Greek Gigantes

by The Wanderlust Kitchen

Greek Gigantes, meaning 01Cgiant beans01D, live up to their name.

Greek Gigantes

  • Servings: servings

These large white beans are slow simmered in a rich tomato and herb sauce until perfectly tender and creamy. They make a satisfying vegetarian main dish when served over crusty toasted bread. The beans become melt-in-your-mouth soft and soak up the flavors of the aromatic sauce. These giant beans were first discovered during a trip to Athens. They are huge in size, and huge in flavor. This recipe is intensely comforting and satisfying. It’s also incredibly versatile. You can serve it as a stew-like main course, as a side dish, or even as part of a spread of small plates or appetizers.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry gigantes beans - soaked overnight
  • 2 medium yellow onions - peeled and chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic - peeled and smashed
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups vegetarian chicken broth - or water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Crusty bread - black pepper, and more olive oil for serving

Directions

  • Boil the beans for 10 minutes.
  • Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a large slow cooker. Cook for 4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 hours on low. Taste and add more salt as needed.
  • Serve with toasted crusty bread. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

  • In the winter, a dash of cinnamon added to the mix would be heavenly.
  • If you forget to soak the beans overnight, you can usually get away with adding an extra hour (on high) or two (on low) to the cook time.
  • Cooking these Greek beans on low produces a better result, as it doesn’t aggressively boil the beans which can cause a lot of bean-skin separation.

342 calories· 6 g fat· 912 mg sodium· 1683 mg potassium· 57 g carbohydrates· 14 g fiber· 8 g sugar· 19 g protein· 364 IU vitamin A· 16 mg vitamin C· 244 mg calcium· 10 mg iron·