This nutritious and delicious Piyaz Salad is made with white kidney beans, red onions, peppers, tomatoes, parsley, and a zingy dressing made with sumac, Aleppo chilli and pomegranate molasses. This wholesome salad is ready in just 10 minutes, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to almost any main dish.
Serving Suggestions
What I love most about Turkish cuisine are the mezzes, and what’s even better is that a lot of them are vegan! This white kidney bean salad is the perfect accompaniment to almost any main dish. The refreshing, tanginess of this salad goes perfectly with spicy and meaty dishes. My favourite mains to serve it with are vegan Kofte (Turkish Style meatballs), or vegan Lahmacun (vegan minced meat flatbread), but you can serve it on it’s own or as a side dish with anything you like. If you're looking for mains to serve with this salad, take a look at my recipes for vegan Et Sote, Kofte or Lahmacun.
Can I Use Other Beans?
The traditional recipe calls for white kidney beans (cannellini beans), but I’ve tried making this salad with Haricot beans and Borlotti beans and it tasted just as good. You can use any bean of your choice, as long the beans you use have a soft, creamy texture.
Ingredients for Piyaz
White beans - The main ingredient you need for this Turkish salad is white kidney beans. I prefer to use canned white beans as it saves a lot of time, but if you like, you can boil dried beans, though I must point out that this will add a extra hour or two to the preparation time.
Red onion - Red onions are what make this salad extra delicious. I like to slice them thinly so the flavour of the red onion blends harmoniously with the other ingredients.
Tomatoes - my favourite tomato for salads are Roma tomatoes, but you can use any ripe, good quality tomato.
Green pepper - I’ve used sweet Carliston peppers for this recipe, but you can also use green bell pepper.
Parsley - the parsley adds a delicious freshness to the salad, and a vibrant pop of colour. Parsley is a must in this recipe!
Ingredients for the Dressing
Olive oil - I’d recommend using good quality extra virgin olive oil.
Lemon juice - this salad wouldn’t be complete without a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
Garlic - I’ve added 1 clove of garlic, which is enough to add a delicious depth of flavour without being overpowering.
Sumac - This tangy and fruity spice is a staple in Turkish cuisine. You can find it in the spice section in almost all supermarkets.
Aleppo chilli flakes - This is a mild chilli with a delicious fruity flavour. If you’re unable to find Aleppo chilli flakes, you can use Korean chilli flakes (Gochugaru) or ancho chilli flakes as they taste quite similar.
Vinegar - I’ve used apple cider vinegar, but you can use any vinegar of your choice.
Pomegranate molasses - the pomegranate molasses adds an extra layer of tanginess and helps to bring out the sweetness of the red onions.
Instructions
STEP 1:
Wash the vegetables and parsley and pat them dry.
STEP 2:
Finely chop the parsley, dice the tomatoes and peppers, and thinly slice the red onion and add them to a large salad bowl.
STEP 3:
Drain and rinse the canned white beans and add them to the bowl. It’s important to drain away as much of the excess liquid as possible to prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
STEP 4:
In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, crushed garlic, vinegar, sumac, Aleppo pepper, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it so all the ingredients are evenly coated in the dressing.
STEP 5:
Cover the bowl with some cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes and then serve.
Can I Make this Salad Ahead of Time
I find that this salad tastes best when fresh, but you can certainly make the dressing in advance. If you have any leftover, place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to two days.
Comentarios