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What to do with Gigantes?

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dimi_pat

Active member
I bought a big bag of gigantes beans (those giant Greek white beans) and usually just make the classic gigantes plaki—slow-cooked in tomato sauce with herbs and olive oil. It’s one of my favorite dishes, but I’m wondering what else I can do with them?

They’re already soaked and ready to go, but I’d love to try something new. Do you use gigantes in soups, salads, or stews? Could they work in a lemony avgolemono-style dish? Or maybe mashed like a spread?

I’m open to vegetarian or meat-based recipes, or even ideas for meze platters. Just trying to branch out from the one recipe I always go back to!

If you’ve got any favorite ways of preparing gigantes—or tips for seasoning them differently—I’d love to hear. Also curious if anyone has used them in more modern or fusion-style Greek dishes. Thanks in advance for the inspiration!
 
Absolutely love gigantes! Besides the classic plaki, I’ve used them in a few different ways that turned out great. They’re great tossed into a lemony soup with dill and spinach (a vegetarian twist on avgolemono without the egg), or in a Mediterranean-style salad with roasted red peppers, capers, red onion, and a simple vinaigrette. For a meze platter, try smashing them into a garlicky bean purée. It's kind of like a Greek hummus with lemon, olive oil, and oregano.

I’ve also baked them with lamb in a tomato-cinnamon sauce for a hearty stew. As for fusion, I once made gigantes tacos with pickled onions and feta—surprisingly tasty! Their creamy texture makes them perfect for absorbing bold flavors, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
 
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For about a pound of ground beef, we add one small grated onion, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a little fresh mint, one egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes we add a little grated garlic as well.

The important part is mixing everything well and then letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator for a little while before shaping the keftedes. We make them fairly small, roll them lightly in flour, and fry them in olive oil until browned on the outside and cooked through.

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