gigantes plaki sto fourno (vegan Greek white beans in tomato sauce)

One of the most wonderful ways to cook white beans! White wine and potatoes lend a complex flavor and body to such an easy recipe. It’s similar to bubbling butter beans (but vegan!). Ivy’s recipe calls for Kozani gigantes beans, giant Greek white beans, but large white fava beans / butter beans, cannellini beans, or any other mild white bean would work here. You could probably even substitute chickpeas or black-eyed peas. I used dry fava beans.

Really solid recipe. Definitely a keeper. Thanks to Ivy from Kopiaste for this fantastic traditional recipe!

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300 grams Kozani gigantes beans
2 bay leaves
2 medium red onions, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped (optional)
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup of olive oil
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and blended or 1 can of whole tomatoes (500 grams)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup white dry wine (optional)
1 cup of parsley, finely chopped
1 -2 stalks celery ribs, finely chopped
3 big carrots, finely chopped
1 big potato (cubed) optional
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon thyme honey (optional) (add sugar for vegan dish)
½ teaspoon chili pepper (optional)
2 cups water

Instructions

Soak the beans in plenty of water, overnight.
Drain and put them in a pot with fresh water and bring to a boil.
Remove any froth forming on top, with a slotted ladle.
Drain them again and add fresh water as well as the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add salt, lower heat and simmer until almost cooked (about 1 hour and 30 minutes).
Drain and discard the bay leaves.
Put the beans in a Dutch oven or a Pyrex.
Preheat the oven to 200 C / 400 F.
Meantime, heat the olive oil in a sautéing pan and sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
Add the chopped celery, carrots, potato, fresh oregano and beans and mix.
Add wine and cook for a few minutes, then add the honey, tomato, salt and pepper and water and mix. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the beans and cover with the lid. If using a Pyrex, cover with aluminium foil.
Bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the beans are soft and the sauce is thick, mixing once, after an hour has passed.
Remove from the oven and mix in the parsley.

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recipe by Ivy from Kopiaste

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Really great use of early season sour tomatoes – the wine and honey adds the perfect balance. I left out the parsley and celery.

I definitely recommend this recipe.

If you love white beans, check out this similar recipe for bubbling butter beans – or my favorite new soup, roasted poblano and white bean soup.

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, this is a great main dish, served with something like Greek rice-spinach, or melitzanosalata (greek eggplant dip) with some crusty bread.

If you love meat in your meal, I could see this as a fantastic side dish for anything from a herb and lemon roast chicken to lemon meatballs with tahini sauce.

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