Slow-Baked Greek Giant Beans in Dill-Tomato Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A Greek taverna classic made weeknight-possible: canned butter beans skip the overnight soak entirely, then spend a long, lazy hour in the oven with sweet onion, garlic, tomato and a heavy hand of dill. The sauce reduces down to something jammy and almost caramelized at the edges while the beans go creamy and soak up everything around them. Great hot as a side, even better at room temperature the next day with feta and bread.

Ingredients

• 3 15-oz cans butter beans (large lima beans), drained and rinsed

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 cup water or vegetable broth
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped, divided
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 3 oz feta, crumbled (omit to keep it vegan)
• crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle. Drain the butter beans in a colander and rinse gently under cool water — be careful, they break easily. Let them sit and drain while you build the sauce.
2. Warm 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven (at least 12 inches or 4 quarts) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned.
3. Add the sliced garlic and cook 2 minutes more, until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano, paprika, cinnamon and red pepper flakes and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens to a brick color and smells sweet rather than raw.
4. Add the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juices, the water or broth, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened but still loose and pourable.
5. Stir in 1/4 cup of the chopped dill and all the parsley. Turn off the heat, then fold in the drained beans with a silicone spatula, using a gentle lifting motion so they stay whole. The sauce should just barely cover the beans; if it looks tight, add a splash of water.
6. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over the surface — do not stir it in. This is what gives the finished dish its glossy, jammy texture.
7. Transfer the uncovered pan to the oven and bake 55–70 minutes, without stirring, until the surface is deeply browned in spots, the edges are caramelized and darkened, and the sauce has reduced to a thick, jammy consistency that clings to the beans. If it dries out before it browns, add 1/4 cup hot water around the edges and continue.
8. Let the dish rest at least 15 minutes out of the oven — it thickens and settles as it cools, and the flavor improves noticeably. Stir in the lemon juice around the edges, taste and add salt if needed.
9. Scatter the remaining 1/4 cup fresh dill and the crumbled feta over the top, drizzle with the last 2 tablespoons olive oil, and serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

South Louisiana Rice Dressing (Dirty Rice)

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem