Antalya style bean salad with tahini sauce

This Antalya style bean salad with tahini sauce, Tahinli piyaz, is one of my favourite recipes from my recent cookery book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen. It makes a substantial, delicious lunch or perfect aside to grills, pasta. I hope you enjoy my recipe here. You can get a copy of SEBZE cookery book worldwide at this link too.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

Antalya style bean salad with tahini sauce

 

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian recipes

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

• 2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins pre-cooked cannellini beans (or equivalent dried beans)
• ½ small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 medium ripe tomato, diced
• handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 45 g (1¾ oz/1/3 cup) Turkish or other good-quality black olives, pitted and halved
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• For the tahini sauce
• 2 fat garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon grape or cider vinegar
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) lukewarm water
• To serve
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

1. Drain and rinse the pre-cooked beans, then place in a large bowl (If you prefer to use dried beans, as it is traditional in Türkiye, you need to soak them in cold water overnight. Drain and put them in a pan with plenty of fresh water, and cook for about 1 hour, or until tender, adding salt towards the end of the cooking time. Drain and set aside in a bowl, to be used in this salad). Stir in the onions and gently combine.
2. To make the tahini sauce, combine the garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin and a good pinch of salt with the tahini in a small bowl. Stir and combine well; you will notice the sauce will thicken. Pour in the vinegar and lukewarm water and combine well for 30 seconds. You will achieve a runny sauce at the end. Pour this sauce over the beans and gently combine well.
3. Stir the tomatoes, parsley and olives into the salad and combine well, then check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.
4. Transfer the salad to a serving plate, decorate with the quartered, hard-boiled eggs, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

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