Gigantes Plaki, Greek Baked Beans

Name: Gigantes Plaki, Greek Baked Beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 cups Lima beans, dried, soaked overnight; 1 Yellow onion, diced; 2 Carrots, diced; 5 cloves Garlic, sliced; 2 1/2 cups Canned crushed tomatoes; 1 tbsp Dried oregano; 1/4 cup Dill, chopped; 2 Bay leaves; 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar; 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground

Serves 6 90 min total, 20 min hands on Greek $0.65 per serving No added salt

Gigantes plaki is a plate of giant beans baked in tomato, a taverna standard usually swimming in olive oil. Baked low and slow, the beans turn creamy and the sauce concentrates on its own, so the oil is not missed. Lima beans, sometimes sold as butter beans, are the easy stand-in for the giant Greek elephant beans.

Ingredients

2 cups Lima beans, dried, soaked overnight
1 Yellow onion, diced
2 Carrots, diced
5 cloves Garlic, sliced
2 1/2 cups Canned crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Dried oregano
1/4 cup Dill, chopped
2 Bay leaves
1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground

Method

Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water by 2 inches, and simmer until almost tender but not falling apart, 40 to 50 minutes. They finish cooking in the oven, so stop early. Drain, saving 1 cup of the liquid. Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
Sweat the onion and carrot in an ovenproof pot with 1/4 cup (60 ml) water until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, black pepper, and the reserved bean liquid. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Fold in the beans and half the dill. The sauce should be loose and soupy; it thickens as it bakes.
Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the beans on top have browned and gone a little jammy. Do not stir; that browned top is the best part.
Turn off the oven and let the pot rest for 15 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar and the rest of the dill. Serve warm or at room temperature, which is how Greek cooks actually eat it.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving: 270 calories, 16 g protein, 15 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.

Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.