Home Cook Together. Celebrate Life.

TurkishAuthentic Cuisine

Piyaz

Serves 4 to 6 Salad vegetarian, Salads

Piyaz

Piyaz hails from the sun-soaked streets of Antalya, where it is a staple on tables throughout the year. This version captures the essence of home cooking, where ingredients are measured not by precision but by feel. It is a dish that thrives on generosity—of flavor, of sharing, and of spirit. This isn't restaurant fare; it's the kind of piyaz a Turkish family cook would prepare, bringing a sense of warmth and community to the meal.

A well-made piyaz is a symphony of textures and tastes. The creamy tahini and olive oil meld with the brightness of lemon juice, while tender white beans and hard-boiled eggs provide substance. Crisp onion and fresh parsley offer a contrast, each bite a balance of richness and freshness. Salt is added with care, adjusted by hand to elevate without overpowering. It is a dish that invites you to reach for more, a true testament to the beauty of simple, honest ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 400 gwhite beans — cooked
  • 2eggs — boiled
  • 1onion
  • 2 tbsptahini
  • 2 tbsplemon juice
  • parsley — chopped
  • 80 mlolive oil
  • to tastefine sea salt

Method

  1. Start by preparing the white beans. If using dried beans, soak 400 g of them overnight in plenty of water. The next day, drain and rinse them, then cook in a large pot of boiling water until they are tender but not mushy. You should be able to squish a bean easily between your fingers, but it should hold its shape in the salad.
  2. While the beans are cooking, place 2 eggs in a small saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let the eggs simmer for about 9 minutes. The yolks should be fully set but still creamy. Cool the eggs under running cold water, peel, and slice them into quarters.
  3. Peel and thinly slice 1 onion. To mellow its sharpness, soak the slices in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry. This step ensures the onion adds a subtle bite without overpowering the dish.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tbsp tahini, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and 80 ml olive oil until smooth and emulsified. This dressing should be creamy and slightly thick, with a balanced tang from the lemon juice.
  5. Once the beans have cooled to room temperature, combine them with the sliced onion in a large mixing bowl. Pour the tahini dressing over the beans and onions. Season with fine sea salt to taste, remembering that the salt should enhance the flavors without being too pronounced.
  6. Gently toss the salad with your hands or a large spoon, ensuring that the beans and onions are well-coated with the dressing. Be careful not to break the beans; they should remain intact to provide a pleasing texture.
  7. Transfer the Piyaz to a serving platter. Arrange the quartered eggs on top and garnish generously with chopped parsley. Serve immediately with fresh bread, allowing everyone to enjoy the dish as a shared experience, true to the spirit of Antalya's home cooking.
Cover of Authentic Turkish Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Turkish Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Turkish Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Turkish volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Buy the cookbook on Amazon Explore Turkish cuisine