White Bean Salad

My White Bean Salad is based on Fasulye Piyaz, a Turkish bean salad made with cooked white beans, red onion, parsley, tomatoes, and boiled eggs, then mixed with a creamy tahini dressing. I usually serve it with Inegol Kofte, but it also goes well with kebabs, grilled chicken, or anything cooked on the barbecue.

This recipe is closer to the Antalya-style Piyaz, where tahini is added to the dressing instead of using only olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar. I also mash a small amount of the beans into the sauce to make the dressing smoother and help it mix nicely with the rest of the salad.

Jump to:

• What is Piyaz?
• Why This Recipe Works?
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Make White Bean Salad
• Recipe Tips From the Chef
• Recipe Variations
• Serving Ideas
• Storage
• Recipe FAQs
• Related Recipes
• White Bean Salad Recipe

It is quick to make with canned or already cooked beans, and it works well as a side dish, part of a meze table, or a light lunch with bread.

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What is Piyaz?

Piyaz is a Turkish white bean salad made with cooked white beans, onion, parsley, tomatoes, and a sharp dressing. In many parts of Turkey, it is served as a side dish with grilled köfte, kebabs, and other meat dishes.

Antalya-style Piyaz is a little different because the dressing includes tahini. Some versions are quite loose and saucy, almost like the beans are sitting in a tahini sauce. My version keeps the same idea but makes it easy to serve as a salad at home.

The name Fasulye Piyaz simply refers to bean piyaz. Fasulye means beans in Turkish, and Piyaz usually refers to this onion and bean salad. You may also see it called Turkish white bean salad, Piyaz salad, Mediterranean white bean salad, or Fasulye Piyazı.

Why This Recipe Works?

• The tahini dressing makes this White Bean Salad different from a standard bean salad. It gives the beans a creamy sauce without using dairy.

• Mashing a small amount of cooked white beans into the dressing helps thicken the sauce and makes it cling to the salad better.

• It is quick to prepare when you use canned or ready-cooked beans. You only need to slice the onion, chop the parsley, mix the dressing, and assemble the salad.

• It works as a side dish, meze, or light lunch. Serve it with köfte, grilled chicken, fish, lamb, bread, or a few other small plates.

• You can use canned beans or cook dried beans from scratch. Canned beans are convenient, while home-cooked beans usually have a softer texture and better flavour.

• It is naturally vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Leave out the boiled eggs if you want to make it vegan.

Ingredients You'll Need

Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

• Beans - Use 3 cups cooked and drained white beans, about 2 x 15 oz cans or 480 g drained weight. Cannellini beans, navy beans, haricot beans, or butter beans all work. Cannellini beans hold their shape well, while butter beans give a softer salad.

• Tahini - You need 1 ¾ oz (50 g), about 3 tablespoons. Stir the tahini well before measuring because the oil usually separates in the jar.

• Red onion - Use 1 small red onion, finely sliced. You can use 4 sliced spring onions instead for a milder taste.

• Parsley - Parsley is one of my favorite herbs that adds flavor and brightness to salads. Flat-leaf parsley is best if you have it.

• Extra virgin olive oil - A good olive oil makes a difference here because the salad has only a few ingredients.

• White wine vinegar or cider vinegar - Grape vinegar is common in Turkey, but white wine vinegar or cider vinegar works well at home.

• Tomatoes - Use 1 diced tomato or 4 cherry tomatoes cut into quarters. Choose firm tomatoes so they do not make the salad watery.

How to Make White Bean Salad

Prepare the Beans

If you are using canned beans, drain them in a colander and rinse them gently under cold water. Leave them to drain well before adding them to the salad. If the beans are still wet, the dressing will become thinner.

If you are cooking dried beans, soak 1 cup (200 g) dried white beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain them the next day, place them in a saucepan, and cover with fresh water.

Simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beans are soft but still holding their shape. The exact time depends on the age and type of beans.

Once cooked, let the beans cool in their cooking water if you have time. This helps them stay soft. Drain them well before making the salad.

Make the Tahini Dressing

Take 1 ¾ oz (50 g) of the cooked white beans and peel them if you want a smoother sauce. This step is optional, but it helps the dressing look smoother.

