Piyaz

A simple bean and onion salad, traditionally served with grilled meatballs.

Ingredients

Cooked small white beans (such as navy or great northern), about 3 cups
One good sized onion, preferably white
White vinegar, about 1/4 cup (or to taste) to dress, optionally more to soak the sliced onion. Lemon juice is also OK
Salt, to taste
Optional: any spices you want to add (great with just sumac, though here I used a ready made mix marketed as “Ottoman spice mix”, with red pepper flakes and various dried herbs)

Peel the onion, cut off the root end, and cut the onion in half lenghtwise
Cut the onion halves into think lengthwise slices
Prepare the onion slices. There are two options here. They both serve to take the raw sharpness out of the onion. The first way also softens the onion somewhat, whereas the second one leaves it crisp.
i) Put the slices in a steep-sided bowl (a pot will work well) with a bit of salt. Swirl them around with your hand, pushing them against the side of the bowl with a bit of force. Continue until they have become somewhat watery and softened to your liking.
ii) Soak the onion slices in plenty of white vinegar for at least an hour or up to several days.
Combine the beans, treated onion slices, salt, vinegar (if you’ve used the vinegar method in step 3, then go ahead and use some of the soaking vinegar), and optional spices in a bowl and mix well.
Serve slightly chilled. You might want to add more vinegar at serving time, as the beans tend to absorb the vinegar and get a bit dry.

2. Slice the onions

3.i) Swirl the onions with salt to soften them

3.ii) Soak the onions in white vinegar

4. Combine beans, onions, salt, spices

5. Serve somewhat chilled