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gigantes plaki baked in a baking dish topped with parsley and feta cheese

Gigantes Plaki Recipe (Greek Giant Beans Baked)

Gigantes plaki is a traditional Greek comfort dish, with giant beans baked to perfection in a rich tomato sauce with herbs and olive oil!
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Plus soaking time 0 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 6
Calories 509 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Baking Dish roughly 34cm x 23 cm

Ingredients
  

For the beans

  • 500 grams Dried white giant beans (Gigantes) Lima beans, or butter beans
  • Water For soaking and boiling

For the sauce

  • ¼ cup Olive oil
  • 2 Onions coarsely diced
  • 5 Garlic cloves coarsely sliced
  • 3 Carrots coarsely diced
  • 3 Celery sticks coarsely diced
  • 1 Small hot chilli sliced (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
  • 400 grams Crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1½ cup Vegetable stock
  • 2 Bay leaves fresh
  • 1 Cinnamon stick

For baking and garnish

  • 1 Bunch fresh parsley ¾ in dish, ¼ for garnish
  • ½ cup Olive oil
  • 200 grams Feta cheese optional

Instructions
 

Prepare the beans

  • Soak the beans in plenty of water for 12 hours or overnight.
  • Drain and rinse the beans under fresh water.
  • Transfer the beans to a large saucepan, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, checking frequently until the beans are tender but still holding their shape (see notes).
  • Drain the beans and transfer them to a large baking dish.

Cook the sauce

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  • Add the garlic, red and brown onions, and chilli (if using). Sauté until soft and translucent.
  • Stir in the carrots, celery, and tomato paste, cooking for 2 minutes.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper, then mix well.
  • Pour in the vegetable stock and add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
  • Simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat.

Assemble and bake

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan forced) / 355°F.
  • Scatter ¾ of the chopped parsley over the beans in the baking dish and drizzle with olive oil.
  • Pour the vegetable sauce mixture over the top and stir gently to combine.
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour.
  • Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes, until the top is golden, slightly crispy, and the beans are soft. Then remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
  • Garnish with the remaining fresh parsley and optionally top with crumbled Greek feta cheese.
  • Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. Beans: The giant Greek beans (gigantes beans) traditionally used in this recipe can be hard to find. I use large white lima beans, but if you want to skip the boiling step, canned butter beans work great.
  2. Texture tip: Keep an eye on the beans while simmering. You want them soft but not falling apart, as they’ll continue cooking in the oven. All beans are different, some may take 15 minutes, others 45 minutes.
  3. Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the oven or microwave, or even serve at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 509kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 15gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1551mgPotassium: 939mgFiber: 9gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 5692IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 302mgIron: 5mg
Keyword gigantes, gigantes plaki, greek giant beans
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