Large white beans, slowly cooked in a rich tomato sauce with plenty of olive oil, a classic example of Greek ladera cooking (vegetables in olive oil). Often served as meze, vegetarian main course or part of a buffet. The next day it tastes even better.
Gigantes plaki
Gigantes plaki
Method
01
Soak the beans
Rinse the beans and soak them for 12 hours in plenty of cold water. Drain and rinse again.
02
Pre-boil
Bring the beans to the boil in clean water and simmer gently for approx. 60–75 min until almost tender but not falling apart. Drain.
03
Sauce
Heat the olive oil and sweat the onion, carrot and celery for approx. 10 min. Add the garlic and fry for 1 min. Stir in the tomato purée, add the tomatoes, oregano, thyme and bay leaves and leave to bubble gently for approx. 20 min. Season with salt and pepper.
04
Oven
Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Gently fold the beans through the sauce, spoon everything into a large ovenproof dish and, if you like, add a splash of cooking liquid. Bake for 45–60 min until the top lightly caramelises.
05
Serve
Sprinkle with parsley and drizzle with extra olive oil. Delicious with feta, bread and olives.
Tips & notes
No time to soak? Use 2 tins of white beans (rinsed) and skip the pre-boiling, add them only to the sauce and shorten the oven time to approx. 40 minutes. Keeps for 2–3 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Variations
- Add 100 g of smoked bacon for a heartier, non-vegetarian version.
- Replace the white beans with butter beans for a creamier result.
Contains:
Celery
Serve with
| Calories | 499 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 20 g |
| Carbohydrates | 65 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Fibre | 17 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
