Huge in size, huge in flavor!!! Greek style Giant Baked Beans "Gigantes" with Corn are perfect for lunch, with a salad or as a mezze/appetizer. Enjoying them with bread, with feta cheese or plain, they are delicious!! Eating beans and legumes has many health benefits! Beans are also full of fibre and they keep you feel full longer during the day.
"Gigantes" translates as giant baked beans and is a traditional Greek dish, that is cooked from every Greek family, especially in summertime. They can be enjoyed warm or cold, for lunch or dinner, with a salad, with feta cheese or as part of a mezze/ starter.
They are basically dried beans slowly baked in tomato sauce, until perfectly creamy and tender. There are many variations by cooking Gigantes. This is a version made by me, with some vegetables and corn on the top.
As these are dried beans, don't forget to soak them overnight.
Here's the recipe!
Recipe
Servings: 6-8
Preparation time: 12 hours (hands off), 20 minutes (hands on)
Cooking time: 180 minutes
Ingredients
500 gr. giant white beans
4 onions, cut in stripes
2-3 carrots, cut into thick slices
1 red pepper, cut in stripes
1 fresh chili pepper, cut into slices (optional)
400 gr. chopped tomatoes, fresh or can
2 corns, cooked
1/2 bunch parsley
300 gr. water
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 vegetable cube
salt
freshly ground black pepper
red pepper
2 pinches of sugar
To serve:
chopped spring onions
chopped parsley leaves
feta cheese
chili flakes
olive oil
bread
Method
Soak the beans in a bowl full of water for 12 hours or overnight.
Drain and rinse the beans. Transfer them in a large pot, cover with water and place over heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and shimmer for approximately 50 minutes or until the beans are tender but not mushy (cooking time depends on the quality of the beans, so they may need as much as 60 to 80 minutes). Drain the beans and transfer them in an oven pan.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
To the beans add, onions, carrots, red pepper, chili peper, garlic, parsley and mix.
In a medium bowl add chopped tomatoes, parsley, salt, freshly ground pepper, red pepper and mix.
Add the tomato mixture to the beans, add vegetable cube too and mix.
Now using a knife, slice along the length of the ear of the corn between the kernels and cob. Rotate the cob to repeat until all kernels are cut. Repeat the same method to the second corn.
Place corn pieces on the top of the beans, add olive oil, sprinkle with some sugar and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake to 170 degrees for 2 hours (Mix every 30 minutes, while baking).
When beans are soft, remove aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with chopped spring onions, chopped parsley leaves, feta cheese, chili flakes, olive oil or bread.
Enjoy!
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