Piyaz (Turkish White Bean Salad)
پیاز (ترکی سفید لوبیے کا سلاد)
In Turkey, grilled köfte almost always comes with piyaz: tender white beans tossed with thinly sliced onion rubbed with sumac, plenty of parsley, tomato and a sharp dressing of lemon, vinegar and olive oil, topped with wedges of boiled egg. It's filling, fresh and very cheap. In Antalya on the south coast, piyaz has its own famous version with a creamy tahini dressing.
- ⏱ Total: 15 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Easy
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Rub the sliced onion with the sumac and a pinch of salt for a minute, until it softens and turns pink.
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and salt together.
Gently toss the beans with the onion, parsley, tomatoes, green pepper and dressing, taking care not to crush the beans.
Top with egg wedges and a pinch of pul biber and serve.
Kitchen notes
If cooking dried beans, soak them overnight and simmer until tender but whole. Season the cooking water with salt at the end.
Antalya-style piyaz: whisk 3 tablespoons tahini with lemon juice, garlic, vinegar and water into a pourable sauce and use it instead of the oil dressing.
Dress it shortly before serving so the parsley stays bright.
Köfte’s best friend
In Turkey, piyaz and köfte go together like daal and rice. Köfte restaurants, especially the famous ones in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet, serve grilled meatballs with a plate of piyaz and a dish of pickled peppers. The sharp, herby beans cut through the richness of the meat.
Two styles
Most of Turkey makes piyaz with an olive oil, lemon and vinegar dressing. Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast, is known for a different version where the beans are dressed with tahini whisked with lemon, garlic and vinegar, making a creamy, nutty salad. Both are topped with boiled eggs and often with tomatoes and black olives.
Sumac onions
The onions are the secret. Rubbing thin slices with sumac and salt softens their sharpness, turns them pink and gives them a lemony tang. This simple trick is used across Turkish cooking, especially with kebabs.
Serving
Serve with izgara köfte, Adana kebab or tavuk döner, or as a light lunch with bread. It also works as part of a spread with acılı ezme and cacık.
Questions people ask
Can I use other beans?
White beans are traditional, but chickpeas or black-eyed beans also work.
Why is it served with köfte?
The tangy beans and raw onion balance rich grilled meat. In Turkish köfte restaurants, 'köfte-piyaz' is a set pairing.
Does the name mean onion?
It comes from the Persian word for onion, the same as Urdu pyaz, because sliced onion is a key part of the salad.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 270
- Protein
- 11 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
