Greek Baked Beans (Oil-Free Gigantes Plaki)

Gigantes Plaki, Greek Baked beans with tomato sauce and stems of dill on top.

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Greek Baked Beans (Oil-Free Gigantes Plaki)

Greek baked beans is a delicious vegan oil-free gigantes plaki recipe for gigantes beans (butter beans) in creamy tomato sauce slow baked or made in the slow cooker with healthy plant-based ingredients.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 198kcal

Author: Denise Perrault

Ingredients

1 large onion finely diced, 2 cups
2 medium carrots diced small, 1 ½ cups
2 stalks celery diced small, 1 cup
5 cloves garlic minced or pressed
1 teaspoons chili flakes less if you don’t want the heat
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can tomatoes 15-ounce/400-gram can diced, crushed, or cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 medium bay leaves
⅓ cup parsley chopped
2 tablespoons dill chopped, 2 teaspoons dried
3 cans butter beans 15-ounces/400-grams, see note 1
2-3 cups aquafaba reserved bean liquid

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend the tomatoes. Set aside.
Heat a small Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Let the mirepoix cook for 15 minutes until the veggies are very soft. Add water a tablespoon at a time if they start to stick.
Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of chili flakes and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for about a minute before adding the can of tomatoes, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 3 bay leaves.
Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens.
While the sauce cooks, drain the beans and reserve the liquid.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).
Transfer the sauce to an oven-proof casserole or baking dish. If using a Dutch oven or other stove to oven pan, skip this step.
Once the sauce is ready, add ⅓ cup fresh parsley and 2 tablespoons dill and taste for seasoning.
Add the beans and mix well. Then add 1-2 cups of the bean liquid, enough to cover the beans. Keep the reserved liquid in case you need to add more later.
Cover and bake the beans for 1 to 1 ½ hours. Check the beans occasionally, adding more liquid if the mixture seems too dry. The liquid should mostly evaporate, and the beans should be tender but not too dry.
For the last 10 minutes, the oven temperature can be turned up to 400 F (200 C) to reduce the sauce further. This will also crisp up the top nicely.
Garnish the final dish with more finely chopped parsley or dill if desired.

Video

Notes

Gigantes are large white beans, known as corona beans in Italy or butter beans more widely. They are larger than other white beans like cannellini and shaped like flat kidney beans. If necessary, substitute with white kidney beans.
Save leftover aquafaba in an airtight container in the fridge and add it to the beans to reheat them.
After you make the sauce, you can put all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Check periodically and add more liquid if needed.
In the end, the final consistency comes down to personal preference. Once you have made this dish a few times, you can decide how saucy you like it.
Baked beans can be stored in an airtight container, left in the baking dish and covered with foil or plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for 5 days, or frozen for 3 months.
Reheat baked beans in the oven, covered with added aquafaba if you have it. Or reheat on the stove or microwave.

Nutrition