving suggestions

This is a great side dish for many Turkish and Mediterranean recipes, but I think it goes especially 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. 

Looking for more salad recipes?

• Traditional Greek Salad
• Mediterranean Couscous Salad
• The Best Mediterranean Salad Recipe
• Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
• Greek Chickpea Salad
• Fattoush
• Greek Salmon Salad