This Nohut Piyazi recipe is one of those dishes that proves healthy food does not have to be boring. A classic Turkish chickpea salad packed with bold spices, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon — this is high protein, incredibly satisfying and honestly one of the most flavorful salads you will ever make.
I am not vegetarian — but if I was, I would eat this Nohut Piyazi recipe every single meal. The combination of crispy spiced chickpeas with fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, red onion and sumac is absolutely addictive. Make a big batch, keep it in the fridge and take it for lunch all week. You will not be disappointed.
What is Nohut Piyazi?
Nohut Piyazi is a traditional Turkish chickpea salad — “nohut” means chickpea and “piyazi” refers to a style of Turkish salad typically made with beans or legumes, onions and fresh herbs. It is a staple of Turkish home cooking and street food culture, especially popular as a high protein meze or side dish. This Nohut Piyazi recipe takes the classic base and elevates it by pan frying the chickpeas with olive oil and spices before tossing them into the fresh salad — giving you incredible depth of flavor in every bite.
Why You’ll Love This Nohut Piyazi Recipe
- High protein — chickpeas are one of the best plant based protein sources
- Naturally vegan and gluten free
- Perfect for meal prep — keeps in the fridge for 4 days
- Ready in under 1 hour.
- The sumac and cumin combo is absolutely incredible
- Works as a lunch, meze or side dish
- Budget friendly and made with simple ingredients
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 0.5 lb (225g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 50ml olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced into small cubes
- 2 sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp sumac (do not skip this)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely sliced
- 5–10 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
- Salt to taste
How to Make This Nohut Piyazi Recipe
1. Soak the chickpeas Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover generously with cold water. Soak overnight for at least 8 hours. This softens the chickpeas and reduces cooking time significantly.
2. Boil the chickpeas Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas. Place them in a pot and cover with fresh vegetable broth — boiling in broth instead of plain water adds a beautiful depth of flavor. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and cook for 30–45 minutes until the chickpeas are tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside.
3. Prep the salad While the chickpeas are cooking prepare your salad ingredients. Finely dice the red onion and red bell pepper into small even cubes. Thinly slice the sun dried tomatoes. Finely chop the parsley and slice the basil leaves thin. Add everything to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
4. Pan fry the chickpeas Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the cooked chickpeas and the finely chopped garlic. Add all the seasoning — cumin, chili flakes, sumac and salt. Do not skip the sumac — it is the soul of this Nohut Piyazi recipe and gives it that distinctive tangy Turkish flavor. Cook stirring occasionally for 5–8 minutes until the chickpeas develop a little color and absorb all the spices beautifully.
5. Cool the chickpeas quickly Once cooked spread the chickpeas on a tray or plate and place them in the freezer for 5–10 minutes to cool down fast. This stops them from wilting the fresh herbs when you mix everything together.
6. Combine and dress Add the cooled spiced chickpeas to the bowl with the fresh salad ingredients. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and toss everything together gently until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Serve and enjoy Serve immediately or refrigerate for later — this Nohut Piyazi recipe actually tastes even better after an hour in the fridge as the flavors develop. Afiyet olsun! 🍽️
Tips for the Best Nohut Piyazi Recipe
Always use dried chickpeas soaked overnight. The texture is completely different from canned — firmer, more satisfying and they hold up much better when pan fried. Canned chickpeas go mushy too quickly in this recipe.
Boil in vegetable broth not water. This simple swap adds so much flavor to the chickpeas from the inside out. It makes a noticeable difference.
Do not skip the sumac. Sumac is the star spice of this Nohut Piyazi recipe. It adds a tangy citrusy depth that you simply cannot replicate with anything else. Find it at any Middle Eastern or Turkish grocery store.
Cool the chickpeas before mixing. Hot chickpeas will wilt your fresh herbs and make the salad soggy. The quick freezer trick keeps everything crisp and fresh.
Make it your own. Add cucumber, cherry tomatoes, or even a spoonful of tahini for a different twist. The base is very versatile.
