Gigantes Plaki - Greek-style baked white beans
Greek, vegetarian, vegan, beans
Updated. Originally 20th March 2026
This is a traditional and delicious Greek dish made with buttery, large beans stewed braised or baked in an herby tomato sauce. Serve these up with crusty bread, an extra drizzle of olive oil, and crumbled feta. A very fabulous, simple, vegan and vegetarian side or meal that you will love! Loaded with fiber and plant protein - they make a perfect side dish whether enjoyed warm, room temperature or cold.
What are Gigantes?
Gigantes in Greek literally means giants (giant’ beans). And that is what you’re cooking with in this dish. What are gigantes beans? — they are giant white beans also often called Lima or butter beans - creamy beans baked in a tomato based sauce. This is a perfect side or a meal in itself. At a Greek restaurant you will find it in the ‘meze’ or small plates section, and it goes wonderfully with feta, an extra drizzle of olive oil and served with pita bread or some crusty bread to sop up the beautiful sauce they cook in. They are a staple dish in Greece and most Greek households have a version of this recipe on rotation. We are obsessed with them and we are even working on perfecting a slow cooker version of this recipe. Stay tuned!
The sauce is flavoured with fresh herbs and I love adding in some greens so I added kale to this recipe which can be replaced with spinach or any other greens but that is optional. It’s a great vegetarian and vegan dish option if you’re cooking with that in mind. For a non vegan/vegetarian option you can also add in sausage as well or fry up some pancetta or bacon at the start to add extra flavour. It’s so good and I can eat it for any meal of the day. In fact, I ate it today with a fried egg and toast for breakfast and my belly was quite happy - like a Greek version of beans on toast. So delicious and full of flavour and it’s beans and tomatoes and greens after all so not only is it tasty but so good for you too!!
Ingredients For Gigantes Plaki Recipe
- BEANS / GIGANTES: This recipe can be made using dried gigantes or canned if using dried beans they need to be soaked overnight in cold water then drained before they are pre boiled and added to the pot or are slow roasted in the oven with extra water (all options discussed in details below) Because gigantes / greek giant beans are not always easy to find, you can use large butter beans, lima beans, or the largest white beans / cannellini beans you can find.
- ONION: You will need 1 large onion yellow or red onion will work
- GARLIC: 4 cloves of garlic in total and it’s not too garlicky as the garlic sort of sweetness up after being roasted low and slow - if you prefer less garlic that is fine or if you would like more feel free to adjust amounts to your liking
- PARSLEY & DILL: Fresh parley and dill is always best for the actual dish and for garnishing. Some people don’t like to add dill because it can have a tendency for having a bit a bitter taste so if you prefer to just use parsley alone that is fine or reduce the amount of dill to your liking. Another option is to add the dill after the beans are cooked - stir it through at the end.
- OLIVE OIL: Extra virgin olive oil is what we use. You will need ⅓ - you can reduce the amount if you wish but the olive oil makes this a super rich and delicious dish and the perfect luscious base for the beans and veggies. We love to drizzle some over top before serving as well.
- HERBS & SPICES: We are keeping things simple in this recipe with some chili flakes, paprika, bay leaf, dried oregano along with salt and pepper
- TOMATO PASTE: Tomato paste adds richness to the base sauce.
- CANNED CRUSHED TOMATOES: They help make up the sauce - I like to use crushed tomatoes but if you prefer diced tomatoes feel free to use those instead or even passata - I use one small can usually but for a saucier version like the one pictured in the oval dish you can increase the amount to two cans with a total of 28 oz. If you prefer to use fresh tomatoes use about 8-10 medium ripe tomatoes, grated.
- CARROTS & CELERY: I like the flavor they add to the sauce. The carrots naturally sweeten the dish. You will need 2 of each peeled and diced fine
- BAKING SODA: Baking soda is only added when using DRIED beans. It helps tenderize the gigantes if using dried beans for the recipe while they soak and slow cook from dried.
- OPTIONAL ADD INS & ALTERNATIVES: Feel free to swap or add other spices, I like to throw in some greens like chopped spinach to chopped kale but that is optional and only recommended if you are making the quick canned bean version. Some recipes call for adding a couple teaspoons of brown sugar/ granulated sugar or maple syrup to cut the acidity of the tomatoes - feel free to add that if you wish. Some like to add a pinch of cinnamon to add some warm flavour to the sauce - feel free to add some if you wish.
Simple Instructions for Greek Giant Beans/ Gigantes
You can make gigantes 3 ways in this recipe - they are all simple and delicious. It’s more about how much time you have on hand and your preference for cooking beans. 1. Using canned beans. 2. Soaking and boiling DRIED beans then baking. 3. Soaking and slow baking DRIED beans. Let’s break each down.
