Gigantes plaki
Vegetarian
Γίγαντες πλακί · Gígantes plakí
Big, creamy butter beans baked in a rich tomato sauce with onion, garlic, dill and olive oil until the top caramelises. A classic Greek meze or meatless main.
Gigantes plaki is a Greek main course from Greece, ready in about 1 hour 25 minutes and made with butter beans (canned large lima beans), olive oil and canned tomatoes. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Rest
- 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 375
Method
Step 1
Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 180 °C. Soften the onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab) and carrot (opens in a new tab) in half the oil, then add the tomatoes, tomato paste (opens in a new tab), oregano (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), salt, pepper (opens in a new tab) and water and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 18 min
- 180°C
- medium heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels Step 2
Stir in the beans, dill (opens in a new tab) and parsley (opens in a new tab) and tip into a baking dish (opens in a new tab). Drizzle with the remaining oil.
Step 3
Bake uncovered until the sauce is thick and the beans on top are slightly crisp and caramelised. Rest for 10 minutes and serve warm with feta (opens in a new tab).
- 45 min
- 180°C
- Oven (opens in a new tab)
About this dish
- Origin
- Greece · Well documentedMore food from Greece
- Dish
- Lunch · Dinner · Main courses · Side dishes · Appetizers & starters
- Cooking method
- Oven-baked, Simmered
- Taste
- savoury, sweet & savoury, herby, earthy
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-fibreWithout the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Mediterranean-style · High-fibre · Carb-conscious - Good for
- Make-ahead · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly
- Cook more with
- Butter beans (canned large lima beans) · Canned tomatoes · Onion · Garlic · Tomato paste · Dried oregano
Allergens
- Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom feta
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
375 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 405 g · recipe makes 4
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 11%
- Carbohydrate 40%
- Fat 49%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 375 kcal | 93 kcal |
| Protein | 10.8 g | 2.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 38.7 g | 9.6 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 26.8 g | 6.6 g |
| Sugars | — | — |
| Added sugars | 1 g | 0.3 g |
| Fibre | 11.9 g | 2.9 g |
| Fat | 21.2 g | 5.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 3 g | 0.7 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 1019 mg | 251 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 2.5 g | 0.6 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 745 mg
- Calcium
- 104 mg
- Iron
- 4.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 91 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 37 µg
- Vitamin C
- 23 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 115 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
- Optional ingredients are not included: carrot, feta.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Like many Greek oil-rich dishes (ladera), it tastes even better at room temperature the next day.
Common mistakes
- Stirring vigorously once the beans are in, which breaks their skins and turns them mushy.
Serve with
- Serve with bread, olives and a Greek salad.
Storage
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.
Reheating
- Serve at room temperature or warm in the oven.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Butter beans (canned large lima beans), drained3 can · 720 g
- Carrot, diced (optional)1 piece · 60 g
- Canned tomatoes1 can · 400 g
- Tomato paste1 tbsp · 16 g
- Feta (optional)80 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
Cypriot · 4 h · 610 kcal