Piyaz Salad with red onions, tomatoes, parsley and sumac
We had a delicious Turkish cookery class at the Divertimenti Cookery School in London on Jan. 29th with enthusiastic participants. This vibrant and easy Piyaz Salad with red onions, tomatoes and parsley, flavored with sumac was a big hit from the class. It is a traditional salad at home, especially popular alongside Turkish meatballs, Kofte, as well as Lahmacun, Turkish thin pizza with minced meat and vegetables topping. I love the tangy sumac with the red onions in this salad, gives a refreshing, zingy flavor, so delicious.
Rolling Piyaz Salad inside Lahmacun, delicious
We also made Lahmacun, thin Turkish pizza with minced/ground meat topping at our Turkish cookery class – another big hit! – We then placed some Piyaz Salad in the middle of Lahmacun and rolled to eat, as we do it traditionally at home. Such a wonderful combination. Here’s my Lahmacun recipe, if you like to make it at home.
Wonderful participants of my Jan. 29th Turkish Cookery Class at Divertimenti Cookery School, London.
I am passionate about healthy, delicious Turkish cuisine; this recipe and over 90 healthy, authentic Turkish recipes are included at my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, Recipes from My Homeland. Signed copies are now 20 % this link and delivered worldwide including USA, if you like to get a signed copy.
Ozlem’s Turkish Table; Recipes from My Homeland – can be purchased at this link (signed copies!)
I hope you enjoy this easy, delicious, healthy Piyaz Salad, Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem
- 3 medium tomatoes, quartered and roughly chopped
- 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 15ml/1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 10 ml/2 teaspoon ground sumac
- ½ teaspoon paprika flakes – optional –
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Rub and work sumac and the salt into the onion slices with your hands really well (this will soften the onions and help spices infuse in well).
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes, parsley and paprika flakes, combine well.
- Wisk together the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the piyaz salad. Season with more salt (if needed) and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve Piyaz Salad with feta cheese, olives and/or hummus for a delicious spread. Piyaz Salad is also the ultimate accompaniment of Lahmacun and Turkish meatballs, kofte.
A very tasty and delicious salad. I thought that Piyaz salad is prepared with beans. I don’t speak Turkish so what means ” Piyaz” in English ?
Merhaba, thank you for your note – Piyaz actually means “onion” in Persian and we must have taken during the Ottomans most probably, it is the common name of the onion salad at home. Fasulye Piyazi is the one with beans, onions, parsley, love it, a meal itself – hope this helps.
PIYAZ, is ONION in English.
Love this thank you x
So glad you enjoy this delicious salad, afiyet olsun, Ozlem
Turkish and Greek food are clearly underrated! Great recipe. Peace to everyone!
Özlem’ciğim,
O yum! Very delicious sounding spread. They always serve a salad type side with lahmacun but it’s usually completely dry – just a few lettuce leaves, white onion slices and pieces of unripe tomatoes. Your salad sounds much, much tastier. Also, thanks for the explanation for ‘piyaz’ which was an immediate question that came to my mind. No wonder your classes are a roaring success – Maşallah! xoxo J
Merhaba Jolee’cigim, what a kind note, thank you so much : ) My version of piyaz salad is the way we do in our home, and I agree, with juicy tomatoes in the season it tastes sensational and sumac really transforms the taste too. Do look forward to seeing you in March in Istanbul and hopefully maybe a cookery class too – many many thanks for your kind words, your support means really a lot. Cok Sevgiler, Ozlem xxx
Hi. I would like to buy your book but I live in Turkey. Do you have a Turkish distributor?
Merhaba Selina, many thanks for your kind interest for my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table. Zen Seramik in Galata – Istanbul, and Fethiye Times in Fethiye has copies of my book, I just emailed you too. I hope you enjoy it, Afiyet Olsun, Ozlem
Lucky folk – wish I’d been in your class. Were your ears burning today ? – I was recommending your site to professional cooks.
Merhaba dear Back to Bodrum, very kind of you – how I wished to have you too, and I am sure lots to learn from you too as you are an amazing cook : ) Thank you very much for recommending my site, indeed my ears were burning!:) Cok Sevgilerimle, Ozlem xx
Hi Ozlem
I want to thank you for your recipes ,I am now learning how to cook Turkish food your recipes are perfect ingredients in each meal,I love your desserts also.My family are proud of me for making these tasty meals.,they always wonder what I will make next,I am so happy to find your website and I wish you health and happiness.
I am making this Piaz salad next time and Kofte to go with it.
Merhaba dear Lucy, what a kind note, thank you so much : ) I am delighted to hear you and family enjoying the recipes, well done you! Afiyet olsun and my best wishes, Ozlem
piyaz means beans. no beans in your recipe. Eggs?
Merhaba, we call this sogan piyazi, as it is primarily made with onions. The one with beans – which I love too – called Fasulye Piyazi in Turkish, and that one indeed has eggs, you can see my recipe for this at this link https://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2010/07/fasulye-piyazi-turkish-bean-salad-with-vegetables/
Hi ozlem ,I am a new subscriber and I love Turkish food ,I’m looking forward to making your salads ,I would love to make kofte kebab do you have a recipe,I live in Ireland and would love to start making Turkish food,my names William
Merhaba William, thank you for joinin us here, so glad you love Turkish food and do hope you enjoy my recipes here. Re kofte, I have this scrumptious kofte recipe here, I hope you enjoy it https://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2013/09/homemade-turkish-meatballs-kofte-101-grated-carrot-red-cabbage-salad/
I also wanted to let you know, I have a Turkish cookery book called Ozlem’s Turkish Table, with over 90 authentic recipes and stunning photography – Signed copies are available here and delivered promptly, if you are interested :
https://www.gbpublishing.co.uk/product-page/ozlem-s-turkish-table-hardback
Any questions, just let me know. Thank you and Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem
I love Turkish food and I tried your recipe (after ordering the bean salad from a Turkish restaurant near me), and it was just as excellent as the restaurant offering, perhaps even better knowing that I made it myself.
Now that I have found this site, i will be trying out other dishes.
thank you~LT
Merhaba dear Leema, many thanks for your kind note – so glad you enjoyed this bean salad, one of my favourites too. It is lovely to make at home, so delighted you enjoyed it.
Just to let you know, I also have a cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table, with over 90 authentic recipes, stunning photos and personal stories, signed copies are at this link and delivered worldwide if interested:
https://www.gbpublishing.co.uk/product-page/ozlem-s-turkish-table-hardback
Afiyet Olsun, Ozlem
Ey up, Ozlem, looks wonderful! I’m planning to try my hand at baking lahmacun to your recipe and want to make this piyaz to accompany them, but I can’t get my hands on sumac at the moment. Any suggestions for an appropriate substitute? Without having tried the salad, I would think the sumac is a pretty important flavour component so I don’t want to just drop it straight out of the recipe.
Thanks!
Merhaba Glen, many thanks for your kind note – sumac is a delicious, tangy, citrusy spice, goes so well rubbed in red onion slices and in salads – if you can’t find it, I would use fresh lemon juice for a delicious zing in piyaz. Do hope you enjoy making lahmacun! Afiyet Olsun, ozlem