World Vegetarian Classics by Celia Brooks Brown
Another dip into my new cookbook! This time, some Greek Fassoulia. This is one of many courses served at a Greek feast.
I served it as a main course with some pitta bread and salad.
Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce (Greece)
2 medium onions, sliced,
4 plump garlic cloves, chopped
2 x 400g/14oz cans of elephant beans, butter beans or other white beans, drained and rinsed
2 x 400g/14oz cans chopped Italian plum tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano or 2 tsp fresh, chopped
1 tsp dried dill weed or 2 tsp fresh, chopped
2 tsp dried thyme or a cluster of fresh thyme sprigs
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted pitta (pita) bread, to serve
Heat a wide pan over a low heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, beans, tomatoes, herbs, honey, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste, bring to a simmer and cook gently for about 1 hour. Some of the beans will break up and thicken the mixture towards the end of cooking. If it seems to be catching the base, you can add a tiny bit of water, but the final texture should not be soupy - it should be so thick it stands up when pushed to the side of the pan.
Serve warm or cold with toasted pitta bread. If left overnight, the flavour improves.
Serves 4
I was really eager to try these beans, as I had eaten a similar dish in a cypriot home, whilst on holiday. This recipe did not let me down and brought back memories of sunny days spent in good company!
I substituted the elephant beans for cannellini beans and it worked really well!
Go Celia!
8/10
Looks very tasty, I remember trying something similar in Greece.
ReplyDeleteOh! I want to go on holiday now!
ReplyDeleteI love Greek food and this looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteDont the Greeks have the highest intake of fruit and veg per day per person than any other place in Europe...trivial fact.
This looks fantastic! My one attempt to make this dish tasted exactly like Heinz baked beans. Very disappointing. Will definitely try your recipe.
ReplyDeleteWendy,
ReplyDeleteYou must be privy to the secret recipe, for them to taste like heinz! There is nothing wrong with that!
I think these beans are lifted by the honey and all the herbs. they were delicious!
Hi Charlotte GBVC,
ReplyDeleteI think you could be right about that statistic, it sounds familiar! And all that lovely olive oil! A Mediterranean diet is definitely a good way to go!
Holler, thank you for your very kind comments over at my blog.
ReplyDeleteI discovered your blog through hellojed and I'm looking through your yummy recipes. (I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm not really a big meat eater either, so I'm always looking for creative recipes.)
Hi Angie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, I too found your site through Hellojed .
Hopefully you will visited me lots, it doesn't matter that you are not veggie! You are very welcome!
Just made this after looking up a few recipes online. Absolutely delicious - right blend of herbs and 'sharp' through the vinegar.
ReplyDeleteWord to the wise - if you're in Greece or the Greek Island and see bags of dried giant beans - BUY SOME!! Trying to find them over here is like finding hen's teeth!
Just made this after looking up a few recipes online. Absolutely delicious - right blend of herbs and 'sharp' through the vinegar.
ReplyDeleteWord to the wise - if you're in Greece or the Greek Island and see bags of dried giant beans - BUY SOME!! Trying to find them over here is like finding hen's teeth!
Giant Beans are a very "Greek Thing" to eat. I Cr 13:8a
ReplyDelete