Mash the beans with a fork until they form a paste. Add the tahini, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, cold water, and salt. Whisk until smooth.

If the sauce looks too thick, add 1 teaspoon of cold water at a time until it reaches a pourable consistency. Do not add all the extra water at once because tahini can vary a lot from one brand to another.

You can also make the sauce in a small food processor if you want it extra smooth.

Assemble and Garnish

Slice the red onion as finely as you can. If it tastes too strong, place it in a bowl with a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a small pinch of sumac. Rub it gently with your fingers for about 30 seconds, then leave it for a few minutes.

This softens the onion and makes it nicer to eat raw. You can rinse it after this step if you prefer a milder flavour, but I usually keep it as it is.

Place the drained white beans in a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced onion, chopped parsley, chili flakes, paprika, black pepper, and a little salt.

Pour the tahini dressing over the beans and mix gently. Try not to crush the beans too much. The salad should look creamy but not mashed.

Taste before serving. Add more salt, lemon juice, vinegar, or a little extra olive oil if needed.

Spoon the Piyaz salad into a serving bowl or individual plates. Garnish with diced tomato and quartered hard-boiled eggs.

Recipe Tips From the Chef

• Drain the beans well before mixing. Extra water from the beans can make the tahini dressing too thin.

• Do not overcook dried beans. They should be soft enough to eat but not fall apart, or the salad will turn mushy.

• Stir the tahini before using it. Tahini separates in the jar, and the thicker paste at the bottom can make the dressing too heavy.

• Add water to the tahini sauce slowly. Some tahini brands are runnier than others, so you may need less water than the recipe says.

• Slice the onion thinly. Thick slices can take over the salad and make each bite too sharp.

• Rub the onion with salt, lemon juice, and sumac if it tastes too strong. This extra small step makes the salad much nicer.

• Taste the salad after mixing. Beans need enough salt and acidity, so adjust with lemon juice, vinegar, or salt before serving.

• Add the tomato just before serving if making the salad ahead. Tomatoes release juice as they sit.

• Keep the eggs separate until serving if you want the salad to look fresh on the table.

Recipe Variations

For a lighter Mediterranean white bean salad, leave out the tahini and dress the beans with olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sumac, salt, and black pepper. This gives you a simpler version closer to the Piyaz served in many other parts of Turkey.

For a vegan Piyaz salad, leave out the hard boiled eggs. The salad is still filling because of the beans and tahini.

For a softer onion flavour, use spring onions instead of red onion. They work well if you are serving this salad to people who do not love raw onion.

For extra freshness, add diced cucumber or more herbs. Fresh dill or mint can work, but parsley should still be the main herb if you want to keep the Turkish style.

For a spicier version, add Turkish pul biber, Aleppo pepper, or finely chopped mild green chili.

Serving Ideas

Turkish White Bean Salad is usually served with köfte and grilled meat. It goes especially well with Grilled Lamb Kofta - Izgara Kofte, Adana Kebap (Adana Kofte), Tas Kebabi - Turkish Beef Stew, Lamb Beyti Kebab, or Orman Kebabi.

You can also serve it as part of a meze spread with Russian Salad (Olivier Salad), Saksuka (Turkish Vegetable Meze), Sigara Boregi (Turkish Cheese Rolls), and Mucver - Crispy Zucchini Fritters. Add warm bread on the side so you can scoop up the tahini dressing.

For a simple lunch, serve Fasulye Piyaz with Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi, Keema Naan Bread, or Pitka (Bulgarian Christmas Bread). It is filling enough on its own, especially with the boiled eggs on top.

Storage

You can keep leftover White Bean Salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dressing will thicken slightly as it sits, so stir in a small splash of cold water or lemon juice before serving if needed.

I do not recommend freezing Piyaz. The beans can become too soft after thawing, and the tahini dressing may split.

If you want to prepare it ahead, keep the beans, dressing, sliced onion, tomatoes, and eggs in separate containers. Mix everything shortly before serving for the best texture.

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Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

For other great healthy salad recipes why not try:

Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this classic Turkish White Bean Salad "Fasulye Piyazi" as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