People often inquire about my father’s restaurant, Mitch’s. If you grew up in the metro-Detroit area, you know why! I still get asked to recreate, share recipes, and discuss what made the restaurant legendary. Beyond the ribs and Greek salad, one of the most popular dishes was my Yiayia’s Piazi (Bean Salad).

Yiayia’s Piazi (Bean Salad) was served at Mitch’s as a pre-appetizer, before people ordered their food. Why is this salad so special? While this dish is made with extremely simple ingredients, it’s very flavorful. Something about the tangy vinaigrette, soaking into the simple vegetables and beans is unforgettable.

The key to a good vinaigrette is a quality olive oil! I love Ladi Biosas! They produce organic, aromatic (but no fake aromas!) and light olive oil with beautiful citrus tones. I am so excited to incorporate the other flavors into my cooking.

This recipe is simple and farm-to-table, in fact, you can add whatever you want to this salad just long as a few key ingredient are not excluded.  Piazi can be used as a side dish or to add a lighter starch to a menu. It is the perfect addition to any summer BBQ.

As a child, my family would have large picnic’s at my Yiayia’s lake house. It was just across the lake from our restaurant, and Piazi was always part of both menus. This bean salad is addictive, simple yet extraordinary, and has brought so many fond memories to my family. Enjoy!

Greek Bean Salad ( Piazi)

Print Recipe
Serves: 6 servings Cooking Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 Cans of Northern white beans
  • 1/4 Cup of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 Cup of parsley
  • 1 Cup of diced peppers ( red, yellow and green)
  • 1 Cup of chopped red onion
  • 1/4 Cup of red wine vinegar
  • 4 Small cucumbers sliced small
  • 1 Cup of heirloom cherry tomatoes
  • 1/2 Cup of fresh dill

Instructions

1

Chill the cans of beans for a few hours before opening

2

Open them and place in colander and rinse

3

Place into a bowl

4

Add dill, parsley, red onion, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, salt and pepper to taste

5

Drizzle olive oil and vinegar and toss

6

Serve chilled

Notes

The dish needs to be served cold It can be made in advance and it is better after a few days

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