Earthy brown tepary beans pair beautifully with summer cherry tomatoes and basil for an easy lunch or appetizer you'll come back to again and again. Kombu is the secret to making the beans not only more delicious but also more digestible. It's optional in the recipe but we highly recommend that you don't skip it.
You can cook the beans up to 3 days in advance and keep the in the refrigerator in their cooking liquid until you are ready to use them and then simply warm them up or enjoy them cold, they are delicious either way.
Tepary Beans are the original superfood of the Sonoran Desert having sustained Native American people for countless generations. They are higher in protein and nutrients than other beans, making them an excellent addition to everything from salads to pasta.
Rinse the tepary beans and add to a large heavy bottom pot or pressure cooker. Add the garlic, kombu, bay leaf (or cinnamon leaf), salt. Cut an onion in half and nestle the onion into the beans. Keep it whole so that it is easy to remove later.
Cover and pressure cook on high for 40 minutes or simmer on the stovetop for 2-3 hours until the beans are tender.
Toast the bread under the broiler or on a grill and set aside.
Strain the beans removing the bay leaf, kombu and onion and discarding.
Add a few spoonfuls of beans to each piece of toast and smash the beans using the back of a fork.
Stack the basil leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar and slice them crosswise to create ribbons.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and arrange on the toast, add basil leaves on top, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and chili flakes or black pepper.
Drizzle a good olive oil over the toast and serve.
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