How to Serve Nohut Piyazi
- As a standalone lunch — filling, nutritious and complete
- As a meze alongside other Turkish dishes
- As a side dish with grilled meat or fish
- In a wrap or flatbread for a high protein Turkish style burrito
- Meal prepped for the whole week — keeps beautifully in the fridge
Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually develop and improve overnight. Do not freeze — the fresh herbs won’t survive it.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving):
| ingredients | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~320 kcal |
| Protein | ~14g |
| Carbohydrates | ~35g |
| Fat | ~14g |
| Fiber | ~9g |
Estimates based on ingredients. Values may vary depending on exact quantities used.
Nohut Piyazi Recipe (Turkish High Protein Chickpea Salad)
Course: Salad, MezeCuisine: TurkishDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes45
minutes320
kcalThis Nohut Piyazi recipe is one of those dishes that proves healthy food does not have to be boring. A classic Turkish chickpea salad packed with bold spices, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon — this is high protein, incredibly satisfying and honestly one of the most flavorful salads you will ever make.
I am not vegetarian — but if I was, I would eat this Nohut Piyazi recipe every single meal. The combination of crispy spiced chickpeas with fresh basil, sun dried tomatoes, red onion and sumac is absolutely addictive. Make a big batch, keep it in the fridge and take it for lunch all week. You will not be disappointed.
Ingredients
0.5 lb (225g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
50ml olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely diced into small cubes
2 sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp sumac (do not skip this)
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, finely sliced
5–10 fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
Salt to taste
Directions
- Soak the chickpeas Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl and cover generously with cold water. Soak overnight for at least 8 hours. This softens the chickpeas and reduces cooking time significantly.
- Boil the chickpeas Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas. Place them in a pot and cover with fresh vegetable broth — boiling in broth instead of plain water adds a beautiful depth of flavor. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and cook for 30–45 minutes until the chickpeas are tender but still holding their shape. Drain and set aside.
- Prep the salad While the chickpeas are cooking prepare your salad ingredients. Finely dice the red onion and red bell pepper into small even cubes. Thinly slice the sun dried tomatoes. Finely chop the parsley and slice the basil leaves thin. Add everything to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Pan fry the chickpeas Heat a large pan over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Add the cooked chickpeas and the finely chopped garlic. Add all the seasoning — cumin, chili flakes, sumac and salt. Do not skip the sumac — it is the soul of this Nohut Piyazi recipe and gives it that distinctive tangy Turkish flavor. Cook stirring occasionally for 5–8 minutes until the chickpeas develop a little color and absorb all the spices beautifully.
- Cool the chickpeas quickly Once cooked spread the chickpeas on a tray or plate and place them in the freezer for 5–10 minutes to cool down fast. This stops them from wilting the fresh herbs when you mix everything together.
- Combine and dress Add the cooled spiced chickpeas to the bowl with the fresh salad ingredients. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon and toss everything together gently until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve and enjoy Serve immediately or refrigerate for later — this Nohut Piyazi recipe actually tastes even better after an hour in the fridge as the flavors develop. Afiyet olsun! 🍽️
Recipe Video
Notes
- Always use dried chickpeas soaked overnight. The texture is completely different from canned — firmer, more satisfying and they hold up much better when pan fried. Canned chickpeas go mushy too quickly in this recipe.
- Boil in vegetable broth not water. This simple swap adds so much flavor to the chickpeas from the inside out. It makes a noticeable difference.
- Do not skip the sumac. Sumac is the star spice of this Nohut Piyazi recipe. It adds a tangy citrusy depth that you simply cannot replicate with anything else. Find it at any Middle Eastern or Turkish grocery store.
- Cool the chickpeas before mixing. Hot chickpeas will wilt your fresh herbs and make the salad soggy. The quick freezer trick keeps everything crisp and fresh.
- Make it your own. Add cucumber, cherry tomatoes, or even a spoonful of tahini for a different twist. The base is very versatile.