Using CANNED Beans
- Preheat oven to 375°F and CHOP veggies
- Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven or braiser that is oven safe and SAUTE veggies plus spices
- Add drained and rinsed gigantes, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, fresh herbs, water/stock and salt and bring to a BOIL then reduce to a simmer and cook a few minutes until sauce has reduced a little
- TRANSFER to oven
- BAKE uncovered until pan sauce is thickened and beans are tender, approx 30-45 min (you can also simmer them stovetop of you wish)
- GARNISH with fresh parsley and serve with feta and crusty bread if desired
Soaking, Boiling (simmering) DRIED Beans Then Baking
- SOAK 1 pound (450g) the gigantes overnight in cold water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda (helps tenderize beans). Once ready to cook them drain them from their liquid and set aside. Place beans in a large pot, cover with fresh water, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer beans covered, until the beans are just tender before using. Dried beans need to cook for longer periods of time, about 60-80 minutes (make sure to check water levels adding more if needed). Once cooked, drain and you are ready to use them in the recipe below.
Soaking & One Pot Slow Baking DRIED Beans
- SOAK the gigantes overnight in cold water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Once ready to cook them drain them from their liquid and set aside. DO NOT boil them.
- Once you have drained your beans after they have soaked overnight - saute the veggies then add herbs and seasoning along with the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, drained beans, ¼ teaspoon of baking soda (optional but helps to further tenderize beans) and approx 4-5 cups of water or enough to cover the beans with. Bring to a boil, skimming the scum from the surface as needed. Cover with the lid, transfer to preheated oven and bake/roast in the oven for 2-2 ½ hours, or until the gigantes are completely softened and the sauce has become thick and rich. Check half way through cooking and feel free to remove the lid for the last part of cooking so that the pan sauce gets nice and thick (be aware though that the sauce will thicken quite a bit as it cools).
Make Ahead, Storage & Freezing
- MAKE AHEAD: If using dried beans - Soak them overnight drain and then simmer in fresh pot of water until cooked. Store cooked beans in a covered container that is not made from metal in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- STORAGE: Leftover baked beans will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat stove top or in the microwave
- FREEZING: Can I freeze baked beans? Yes, BUT you can only freeze them once fully cooked and cooled. Baked beans will keep well in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat stovetop or in the microwave. I like to portion them out into freezer bags and enjoy in smaller batches.
What to Serve Gigantes With
I like enjoying my gigantes hot out the oven but they can be served and eaten cold or room temperature as well. These delicious Greek gigantes /baked beans can be eaten as a complete meal perhaps with a salad like my maroulosalata, feta cheese and some crusty bread or they can be served as a side or an appetizer served cold, warm or room temperature. My favorite way is with eggs and toast and loads of feta for breakfast. Like any other baked bean dish, it only gets better the day after as the flavours develop further. This is totally a Greek classic and one of my favourites to eat!! Hope you give it a try and definitely let me know what you think!
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Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 small carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼-½ teaspoon of chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, heaping
- 1 (15 oz) can of finely diced or crushed tomatoes (or two cans if you prefer them super saucy)
- 2 (15 oz) cans of large white beans like Lima or butter beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup broth/stock or water
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1-2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large skillet or dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring often, for 8-10 minutes, or until vegetables have softened.
- Stir in the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, drained beans, stock or water, bay leaves, parley and dill. Bring to a gentle simmer then stir in the beans.
- Transfer dutch oven or skillet to pre-heated oven. Bake for 30-45- minutes in the oven, or until the sauce has thickened and beans are very tender or continue cooking the beans on the stovetop. Cover the skillet, and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally adding a splash of broth or water as needed if the beans get too dry. Simmer or bake until juices have reduces to your desired thickness.
- Once done remove pan from oven or stove top, Remove and discard bay leaves and taste and adjust salt and paper to taste.
- Serve warm, room temperature or even cold, with a heavy drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of feta cheese, and more fresh dill and parsley.
Recipe Notes
- Yiayia’s (grandma’s) Gigantes were always perfect cooked through - totally tender so much so that you could spread them on toast - they were perfect and that is how I like my gigantes - on the border of mushy or more appropriately melt in your mouth and creamy. Some beans are in tact but others have broken down adding some thickness and rich texture to the sauce. Some people prefer them in tact and with a bit of a bite to them (that is totally undercooked in my books) so feel free to adjust cooking time accordingly and if making from dry perhaps decrease the amount of water by ½-1 cup or just enough water /liquids in the pan to cover the beans you can always add more if needed. That being said that is more of a concern if you are preparing from dry beans - if using canned they bake for a lot less time and don’t run the risk of being too mushy.
- Can I cook my dried and soaked beans in the instant pot or pressure cooker? Yes you absolutely can - I haven tested them in the instant pot but if you have cooked beans in the instant pot before feel free to do that instead of boiling them before baking them.
- The oval dish in this recipe and photos is the recipe using canned beans and extra crushed tomatoes. The pictures with the round dutch oven are with dried beans soaked and baked not boiled - my fav way to have gigantes braised slow and creamy. I added the cherry Tomatoes on vine for aesthetic purposes - totally optional.
