Ikarian Giant Bean Bowl with Burst Tomatoes & Feta
Ingredients
- 300 g dried gigantes soaked overnight — or 2 × 400 g cans, drained
- 400 g cherry tomatoes
- 80 ml extra virgin Greek olive oil plus extra to finish
- 6 garlic cloves unpeeled
- 1½ tsp dried Greek oregano
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt + ½ tsp black pepper
- 120 g Greek feta — crumbled or as a thick slab
- 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly torn
- 8 g fresh mint
- 1 tsp Greek wildflower honey
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- Pinch of Aleppo pepper
- Shortcut: canned or jarred gigantes bring total time down to 30 minutes. The tomato roasting is the only non-negotiable step.
Instructions
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Cook the gigantes
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Drain soaked beans, place in a large pot, cover with cold water by 5 cm. Bring to a boil, skim foam, reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered 60–80 minutes until tender but holding their shape — creamy inside, not falling apart. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Season with salt while warm. If using canned, rinse well and warm gently before using.
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Slow-roast the tomatoes
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Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Scatter cherry tomatoes and unpeeled garlic in a single layer in a baking dish. Drizzle with half the olive oil, scatter oregano and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Roast until jammy, deeply concentrated, and beginning to char at the edges — some will burst on their own. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins and mix into the tomatoes.
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Build the bowl
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Spread the warm gigantes into a wide, shallow serving bowl. Spoon the roasted tomatoes and all their juices over the top. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Add lemon zest and a squeeze of juice.
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The smash moment ✦
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Using the back of a large spoon, gently press about a quarter of the beans and any whole tomatoes that haven't burst. You want a mix of textures: some whole creamy beans, some crushed into the tomato juices. Stir very gently once to marble the oil and tomato together. Film this in close-up — the sound of the tomatoes bursting and the beans yielding, with olive oil pooling in, is your hook.
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Finish and serve
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Lay feta over the top — slab or generous crumble. Scatter parsley and mint. Add a tiny drizzle of honey, a pinch of Aleppo pepper, and a final drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread.
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Notes
· The smash moment is the visual hook — press the back of a spoon into a bean, let a tomato burst, watch olive oil and jammy juice pool in. That 3-second clip stops every scroll.
· The honey: just one teaspoon at the very end. It rounds the acidity of the tomatoes without sweetening the dish. A great place to use your Greek wildflower honey as a visible finishing ingredient.
· Canned gigantes are completely legitimate here. The tomato roasting is the one step that cannot be skipped — the slow caramelisation and garlic confit are what give the dish its depth.
· Leftovers are excellent at room temperature the next day. Add a fresh drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon before serving.
If You Love This Recipe, Try These
Baked Gigantes with Honey and Dill — The classic — baked in a chunky tomato sauce with a touch of Greek honey
Best Gigantes Recipe — Greek Giant Beans Casserole — A rich, slow-baked casserole with tomatoes, onion, and Ikarian honey
Messinia-Style Gigantes with Spinach & Feta — Beans and greens baked together in generous olive oil — Peloponnese style
Giant Bean Greek Salad — Gigantes as the base for a light, filling Mediterranean diet salad
Crispy Greek Gigantes Beans — The same beans, roasted until crunchy — the ultimate Mediterranean snack
Giant Bean Salad with Roasted Peppers, Olives & Feta — Gigantes with roasted red peppers, olives, feta, and fresh herbs
