Step 1

I use dry gigante beans for this recipe but you can also use ready-made beans from a can. To cook the gigante beans I recommend you do so in a pressure cooker. I cook a full bag of beans in one go. Here in Germany, a bag of beans is 500g (2.75 cups).To cook the beans, wash them in cold water then add them to the pressure cooker. Add around 3 litres of water (12.6 US cups) and the vegetable stock if using. Cook them for 1 h and 45 min. You can check the recommendations on your own pressure cooker as times may differ.

Step 2

Quick-release and open the pressure cooker: if you see that the beans are not cooked, simply put them back on the hob and cook them for another 15 minutes. Check again, repeat, if needed. If you never cooked gigante beans before, it's best to start with a 1 hour and 30 minutes and take it from there. For my pressure cooker, I need precisely 1 hour and 45 minutes, once the pressure accumulated in the pot.

Step 3

Once your beans are cooked, drain and add to a large bowl. Add the chopped onions, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh oregano and salt and pepper. Toss and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot or cold according to your preferences. We usually enjoy this salad as a main for lunch.