This Greek Giant Beans recipe (gigantes plaki) is a hearty side dish made with beans in a delicious tomato and olive oil sauce. Greek giant beans are soaked, cooked, and slow baked with vegetables and tomatoes until the edges are crisped to perfection.
A fantastic plant-based addition to your next meze platter. This gigantes plaki recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and naturally gluten free. Everyone at the table can dig in!
This is yet another recipe from our friend George, who gave us avgolemono with orzo and yourvarlakia, Greek meatball soup. Gigantes are a type of Greek bean, which are related to scarlet runner beans, and very similar to lime beans. Plaki translates to the method of baking or braising the beans by roasting in the oven with vegetables. Not to play favorites, but these Greek giant beans may be my favorite yet.
The secret to these beans is soaking them overnight, simmering them in a creamy tomato sauce, and finally baking them until crispy and golden. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on top, and serve with feta cheese and crusty bread.
These Greek Giant Beans Are
- Hearty
- Rich
- Satisfying
- Simple
- Plant-Based
- Crispy on the Outside
- Creamy in the Middle
- Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, and Dairy Free
Make Greek Giant Beans Vegetarian or Vegan
This vegetarian gigantes plaki is a simple way to get extra bean and vegetables on your plate. I’m all about making recipes plant-based when I can. Vegetarian cooking does NOT have to be bland, boring, or flavorless… It’s quite the opposite when done right. By building meals around vegetarian pantry staples and swapping in a few plant-based ingredients you can make healthier meals for you and your family.
Check out all my vegetarian recipes here that are on The Herbeevore. These easy and healthy recipes are fantastic meatless meals for your table.
What’s In Gigantes Plaki?
- Gigantes Beans – you can get authentic Gigandes beans online here. If you can’t find gigantes beans but still want to try this recipe, you can substitute giant lima beans like these.
- Bay Leaves: I always add bay leaves to every bean recipe or soup I make. It gives them beans a deep flavor which is savory and delicious! When I lived in California I had laurel bay trees in my backyard, and I used to pick the dried leaves, now I buy them in bulk!
- Greek olive oil – if you’re going to make this recipe right, I’d recommend a Greek olive oil, which is one of the stars of this dish – made from kalamata olives.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrot
- Bell Pepper
- Fresh Parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Diced Tomatoes: I only use no salt added diced tomatoes, these boxed tomatoes are really great to stock up on! I like boxed tomatoes better because they are BPA free and more eco-friendly than aluminum cans. If you try to avoid foods in BPA cans, these are a great alternative.
- Low Sodium Vegetable Stock – I like to use this low sodium vegetable stock for my recipes because it has great flavor… without all the salt. I always use low sodium or no-salt-added broth or stock to start, and then I can add salt or other spices later if needed. Check out more low sodium recipes here!
How Do You Make Greek Plaki with Giant Beans?
- Place beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight.
- Drain the beans, and cover with fresh water. Place the beans in a Dutch oven or pot and boil for 30 minutes, skimming any foam from the top of the pot. Drain, and rinse beans. Then add them back to the pot with fresh water and the bay leaf and boil for 1.5 hours until beans are cooked.
- Drain beans and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, add the olive oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the carrot, bell pepper, and diced tomatoes to the pot and sauté over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock. Add the beans and continue to cook over low heat for 15 more minutes until the beans are coated in the sauce and beginning to bubble.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the Dutch oven on the center rack of your oven, or if you don’t have a Dutch oven, the transfer the beans to a baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the beans are crispy on the sides.
- Serve beans with extra parsley, feta cheese, and crusty bread.
More Easy Bean Recipes You’ll Love!
Black Bean Soup with Avocado Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Butter Bean Hummus Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)
Lemony White Bean Soup Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)
Black Bean Shakshuka Recipe (Vegetarian, Gluten Free)
Get the Same Ingredients for this Greek Baked Beans Recipe
As always, if you make this vegan and gluten free Greek giant beans recipe be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me @theherbeevore on Instagram so I can feature you. I love seeing all your photos of my recipes!
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Greek Giant Beans (Gigantes Plaki)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb gigantes plaki beans
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 2/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 28 ounces No-Salt-Added Diced Tomatoes with juice
- 2 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
- Place beans in a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight.
- Drain the beans, and cover with fresh water. Place the beans in a Dutch oven or pot and boil for 30 minutes, skimming any foam from the top of the pot. Drain, and rinse beans. Then add them back to the pot with fresh water and the bay leaf and boil for 1.5 hours until beans are cooked.
- Drain beans and set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, add the olive oil, onions, and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the carrot, bell pepper, and diced tomatoes to the pot and sauté over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock. Add the beans and continue to cook over low heat for 15 more minutes until the beans are coated in the sauce and beginning to bubble.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the Dutch oven on the center rack of your oven, or if you don't have a Dutch oven, the transfer the beans to a baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes until the beans are crispy on the sides.
- Serve beans with extra parsley, feta cheese, and crusty bread.
Video
Notes
Save Money on Fresh Groceries & Pantry Staples!
I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market - they sell produce & pantry staples (even wine!) at a super discounted price. We get Misfit Market boxes every month and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery. You can get $10 off your first $30 box by clicking here! Give Misfits Market a look if you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it!Nutrition
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1 lb gigantes plaki beans
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 large carrot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper
2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
28 ounces diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups vegetable stock
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Really enjoyed this bean recipe!