Giant beans (gigantes) with greens

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.


Γίγαντες με λαχανικά. Have you met our parents? If you have, in person, then you have hopefully visited them in the summer and taken a stroll through their garden. They love sharing this outside oasis with family, friends and people they just met. A garden is a lot of hard work, but the payoff is priceless. The pride of growing your own food, knowing that it is as fresh and as clean as possible – well, there is nothing better. It also offers a perspective that you can’t really appreciate otherwise. A garden, big or small, gives you a glimpse into the work that our farmers and agriculturalists experience every day to keep us fed.

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.

We have never known life without a garden. When our home was an apartment on the second floor of a building in the city’s Mile End district, vegetables were potted and placed on the balcony and on the steps of the outdoor staircase leading to our front door. Then, when they had access to a backyard, our parents took full advantage. They went from a few pots of tomatoes, eggplants and peppers to rows upon rows of vegetables, herbs and fruit trees. The eggplants they still kept in pots however.

Some of the things that our parents grow are greens. There is always spinach, chicory, swiss chard, lettuce, parsley and amaranth greens being tended. They use these in all sorts of recipes like their spanakorizo and stewed swiss chard recipe and this recipe for giant beans (gigantes) with greens

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.

This is the sort of meal that we just love. Giant beans (gigantes) with greens is a perfect vegan meal that can easily feed a meat-loving family with confidence! The flavours are sublime and fresh. The beans are hearty, making this a filling meal. Serve with some nice fresh bread to help sop up the sauces and you will be very, very happy. Promise!


Helpful hints

What are gigantes?

If you have never heard of gigantes, don’t feel badly. They are an elusive bean, and although very common in Greek recipes they are not always easy to find outside of Greece and Greek markets. As a result, people often refer to them as giant lima beans, and use them interchangeably. Although they do look similar, gigantes are creamier, meatier and hold their shape better than lima beans when cooked. In actual fact, they are white runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus). Colloquially they are sometimes referred to as elephant beans. We think that understanding gigantes is important, particularly because they are so special in Greek cooking. They are so special, in fact, that certain regions of Greece have varieties of gigantes which have been accredited as Protected Geographical Indication products.

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.

Purchasing dried beans

We love dried beans for their versatility, variety and price. Pound per pound, beans are way cheaper than meat, fish and poultry and are packed full of nutrients. Although dried beans keep for a very long time, do try and purchase your beans from a store with a high bean turnover. Older beans (a dusty bag high up on a grocer’s shelf is a clue) will take longer to cook and their flavour and texture may be impacted. When making giant beans (gigantes) with greens, it may be helpful to shop in a Greek or Mediterranean market.

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.
A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.

How to prepare giant beans (gigantes) with greens.

You will need to start thinking about this recipe the day before you plan to serve it because you have to soak the beans. White runner beans (gigantes) need to soak for at least 12 hours in order to facilitate the cooking process. Even at that, you will need to boil the beans for up to 2 hours, until the beans are fully tender.

In terms of the greens, any variety of greens will work well. We like to use two to three varieties in order to maximize flavour. We chop our greens coarsely (that is, not finely minced) and after we wash them we remove the excess water but are not concerned with thoroughly drying the greens.

Adding lemon to finish the giant beans (gigantes) with greens.

The bright burst of fresh lemon juice right before serving is just what this meal needs to take it from delicious to superbly delicious. We like to use the juice of an entire lemon, but you can add as much, or as little as you like.

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.
A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.

Do you like our giant beans (gigantes) with greens? If you do, check out these recipes:

Gigantes plaki

Black-eyed peas and spinach

Revithosoupa (Chickpea soup)

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.

We love hearing from you!  If you have made our recipes, or if you have a question or comment, or simply want to say Hi!,  please leave a comment and star rating below! Also be sure to follow along with us, on FacebookInstagram and Pinterest.  We have lots of fun over there.

This post may contain some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

You can find a full index of all of our recipes here.

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.
A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.

