Before you cook
Background Recipe story & origin
Gigantes plaki (giant baked beans) features Greece's distinctive giant white beans, slow-baked in tomato sauce until creamy. The beans ('gigantes' or 'elephantes') are grown primarily in northern Greece, particularly Kastoria, and hold PDO status. The dish has ancient roots - Greeks have cultivated beans for millennia - though the tomato sauce is post-Columbian. Traditional preparation soaks dried beans overnight, parboils them, then bakes them slowly with tomato, onion, olive oil, and herbs until the sauce thickens and beans become creamy. The dish is served warm or at room temperature as a meze or main course during fasting periods. Gigantes represent Greek taverna culture and the importance of legumes in the traditional diet. They're comfort food: simple, satisfying, deeply flavored from long, slow cooking. The beans themselves are prized - their size and creaminess distinguish them from ordinary white beans.
Before you start Equipment you'll need
- baking dish — Provides structure for baking giant beans in tomato sauce until creamy
- pot — Used for pot
- oven — Used for oven
- Dutch oven — Used for dutch oven
Safety Safety & allergen notes
- Use caution with hot surfaces and oils.
- Handle knives carefully when prepping ingredients.
Non-negotiables Rules for success
-
Prep the beans
Soak 1 lb dried giant white beans overnight. Drain. Cover with fresh water by 3 inches. Boil until a...
-
Make the sauce
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in an oven-safe pot. Add 1 diced onion, cook 5 minutes....
-
Bake until done
Add drained beans to the sauce. Add enough water to barely cover beans. Stir gently. Bake uncovered ...
Prep Get set first
About 10 min of prep
- Prepare baking dish
This recipe takes about 120 minutes total.
Ingredients
Instructions
Unlock Grouped Step Actions
Plus members get tap-to-check action steps and live ingredient swaps for this recipe.
-
Prep the beans
Soak 1 lb dried giant white beans overnight. Drain. Cover with fresh water by 3 inches. Boil until almost tender, about 45-60 minutes. Drain.
-
Make the sauce
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in an oven-safe pot. Add 1 diced onion, cook 5 minutes. Add 4 minced garlic cloves, cook 1 minute. Add one 14-oz can crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon oregano, a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper.
-
Bake until done
Add drained beans to the sauce. Add enough water to barely cover beans. Stir gently. Bake uncovered 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender and sauce has thickened.
-
Serve with bread
Let rest 10 minutes. Drizzle with good olive oil, scatter fresh parsley, and serve with crusty bread.