Greek Lima Beans

You go to dinner with the beans you have, and not the beans you wish you had. Some famous military strategist said that, or something like it. In order to make the traditional Greek fasolia, you need the right Greek beans. Traditionally, I believe these would be gigantes, which are a variety of phaseolus coccineus, also known as (scarlet) runner beans. I can't tell if these are often referred to erroneously as Lima beans, or if the use of large white Lima beans is simply a very common substitution. However, I've seen all sorts of the more commonly available - in North America anyway - large white (phaseolus vulgaris) beans called for. A big fluffy bean like Deseronto Potato bean would certainly work well here.

What I actually used was Alabama butter bean, also known as Alabama Lima bean. We've been growing Lima beans (phaseolus lunatus) for a couple of years now as they stand up to the bean anthracnose that infests our garden better than almost any phaseolus vulgaris variety. You can see from the little bowl of dried beans in the lower left corner that they start off, if not a white bean, at least a pale buff one. That black eye must contain a lot of anthocyanins, though, because by the time they are cooked they are a definite brown. 

None of this has much to do with the finished dish. Big, light coloured beans are recommended, but this will be delicious with whatever beans you have. Serve it steaming hot with plenty of crusty bread, or serve it just warm as part of collection of salads.

6 servings
1 hour - 30 minutes prep time
NOT including cooking the beans

Cook the Beans:
2 cups dried white gigantes, Lima, or other beans
1 teaspoon salt

Put the beans in a large pot with plenty of water to cover them. Bring them to a boil, then cover them and turn off the heat. Let them soak overnight. Drain and replace the water, add the salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer the beans until just tender. 

Mix the Seasonings:
2 teaspoons rubbed oregano
1 teaspoon rubbed mint
1 teaspoon dry dill weed
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 or 2 bay leaves

Mix all the seasonings in a small bowl and set them aside.

Finish the Beans:
2 large carrots
2 medium onions
1 cup peeled and diced celeriac OR 2 stalks of celery
2 to 4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups crushed tomatoes
the juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

Peel and dice the carrots. Peel and chop the onions. Peel and dice the celeriac, or trim and finely chop the celery. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, and celeriac and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and slightly browned. Sprinkle the seasonings and the garlic over them, stir in well, and cook for another minute or so.

Add the tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Add the cooked, drained beans. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until everything is well amalgamated and the sauce is slightly thickened. Stir regularly to avoid scorching.

Squeeze the lemon juice and add it as the beans are done. Serve the beans hot or warm, with a little more olive oil drizzled over them if you like.





Last year at this time I made Turkey or Chicken Cutlets Cordon Bleu.

Posted in: Ontario Food