Gigantes Plaki (Greek Baked Giant Beans)

• 3 cans (15 oz each) canned large lima beans (often labeled butter beans; drained and rinsed)
• 1/3 cup, divided olive oil
• 1 large, diced yellow onion
• 2, diced carrot
• 2 stalks, diced celery
• 5 cloves, minced garlic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup, chopped fresh dill (divided)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp, plus more to taste sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or a deep oven-safe skillet (about 3 quarts) over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery 8 minutes until soft and sweet.
3. Add the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and paprika and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until the paste darkens.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, water, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes until the sauce thickens a little.
5. Fold in the beans and half the dill very gently so they stay whole, and spread them into an even layer. The beans should be mostly covered by sauce.
6. Bake uncovered 30–35 minutes, stirring once carefully, until the sauce is thick and the beans on top are blistered and lightly browned at the edges.
7. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the vinegar and the remaining dill. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and let it rest 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips

• Serve with a green salad or wilted greens and crusty bread to soak up the sauce. A crumble of feta on top is traditional, though it makes the dish vegetarian rather than plant-based.
• Like most bean dishes, it tastes better the next day. It keeps 5 days in the fridge and reheats well.
• To start from dried giant beans, soak about 12 oz overnight, then simmer about an hour until tender but intact. Use a cup of the cooking water in place of the plain water.
• Keep the sauce thick. Too much liquid at the start gives you bean soup rather than the sticky, jammy texture you are after.

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