Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce is a traditional Greek dish that's an easy-to-make but hearty dish suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce - Greek recipe.

Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce (Greece)

Name: Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce (Greece)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 onions, sliced,; 4 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated; 2 x 400g (14 oz) tins cannellini beans (gigantes beans or butter beans); 2 x 400g (14 oz) tins chopped tomatoes (or plum tomatoes); 1 teaspoon fresh parsley; 2 teaspoons dried oregano; 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or a few sprigs of fresh); 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey); 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar (red wine vinegar or cider vinegar); salt and pepper

Giant beans in tomato sauce is a traditional dish from Greece.

This simple but hearty dish from Greek cuisine is also known as Greek Fassoulia or Gigantes Plaki and is basically a bean stew with a rich tomato sauce.

A frugal dish that can be made cheaply with tinned beans and tomatoes, it is also healthy and full of protein.

The perfect dish if you are following the Mediterranean diet, which is such a healthy way to eat.

I was lucky enough to try them in a Greek Cypriot home in the Troodos Mountains as part of a meze spread, where everyone passed dishes around and helped themselves.

So very, very tasty!

I hope you try it.

What some of my readers think of the Greek Beans

readers comment - made it many times and love it.

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I hope those rather wonderful comments inspire you to try this simple Greek-inspired dish too.

So easy, but so delicious and they bring a taste of sunshine to your dinner.

Which beans are used in Fassoulia?

In Greece, Gigantes beans are used to make Fassoulia, which are basically extra-large white runner beans.

I've also heard them called Elephant beans. Well they are giant Greek beans!

Often, people will replace them in this dish with Greek butter beans, which are very similar, they are both creamy beans.

However, as I don't like butter beans, I use cannellini beans instead, but you can choose which beans you prefer to use.

You could even use dried beans and soak and cook them yourself, but I am happy using tinned beans (canned beans) as they are good quality and convenient.

Tomato sauce

The tomato sauce these beans are cooked in is made with tinned tomatoes (canned tomatoes..

Any plum or chopped tomatoes will do, but plum tomatoes tend to be better than chopped tomatoes.

The tomatoes canned as plum tomatoes are a higher grade than those used for chopped tomatoes and often taste better.

However, any tinned tomatoes will do, and if you are on a budget, just find the cheapest.

The final dish will still taste good.

I have to admit I use the supermarket own brand chopped tomatoes for stews like this and spend a bit more and buy Mutti finely chopped tomatoes (when they are on special offer) for bruschetta and Spanish tomato toast (also called pan con tomate).

What you need to make giant beans in tomato sauce

Here are the ingredients you need to make this Greek bean dish with giant white beans and a delicious sauce.

Olive oil - or extra virgin olive oil (rapeseed oil would be fine too)
Garlic - add more if you like, I go light on the garlic, but I know there are many garlic lovers reading this
Onion - white onion (but if you only have red onion, you could use that)
White Beans - gigantes, butter beans or cannelini beans, the type of bean is up to you
Tomatoes - tinned plum tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
Thyme - dried thyme or fresh thyme
Oregano - dried oregano or fresh oregano
Parsley - dried parsley or fresh parsley
Maple Syrup - originally it would be honey, which you can use if you are vegetarian, but maple syrup or agave nectar are good plant-based options to sweeten the dish a little
White wine vinegar - or red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar would work too but not balsamic which is too sweet and sticky for this recipe
Salt and black pepper - to season

It's low-calorie too

This delicious Greek dish is a good option for a low-calorie but balanced diet.

It's also low in fat and high in protein, thanks to the beans and only 225 calories per portion so perfect for a low calorie diet or if you are following the late Michael Mosely's 5:2 diet or fast diet as it is also known.

It's also good if you are just looking for some tasty high protein meals that will keep you fuller.

Beans are the perfect source of plant protein.

What to serve with Greek Fassoulia (bean stew)

This classic Greek recipe might be served as part of a meze or feast in Greece and Cyprus. but it can be served in all sorts of ways.

It's just purely comfort food made with buttery beans.

Here are a few ideas.

Pitta bread - with pitta bread and salad
Mashed potato - with mashed potato, green beans and broccoli
Crusty bread - served simply with buttered crusty bread (try it with this super easy black olive bread which is has no yeast and no kneading
Vegan quiche - served with vegan quiche and salad
Couscous - served with couscous and roast vegetables
Vegan feta cheese - it's good served topped with crumbled feta cheese and plenty of fresh herbs
Greek salad - serve some with a Greek salad on the side, dressed with my easy Greek dressing
Baked potato - heaped on a baked potato and topped with grated cheddar

Storing Greek Gigantes Plaki (Giant Greek Beans)

The best way to cool food quicky is to spoon it out of the pot it is cooked in and into another dish.

Removing it from the heat will help it cool quicker.

I spoon any leftover gigante beans into an airtight container and leave them to cool with the lid off.

Once cool, I pop the lid on and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat before serving them.

Alternatively, once cool, I spoon them into a labelled and dated freezer bag or tub and freeze for 3-4 months.

More Greek-style recipes

Here are a few more recipes inspired by the flavours or dishes of Greece for you to try next.

Easy Greek Salad Dressing - add it to your Greek salad lunch wrap or dress salads with it
Greek Loaded Fries - served with crumbled feta and a creamy dressing
Greek Salad Lunch Wrap - with dairy or vegan feta
Greek Spanakopita - spinach and feta filo triangles
Halloumi & Spinach Borek - borek is the Turkish name, but similar to Greek bureki
Mini Spinach & Cream Cheese Parcels - similar to spanakopita
Roasted Vegetable Moussaka - usually made with aubergine, but this is a tasty alternative
Saganaki Halloumi Fried Cheese - dairy or vegan halloumi
Stuffed Courgette with Bulgur Wheat & Lemon - you could also crumble over some feta (dairy or vegan)
Whipped Feta with Lemon & Herbs - a light and fluffy dip or sandwich spread

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Dinner

Greek

Yield: 4

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum