Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce (Greece)

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 (Greece)

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

This simple but hearty dish is also known as Greek Fassoulia or Gigantes Plaki and is basically a bean stew.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Tomato sauce

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

What you need to make giant beans in tomato sauce

Here are the ingredients you need to make this Greek bean dish.

• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Onion
• White Beans - gigantes, butter beans or cannelini beans
• Tomatoes - tinned plum tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
• Thyme - dried or fresh
• Oregano - dried or fresh
• Parsley - dried or fresh
• Maple Syrup - originally it would be honey, which you can use if you are vegetarian
• White wine vinegar - or red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

What to serve with Greek Fassoulia (bean stew)

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

Here are a few ideas.

1. Pitta bread - with pitta bread and salad
2. Mashed potato - with mashed potato, green beans and broccoli
3. Crusty bread - served simply with buttered crusty bread
4. Vegan quiche - served with vegan quiche and salad
5. Couscous - served with couscous and roast vegetables

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 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

bean stew, Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce, Greek Fassoulia, Gigantes Plaki

dinner

Greek

Yield: 4

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Giant Beans in Tomato Sauce

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

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

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

Instructions

1. Saute onion and garlic in a large pan with olive oil until soft.
2. Add the drained beans, chopped tomatoes, herbs, maple syrup and vinegar then season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cook gently for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Some of the beans soften and thicken the mixture.
5. If it seems to be catching the base, you can add a splash of water, but it should be quite a thick sauce on the beans.
6. Taste to check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if required.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• If you are vegetarian, you can use honey instead of maple syrup.
• You can use gigantes beans, cannellini beans or butter beans.
• Like most stews, it tastes even better next day, so you can chill in the fridge overnight and reheat.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

255.42

Fat

4.06

Sat. Fat

0.59

Carbs

48.76

Fiber

13.6

Net carbs

35.18

Sugar

10.66

Protein

13.85

Sodium

492.41

Cholesterol

0

https://www.tinnedtomatoes.com/2007/05/giant-beans-in-tomato-sauce-greece.html