Turkish Bean Salad (Piyaz)

A traditional Turkish salad recipe developed by our friends at New York Shuk that comes together quickly to make your summer easy and delicious. For New York Shuk co-founder, Leetal Arazi, this bean dish is nostalgic: "It's a salad my grandmother would make for us when she had leftover beans from whatever she was cooking." We love how the zingy preserved lemon paste and sumac complement the earthy beans, and if you want to bulk it up a little, some options: Toss in some oil-packed tuna or crumbled feta. Serve alongside other mezze-style dips and lamb kebabs. Enjoy with crusty bread.

What Is Piyaz?

Piyaz is a traditional Turkish white bean salad that's served throughout Turkey, though regional variations abound. Some versions include hard-boiled eggs, others add tahini to the dressing, and some include tomatoes while others don't. What they all have in common is tender white beans dressed with onions, fresh herbs, and a tangy dressing.

This version from New York Shuk is Leetal Arazi's grandmother's approach, the kind of simple, flavorful salad you make when you have leftover cooked beans and want to turn them into something fresh and delicious. It's the kind of recipe that gets passed down through generations because it's both practical and genuinely good.

The Star: Alubia Beans

Let's talk about Alubia beans, Spanish white beans that are perfect for salads like piyaz. These medium-sized beans have a delicate, creamy texture and mild, slightly nutty flavor. They hold their shape beautifully when cooked, which is exactly what you want for a bean salad where the beans need to stay intact while being tossed with dressing and vegetables.

What makes Alubia beans ideal for piyaz is their ability to absorb the tangy dressing while maintaining their structure. Each bean becomes infused with the preserved lemon, sumac, and vinegar flavors without falling apart or turning mushy. Their mild flavor also makes them the perfect canvas for the bold Mediterranean flavors in the dressing.

White beans are traditional for piyaz, Cannellini or Ayocote Blanco would also work beautifully. The goal is a creamy white bean that holds its shape and has a mild flavor that lets the dressing shine.

The Dressing

The dressing is what makes this salad special. It's built on preserved lemon paste, a North African and Middle Eastern ingredient that's tangy, salty, and intensely lemony. New York Shuk makes an excellent version, or you can find it at specialty markets. If you can't find preserved lemon paste, you could substitute finely minced preserved lemon mixed with a little olive oil.

Sumac adds a tart, slightly fruity quality that's distinctive and delicious. This deep red spice is a staple in Middle Eastern cooking, made from ground sumac berries. It adds both flavor and beautiful color to the salad.

Unfiltered apple cider vinegar provides additional tanginess and a slightly fruity note. Extra virgin olive oil rounds everything out with richness and body. Salt and pepper bring it all together.

The result is a dressing that's bright, tangy, complex, and absolutely delicious, zingy enough to wake up your palate but balanced enough not to be overwhelming.

The Fresh Ingredients

The salad includes fresh vegetables and herbs that add color, texture, and flavor. Diced tomatoes, choose meaty ones like beefsteak or Roma, add juiciness and sweetness. Red onion gets finely diced, then soaked in cold water for 5 minutes to mellow its bite before being drained and rinsed. This is a key step, it takes away the harsh, sulfurous quality of raw onion while keeping its crunchy texture and flavor.

Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, adds freshness and a bright green color. Kalamata olives, pitted and diced, contribute briny, savory notes that complement the beans beautifully.

Assembly

The beauty of this salad is its simplicity. Once your beans are cooked and cooled, you toss them in a large bowl with the tomatoes, soaked and rinsed onion, parsley, and olives. The dressing gets whisked together separately, then gently tossed with everything.

Ideally, you refrigerate the salad for 30 minutes before serving. This resting time allows the beans to absorb the dressing and all the flavors to meld together. Taste and adjust, you might want more salt or more sumac depending on your preference.

The Toppings

Hard-boiled eggs are a traditional topping for piyaz, coarsely chopped and scattered over the top. They add richness and protein, turning this from a side salad into a substantial meal. Fresh herbs like dill or mint (or both) add a final aromatic touch, though they're optional.

Serving Suggestions

Piyaz is wonderfully versatile. Serve it:

• As part of a mezze spread with hummus, baba ganoush, and other dips
• Alongside grilled lamb kebabs or other grilled meats
• As a light lunch on its own with crusty bread
• Bulked up with oil-packed tuna or crumbled feta for a more substantial meal
• As a side dish for grilled fish or chicken

It's perfect for summer gatherings because it can be made ahead and is delicious at room temperature. In fact, it gets better as it sits and the flavors develop.

Make-Ahead Friendly

This is an excellent make-ahead salad. The beans can be cooked a day or two in advance. The salad can be assembled several hours ahead and refrigerated. The flavors actually improve with time as the beans absorb the dressing.

Just wait to add the hard-boiled eggs and fresh herbs until right before serving for the best appearance and texture.

A Nostalgic Recipe

What makes this recipe special is the story behind it, Leetal's grandmother making it with leftover beans, turning something simple into something delicious. It's the kind of practical, flavorful cooking that gets passed down through generations because it works.

It's proof that you don't need fancy ingredients or complicated techniques to make something wonderful. Just good beans, fresh vegetables, quality olive oil, and a few distinctive ingredients like preserved lemon and sumac. Simple food, done well, with love.

*A Note On Our Recipes:

Every recipe here was developed and tested using farm-fresh beans from Foodocracy and Primary Beans. Older beans, anything past a year in your pantry or beans from other sources may need more coaxing. Give them a soak and add extra cooking time, and they'll get there eventually.

Turkish Bean Salad (Piyaz)

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Category

Salad

Cuisine

Turkish

A traditional Turkish salad recipe developed by our friends at New York Shuk that comes together quickly to make your summer easy and delicious. For New York Shuk co-founder, Leetal Arazi, this bean dish is nostalgic: "It's a salad my grandmother would make for us when she had leftover beans from whatever she was cooking."

Featured bean: Alubia 

Other beans to try: Cannellini, Speckled Bayo

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 lb dried Alubia beans

• 2 medium meaty tomatoes, diced

• ½ red onion, finely diced, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes, drained and rinsed

• ½ small bunch flat-leaf parsley, tough stems removed, finely chopped

• 15 kalamata olives, pitted and diced

Dressing

• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 3 tbsp preserved lemon paste (such as New York Shuk's)

• 1 tbsp sumac, plus more to taste

• 4 tbsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Toppings

• Hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

• 1-2 tbsp chopped dill and/or mint (optional)

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Directions

1. Prepare the beans: Cook beans according to our guide in the cooking vessel of your choice. Once cooked, strain and set aside to cool. Once cooled, place beans in a large bowl with tomatoes, onion, parsley, and olives.

2. Make the salad dressing: Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Toss and serve: Gently toss the dressing with the salad ingredients. Ideally refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Add more salt and sumac to taste. Garnish with hard boiled eggs and herbs, if using.

Recipe Note

Serves: 8-10

Time: 15 minutes (plus bean cooking)

Cookware: large bowl, bean cooking vessel of your choice

Every recipe here was developed and tested using farm-fresh beans from Foodocracy and Primary Beans. Older beans, anything past a year in your pantry, or beans from other sources may need more coaxing. Give them a soak and add extra cooking time, and they'll get there eventually.