There is something magical about "Gigantes" (giant Greek butter beans), slow-baked until they are creamy on the inside and slightly caramelised on the edges. My version is loaded with a garden’s worth of vegetables and plenty of fresh dill for that authentic Mediterranean aroma. While they do take some time in the oven to reach perfection, the "hands-on" prep is surprisingly minimal. They are a meal prep dream, the flavors actually deepen and get even better the next day!
Vegan, nut free, soy free, gluten free | Serves 5 | MAIN
Ingredients:
- 500g dried butter beans
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 leek
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 4 sun-dried tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can peeled tomatoes (400g)
- 600ml liquid veggie stock or water
- 1/2 bunch of dill, chopped
Steps:
1.Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water.
2.The next day, drain and rinse them very well.
3.Add them in a large pot, cover them with water and boil them for an hour or until the beans are almost tender.
4.Use a spoon to remove any foam that appears, while boiling.
5.In the meantime, prepare the veggies. Peel and cut the carrots and onion, cut the leek, finely chop or grate the garlic cloves and slice the sun-dried tomatoes.
6.In a pan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the chopped onions, carrots and leek and a generous pinch of salt.
7.Sauté, stirring occasionally for 6-8 minutes, then add the garlic and spices and sauté for a minute.
8.Add the tomato paste, give it a good stir for a minute, then add the peeled tomatoes and use the back of a wooden spoon to brake them down.
9.Add the sliced sun-dried tomatoes, bay leaves and the veggie stock and bring to boil, then turn off the heat.
10.Drain the cooked beans, add them in a oven proof dish, then add the tomato onion mixture and mix everything well.
11.Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 1 hour.
12.Then remove the foil, fold in the chopped dill and bake for additional 15 minutes.
13.Remove from the over, add the remaining olive oil and serve with bread and olives.
Enjoy!
Notes:
*I soaked and boiled 1kg of beans, and I stored half of them in the freezer for future use, up to 3 months. Just make sure to let them cool down before you store them.
