greekbeansveganbakedmezzetomatoolive oil

Gigantes Plaki

Name: Gigantes Plaki
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 480 g cooked gigante beans, drained; 120 ml hot water; 45 ml olive oil; 150 g onion, finely diced; 100 g celery stalks, finely diced; 12 g garlic cloves, minced; 15 g tomato paste; 400 g crushed tomatoes; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp dried oregano; 5 g fine sea salt; 1 g freshly ground black pepper; 15 g fresh dill, chopped; 10 g fresh parsley, chopped; 10 ml lemon juice

Gigantes Plaki is a comforting tray of buttery giant beans baked in a silky tomato sauce scented with garlic, celery, and herbs. The top turns slightly caramelized in the oven while the interior stays rich and saucy, making it ideal with crusty bread or as part of a mezze spread.

2 servings

576 kcal

Greek

Ingredients

For the beans

480 gcooked gigante beans, drained
120 mlhot water

For the tomato base

45 mlolive oil
150 gonion, finely diced
100 gcelery stalks, finely diced
12 ggarlic cloves, minced
15 gtomato paste
400 gcrushed tomatoes
1bay leaf
1 tspdried oregano
5 gfine sea salt
1 gfreshly ground black pepper

For finishing

15 gfresh dill, chopped
10 gfresh parsley, chopped
10 mllemon juice

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Finely dice the onion and celery, mince the garlic, and chop the dill and parsley so everything is ready before you start the sauce.
2
Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet or shallow baking dish set over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden; this slow sweating builds sweetness without browning too hard.
3
Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Briefly frying the paste removes its raw taste and deepens the sauce.
4
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, salt, pepper, and hot water. Bring to a brisk simmer and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened but still loose enough to bake with the beans.
5
Fold in the cooked gigante beans gently so they stay whole and well coated. Simmer for 2 minutes just to heat them through.
6
Transfer to the oven if your pan is not already ovenproof. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, until the top is lightly caramelized and the sauce has thickened around the beans but is not dry. The beans should be creamy inside and the surface should show patches of concentrated tomato.
7
Remove the bay leaf. Rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles and clings to the beans. Stir in most of the dill, parsley, and lemon juice, reserving a little herb for the top.
8
Spoon into warm bowls or plates, scatter over the remaining herbs, and serve warm with bread or a simple salad if you like.

Nutrition per serving

576 kcal

Calories

18g

Protein

57g

Carbs

30g

Fat

17g

Fiber

Notes

•Using pre-cooked or good-quality jarred/canned gigante beans is the only realistic way to keep this dish within 60 minutes; dried beans would require soaking and much longer cooking.
•If the sauce reduces too quickly in the oven, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water; Gigantes Plaki should be luscious and olive-oil-rich, not dry.
•For deeper flavor, make the dish a few hours ahead and reheat gently; like many bean dishes, it tastes even better after the flavors meld.
•A small pinch of chili flakes is not traditional in every version, but can be added if you want gentle heat.

Background

Gigantes Plaki is a classic Greek oven-baked bean dish, especially associated with home cooking and tavernas. The name refers to large white beans baked in a tomato and olive oil sauce, a style of cooking known as plaki. It reflects the Greek love of ladera dishes, where vegetables or legumes are cooked generously with olive oil.

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