White Bean Salad with Tahini
Cooked white beans with a lemon-tahini dressing, tomato and parsley, topped with hard-boiled eggs. An Antalya-style home adaptation.
The Turkish pantry
Lemon
Buy juicy lemons and use their juice and zest for different jobs in the kitchen.
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Fresh yellow lemons are the whole-fruit form covered here. Juice, zest and preserved lemon are different forms; the nutrition reference is raw flesh without peel.
Types & forms
Fresh whole lemon
Provides both sour juice and aromatic colored peel.
Bottled lemon juice
Check whether it is pure juice or a sweetened drink; it cannot supply fresh zest.
Preserved lemon
A salted preserved product with a different taste and use, not ordinary fresh lemon.
What to look for when buying
- Choose firm fruit that feels heavy for its size, with intact skin.
- When buying juice, read the ingredient list and storage directions rather than relying on lemon imagery on the bottle.
Prepare & cook
- Rinse the skin before cutting. Bring a refrigerated lemon to room temperature and roll gently before juicing.
- For zest, take the colored outer layer. In a dressing, add juice gradually and taste for the required balance.
Store it well
- Refrigerate whole lemons and plan to use within two weeks for a conservative quality target.
- Use cut fruit promptly, covered in the refrigerator. Extra juice can be frozen.
Substitutions depend on the dish
For acidity in an everyday salad dressing
Vinegar changes the aroma and may have a different strength. Add gradually; it does not replace zest.
In preserving or canning
Follow the tested recipe’s exact acid and form. Do not replace specified bottled juice with fresh juice by guesswork.
Related skills
Seasoning & Flavor Balance
Taste and balance seasoning
Taste the mixture before adding more, especially when salty or sour ingredients are already present.
Nutrition
Raw lemon flesh, without peel [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 29 kcal |
| Protein | 1.1 g |
| Total fat | 0.3 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.04 g |
| Carbohydrate | 9.32 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.8 g |
| Total sugars | 2.5 g |
| Sodium | 2 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 26 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 138 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
This is lemon flesh without peel, not juice alone or zest. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
Lemon juice balances the tahini in our piyaz dressing and is offered in our red lentil soup. A wedge lets a diner adjust the sourness to taste.
Cook with Lemon
Red Lentil Soup
A smooth red lentil soup with onion, carrot and potato, finished with cumin and lemon. This version uses olive oil and water.
Adana-Style Lamb Skewers
Hand-chopped lamb and tail fat grilled on flat skewers, with warm flatbread, charred vegetables and sumac onions.
Aegean Dandelion Salad
Pleasantly bitter dandelion greens with lemon and olive oil.
Artichokes in Olive Oil
Tender artichoke bottoms filled with carrot, potato and peas in lemon and olive oil.
Baked Sea Bream
Whole sea bream roasted with thin potatoes, tomato, green pepper and lemon.
Beet and Pomegranate Salad
Tender beets with dill, parsley, walnuts and pomegranate in a lemon and olive oil dressing.
Bonito with Tomato and Onion
Atlantic bonito steaks baked over soft onions and tomatoes with bay and lemon.
Borlotti Beans in Olive Oil
Borlotti beans with tomato, carrot, potato and garlic in a mellow olive-oil sauce.
Cabbage-Shoot Salad
Tender cabbage shoots with lemon, garlic and olive oil.
Fish Sandwich
Hot mackerel in crusty bread with crisp lettuce, sliced onion, lemon and optional sumac.
Fish Soup
A clear fish broth with tender sea bass, potato, carrot and fresh herbs.