White Bean Salad (Turkish Piyaz)
Creamy white beans dressed while warm with lemon and olive oil, tossed with sumac onion, then finished with parsley, tomato and egg.
AI-generated image- 250 gdried white beans
- 240 gripe tomatoes
- 150 gred onion
- 100 geggs
- 60 gextra virgin olive oil
Piyaz is a Turkish white bean salad built on a short list of ingredients: tender beans, thinly sliced onion, parsley, and a sharp dressing of lemon, vinegar and olive oil. It is commonly served as a meze or a side with grilled food, and it also works as a light main with bread.
Three things make this version work. The beans are soaked in the refrigerator, boiled hard for 30 minutes, then simmered until creamy all the way through. They are dressed while still warm so they take up the lemon and oil instead of sitting under it. The red onion is rubbed with salt, rinsed and squeezed dry, and only then tossed with the sumac, so the spice keeps its color and tang.
Tomato and parsley go in at the end so they stay fresh, and boiled egg is optional. Leave it out and the salad is fully vegan. Plan ahead: the beans need 8 to 12 hours of soaking in the refrigerator, which is not included in the 2 hours of working and cooking time.
Preparation
- Step 01
The day before, put the dried beans in a bowl and cover with about 1000 g (4 cups) cold water. Cover and soak in the refrigerator (4 C / 40 F) for 8 to 12 hours. Do not soak at room temperature.
- Step 02
Drain the beans, discard the soaking water and rinse the beans under cold running water. Tip them into a large saucepan and add about 1500 g (6 cups) fresh cold water, enough to cover by about 5 cm (2 inches).
- Step 0330 min
Bring to a boil over high heat, then keep the beans at a full rolling boil (100 C / 212 F) for a full 30 minutes, skimming off any foam. Keep the pan partly covered and top up with boiling water whenever the water drops close to the level of the beans.
- Step 0430 min
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer (small bubbles, about 95 C / 203 F) and cook, partly covered, for 30 minutes, keeping the beans covered with water.
- Step 0515 min
Add the cooking salt and simmer for 15 minutes more. The beans are done when one mashes easily between your fingers or against the side of the pan and the center is creamy, not chalky. Older beans may need up to 15 minutes more, so check every 5 minutes.
- Step 0612 min
While the beans simmer, put the eggs (if using) in a small saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the yolks are fully set, then cool in cold water, peel and quarter.
- Step 073 min
Put the sliced onion in a bowl with the onion salt. Rub firmly with your fingers for about 1 minute until the onion softens slightly. Rinse in a sieve under cold water, then squeeze dry with your hands.
- Step 081 min
Return the squeezed onion to the dry bowl, add the sumac and toss until every slice is evenly coated and deep pink. Set aside.
- Step 092 min
In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, crushed garlic, dressing salt and black pepper until slightly thickened.
- Step 1020 min
Drain the beans well and tip them, still warm, into a large mixing bowl. Pour over the dressing and fold gently with a spoon so the beans stay whole. Leave for 20 minutes so they take up the dressing.
- Step 11
Fold in the sumac onion and parsley. Taste and add a pinch more salt or a squeeze of lemon if needed. The dressing should taste bright and well seasoned, as the beans mellow it.
- Step 12
Add the tomatoes just before serving and fold once. Transfer to a shallow platter, arrange the egg quarters on top, sprinkle with chili flakes and serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.
Kitchen notes
- Timing: the 2 hours shown covers working and cooking time only. The 8 to 12 hour soak in the refrigerator comes before it, so start the day before.
- Storage: refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of making, in a covered container at 4 C / 40 F or below, and eat within 3 days. For best texture, store the salad without the tomatoes and eggs and add them fresh. Do not leave the salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours in total.
- Make ahead: the beans can be cooked, drained and dressed a day ahead. Within 2 hours of cooking, spread the dressed beans in a shallow, covered container and refrigerate at 4 C / 40 F or below. Cool the boiled eggs in cold water, then refrigerate them in a separate covered container within the same 2 hours. Keep the onion, parsley and tomato separate and add them an hour or so before serving.
- Canned beans: use about 600 g drained, rinsed canned white beans in place of the dried beans and skip the soaking and simmering. Warm them gently in water for a few minutes before dressing.
- Antalya style: whisk 40 g tahini with 30 g water and a little extra lemon juice until smooth, and spoon it over the finished salad.
- Vegan: leave out the eggs. The salad is otherwise already plant-based.
- Salt level: bean cooking water and dressing are salted separately, so taste after the beans have rested before adding more.
Diet and allergens
Suitable for: Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
Contains: egg.
Labels come from the ingredient list by fixed rules. If you cook for someone with an allergy, check the labels of packaged ingredients such as stock, spice blends, tahini and bread, since brands differ. How labels work.
Frequently asked questions
Why dress the beans while they are warm?
Warm beans absorb the lemon, vinegar and oil much better than cold ones, so the salad tastes seasoned all the way through rather than just coated.
Why boil the beans hard for 30 minutes first?
Dried white beans such as cannellini should be boiled vigorously for at least 30 minutes after soaking, because a gentle simmer alone is not enough for them. Once that time is done, lower the heat and cook until the centers are creamy.
Can I use canned beans for piyaz?
Yes. Use about 600 g drained and rinsed canned white beans, warm them briefly, and dress as in the recipe. The texture will be slightly softer than home-cooked beans.
Why rub the onion with salt before adding the sumac?
Salt draws out some of the onion's sharp juices, and rinsing and squeezing it dry leaves it crisp and milder. Adding the sumac afterward keeps its lemony tang and color on the onion instead of washing it away.
Why are my beans still hard after an hour?
Very old dried beans can take much longer to soften. Keep simmering gently with enough water, and check every 10 minutes until the centers are creamy.
References and sources
- Nutrition: USDA FoodData Central records dried white beans (cannellini or navy) (FDC 175202), fine salt, for cooking the beans (FDC 173468), red onion (FDC 170000), fine salt, for the onion (FDC 173468), extra virgin olive oil (FDC 171413), lemon juice (FDC 167747), garlic (FDC 1104647), fine salt, for the dressing (FDC 173468), black pepper (FDC 170931), flat-leaf parsley (FDC 170416), ripe tomatoes (FDC 170457), eggs (FDC 173424), Turkish chili flakes (pul biber) (FDC 170932).
- Not counted in nutrition (no matching USDA record): ground sumac, white wine vinegar.
- Proportions: main ingredients and salt per serving were compared with the median of 6 published recipes for this dish. How we make recipes.
AI-generated imageStuffed Grape Leaves (Olive Oil Dolma)
Tender jarred grape leaves wrapped around a spiced rice, herb and pine nut filling, then simmered in olive oil and lemon until soft and glossy.
AI-generated imageBriam (Greek Roasted Vegetables)
Potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, pepper and onion baked slowly in grated tomato and olive oil until soft, jammy and browned at the edges.
AI-generated imageFasolada (Greek White Bean Soup)
Dried white beans simmer slowly with softened onion, carrot and celery, then tomato and a final pour of raw olive oil make the broth thick, glossy and orange-red.