Giant beans (gigantes) with greens

A Greek recipe which combines giant beans (gigantes) with a mixture of greens.
4.92 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Soaking time: 12 hours
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 369kcal
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 large frying pan
  • 1 9 x 13 inch baking dish

Ingredients

  • 250 grams White runner beans (gigantes), soaked overnight see Recipe Note
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) olive oil divided
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, chopped white part only
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 6 spring onions, chopped white and green parts
  • ¼ cup chopped dill
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 380 grams mixed greens See Recipe Note below
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lemon

Instructions

  • Soak your beans in cold water overnight.
    250 grams White runner beans (gigantes), soaked overnight
  • Drain and rinse your beans. Fill up a large saucepot with cold water and add the beans (be sure that the water covers the beans by at least 2 inches). Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium heat. Cook for 1½ to 2 hours, uncovered, until your beans are tender. You may need to add additional water as the beans cook. Drain and set aside.
  • While your beans are cooking, prepare your greens by chopping them into 1 inch pieces or so and washing them well. There is no need to dry the greens. Set aside.
    380 grams mixed greens
  • In a large frying pan set over medium heat add 1/4 cup olive oil and saute the onion, leek, garlic, green onions, dill and oregano for about 7-8 minutes. Stir regularly to prevent burning. Next add as many greens as can easily fit into the pan and allow them to cook down. Repeat, adding more greens until all have been incorporated. Be mindful not to allow the greens to burn. Remove from the heat.
    1 yellow onion, chopped, 1 leek, chopped, 2 cloves garlic, chopped, 6 spring onions, chopped, ¼ cup chopped dill, 1 tsp dried oregano
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Transfer the greens to a lightly greased 9 x13 baking dish and spread them across the bottom. Top with the fresh chopped parsly and then layer the drained beans on top. Add 1/2 cup of boiling water and the salt and pepper.. Top with an additional 1/4 cup olive oil. There is no need to mix.
    ½ cup parsley, chopped, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • Bake on the bottom rack of your oven, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes.
  • Before serving, drizzle with additional olive oil, and squeeze the juice of a lemon over the contents in the pan. Add additional salt and pepper if desired. Stir well to combine and enjoy!

Notes

Beans:
If you cannot find white runner beans (gigantes), sometimes referred to as elephant beans, then you can use giant lima beans instead.  If you can't find those either, then any large bean could work (ex. white kidney beans).  Cooking times for the beans will have to be adjusted.
Mixed greens:
We used a combination of curly chicory, swiss chard; and escarole lettuce.  Other options include spinach, kale, collard greens and dandelion greens

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Sodium: 627mg | Potassium: 695mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2627IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 4mg

Thanks for sharing!

14 Comments

  1. Anna of Stuffedveggies says:

    This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing : )

    1. miakouppa says:

      You’re so welcome! We hope you love this recipe as much as we do! xoxo Helen & Billie

  2. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen says:

    The beans are amazing!

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thanks so much! We really love them! xoxo Helen & Billie

  3. Diane Green says:

    Looks good, but why such an odd amount of greens? Not a pound, not half a kilo.

    1. miakouppa says:

      Ha! Good point Diane. No real reason, other than the fact that this is how the recipe turns out when we make it with our parents. You can certainly use a little more, or a little less of the greens – it won’t affect the outcome much, and will still be delicious! xoxo Helen & Billie

  4. Ok I’m confused. 250 grams dried White runner beans compares to canned beans how? (Cant find dried ones only canned) I can of gigabyte beans is 439 grams. A half a can won’t fill a 9 x 13 baking dish. And even if the dried beans double in size, that’s a single can? Help. I want to get proportions rights for the recipe to come out

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Barb! Thanks for the question. There is no absolute rule but typically you would double the weight of the dry beans if you will be using canned. So in this instance you would need at least 500 grams of canned beans. Hoping that this helps and that you enjoy the recipe. Let us know! xoxo Helen & Billie

  5. I really enjoyed this recipe! I had something similar when I was travelling in northern Greece about a month ago and I found your site while looking for something like what I had there. I made it with Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans, which were perfect. I’ll definitely be trying more of your recipes. Thank you!5 stars

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Tom! So happy that you found us, and that you gave our recipe a try! Hope you continue to find more to love here with us. Looking forward to hearing what you think 🙂 xoxo Helen & Billie

  6. I substituted coriander for parsley. Don’t have any lol. Added some celery , was close to going bad needed to use. Also used about 1.5 times greens. I enjoy my greens.

    Came out wonderful.5 stars

    1. miakouppa says:

      So glad you loved it George! Good job with the substitutions! xoxo Helen & Billie

  7. Charlotte says:

    I’ve cooked the beans but…. The outer shell is very tough. I soaked them for about 24 hrs. Did I do something wrong?5 stars

    1. miakouppa says:

      Hi Charlotte. No, you didn’t necessarily do anything wrong. It could be that your beans were very old. Otherwise, you can try adding some baking soda to the water when soaking your beans. Hope that helps. xoxo Helen & Billie

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating