Greek Gigantes plaki (Φασόλια γίγαντες)

Greek gigantes plaki is a slow cooked meal of white runner beans (or giant lima beans) combined with vegetables and baked in a rich and flavourful tomato sauce. This vegan meal is hearty, nutritious and so delicious. Learn how to make this authentic Greek classic.

What was that?  You want something satisfying, luxurious, super easy and vegan?  Oh, good.  I’ve got just the thing for you.  Gigantes (or gigantes plaki) is a dish that I think you will come back to again and again. In this recipe, beans are prepared into a stew-like casserole, giving you a meal which is at once elegant, yet simple.

What are gigantes?

Maybe because gigantes are not the most common of beans, people often refer to them as giant lima beans.  Despite the fact that they look similar, gigantes are creamier, meatier and hold their shape better than lima beans when cooked; they are not the same thing.  When they aren’t mislabeled as lima beans, gigantes are sometimes colloquially referred to as elephant beans.  In actual fact, they are white runner beans (which I think sounds much more appetizing than elephant beans…no offence to elephants).  Even more officially, and officially Latin, they are classified as Phaseolus coccineus . I think these distinctions are important, particularly because gigantes 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. Take that, lima bean.

Key ingredients

Gigantes or White runner beans Sometimes these are referred to as Elephant beans. I usually find them dried in Greek or Middle Easter grocery stores. I have yet to see them canned. If you cannot find gigantes (you can also find gigantes online)

Carrots A splash of colour and some added sweetness and creaminess with the carrots! So good.

Celery I remove any thick ribbing (those pesky tough fibers that often run along the celery) before chopping it up into bite size pieces.

Onion I use a regular yellow onion in this meal.

Leek I also like to add leek, which has a milder flavour than regular onion. I am always sure to wash it well and I use both the white and the light, tender green part.

Tomato sauce Whenever possible I use my homemade tomato sauce to make gigantes. If you don’t have homemade sauce then you can use a good quality passata.

Tomato paste I love to use tomato paste for its intense, almost smokey tomato flavour.

Olive oil Of course, I only use Greek olive oil (and if you ask me, that is all you should use too!)

How to make it

Preparation

Soak your gigantes in a large bowl of cold water for 12 hours or overnight.

Instructions

Step 1
The next day, bring a pot of water to a boil and boil your gigantes for approximately 60 minutes, until you are able to bite into them.  They will still have a crumbly inside texture at this point. This is fine, as they will finish cooking in the oven.

Step 2
Drain the gigantes and then place them in a 10 x 15 inch baking pan.  Mix in the chopped vegetables, the tomato sauce, the tomato paste, the olive oil, the water and the salt and pepper.  Stir well to combine and spread the ingredients evenly throughout the pan.

Step 3
Cover your pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in a pre-heated oven (350 degrees Farenheit).  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, lift the aluminum foil carefully, so you don’t get burned, and stir the gigantes around, and if the pan looks dry, add a bit more liquid (equal parts tomato and water).  Re-cover with the aluminum foil after you have stirred everything, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Step 4
Remove from oven, remove the aluminum foil, stir carefully (add more water if it’s too dry) and place back in oven, uncovered for another 25-30 minutes, to thicken up a bit.

Step 5
Remove and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before eating. This will thicken up the liquid. The interior should be smooth and somewhat creamy.

Video

Watch how to make Gigantes Plaki!

Cooking tips

As with all other pulses, it is best to buy these beans where there is high legume turnover. The older the bean, the longer it will take for them to cook.  Avoid buying beans which look dry and shrivelled.

Dried gigantes must be soaked in cool, unsalted water for at least 6 to 8 hours, ideally about 12 hours or overnight.  Do not skip this step. If you do, your beans will take forever (or what seems like forever, especially when you’re hungry) to cook.

When you are boiling your beans you will have to be somewhat attentive to the pot.  The gigantes may create a bit of foam which should be skimmed off and discarded.  Also, do not add salt to the water.  Adding salt can toughen up the outer skin of the bean, which is not what you want.

Sometimes you will see that the outer skin of the beans falls off when they are boiling. If this happens, just discard as many as you can. You don’t have to go crazy about it. Any skins left behind are totally edible, and will become soft when you finish cooking your dish in the oven.

My parents make their gigantes using a glass baking pan which is 10 by 15 inches large (or 23 X 33 cm), so that is what I do.  You may not have this exact size pan.  No need to run out and buy one (save your money for the gigantes). You can use a slightly smaller pan, and things should work out just fine.  The key is to make sure that you have enough space to spread the gigantes out evenly, without them being overly crowded in the pan. This will help you make the best gigantes plaki.

This is one of those wonderful dishes which could be prepared in stages, making it a very non-onerous task.  If time is limited, you can plan this recipe as follows: Day 1, soak your beans.  Day 2, boil your beans.  Day 3, bake your beans and eat your beans.  Day 4, reheat any leftover beans and eat them.  Be grateful that you don’t have to cook.  Day 5, repeat (trust me, you will want to).

The recipe below will give you beans coated in a thick and rich sauce.  If  you would prefer to have more sauce, or a thinner sauce, you can adjust the amount of tomato sauce and water.  However, I recommend that you first make the recipe the way it is described, and make adjustments afterwards, if necessary.

Recipe substitutions

The hardest part of making this meal of gigantes plaki may actually be finding the gigantes.  If you happen to live near a Greek grocer, or a large supermarket with a lovely ethnic food section, you might be in luck.  If not, you can certainly find these beauties on-line.  If, despite all of your best efforts, you still can’t get your hands on these beans, you can substitute them for dried lima beans.  If you must make this substitution then call your dish lima bean plaki. Let’s not contribute to the madness and confusion.

How to serve

Gigantes are delicious warm or at room temperature, making them a super dish to bring along to a potluck or to incorporate as part of a buffet.  Whatever your preferred temperature, make sure you have a hunk of lovely bread handy to sop up all of the sauce. I also like to serve my gigantes with some olives and a side salad like a Greek maroulosalata.

Recipe variations

Once you get your hands on the gigantes (white runner beans) then there are plenty of other recipes you can try. I really love this Greek meal of Giant beans (gigantes) with greens, which celebrates these great beans, and also all the greens!

Storing, freezing and reheating

Any leftover gigantes plaki can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, place them in the microwave or in a preheated oven until just heated through.

You can also freeze your cooked gigantes plaki. I like to freeze them in individual portions in freezer safe bags (this saves space in my freezer). To serve I allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight (ideally) and then I heat them either in the microwave or oven. In a last minute decision however, they can even be defrosted in the microwave and then heated through.

Related recipes

Looking for more nutrition and traditional Greek vegan meals? I think you will love these!

Green beans with potatoes Fasolakia me patates! This is rustic, classic Greek cooking at its finest!

Fasolatha with tomato The traditional Greek bean soup, with a tomato base. So good!

Giant beans (gigantes) with greens A lovely dish of gigantes made with greens and lemon flavour.

Palikaria (or Polysporia or Fotokolyva) A traditional Greek dish made with beans, wheat berries and loaded with meaning!

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