Greek-inspired “gigantes plaki”

If you know me by now, you know that I love recreating dishes from my travels & also enjoy creating my own twist with globally-inspired flavors. When I get a bout of travel nostalgia for Greece, this is what I make. We had this in Nafplio for the first time, (Nafplio is one of the most beautiful towns in the area of Argolis) & after that ordered it for every meal in Greece for the rest of the trip. It is just amazing! The best one I had was in Kalabaka (a small town famous for the Meteora monasteries) & this version is closest in flavor, texture and color to that one. I often use lima beans because they are easily available in my local stores (traditionally giant Greek beans are used)

Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
16 oz dry large lima beans (cooked through but still holding shape)
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 celery stalks chopped
1 large tomato, cut into slices
Toppings
Some @violife_foods vegan feta, as needed
Chopped parsley

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. In a large and deep baking tray, add the olive oil, celery, onions, garlic, cooked beans, tomatoes, carrots
Add some water (about 1/2 cup)
Add salt and pepper and stir well to combine
Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top
Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes (until bubbling)
Remove from the oven and top with some vegan feta and chopped parsley
Serve with grilled bread if you like
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*Soaking the Lima beans before cooking didn’t give me the right texture. I would suggest you to cook them directly in a pot of water or pressure cook