Delicious, creamy and incredibly good for you—this gigantes recipe instantly became a hit at our house!
There is an unwritten rule in Greece that Wednesday and Friday meals are for legumes! No meat whatsoever! Luckily, the greek cuisine has many delicious recipes that are solely made up of vegetables and legumes to satisfy any palate. This gigantes recipe takes some time to prepare but it does not disappoint! This rich, creamy recipe can be served on its own or as a delicious appetiser with some roasted bread and crumbled feta cheese on top! Let’s get into it!
Method
· Cover 500gr gigantes with water overnight
· Strain water the following day. Fill a large pot with fresh water, bring to medium/high boil and then add gigantes. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes, until tender not cooked. Remove any white residue from pot surface. When ready, set aside.
· In the meantime, chop 2 red onions, 4-5 carrots, 1/2 bunch celery leaves and 2 garlic cloves
· Preheat oven 200ºC
· Strain beans with a large perforated spoon and transfer to a deep oven pan. Add chop vegetables, salt, pepper, bay leaves, dried oregano and olive oil. Mix all together.
· Pour over 500g of slightly concentrated tomato juice, 250g of grated tomatoes, and 70g of tomato paste. Mix well and add hot water (I used the boiled water from the beans) and 1 chicken bouillon cube. Stir well. Cover with aluminium foil and baked for about 1 hour at 180ºC
· Make sure you check and stir them while they’re in the oven. When they feel soft, remove aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes
· Serve with roughly crumbled feta cheese, olive oil & chilli flakes (optional)