Yup! I did it! I cooked up some Brothy Corona Beans on Toast in honor of the virus. OK, so I seriously went for the ironic joke, but the truth is this is comfort food at its best. Around here there is a lot of concern for what’s going on in the world, which is causing some tummy upsets. Several of my family members are coping with some relatively serious health issues that make them susceptible to the dire consequences of contracting the flu. We are certainly not alone in this, so I am making every attempt to keep things mellow around here, including digestion.
I had purchased these beans not long ago from my favorite bean farm, Rancho Gordo, an expert in growing heirloom beans. Located in California, they have the best variety of beans I have ever seen. Each one is like a jewel in its own right. My decision to make this dish was also a direct inspiration from Joe Yonan’s new book, Cool Beans. It is by far the best bean cookbook I have ever read. Gorgeous recipes partnered with stunning photos.
Making Good Beans
During this time of sequestering, being able to look to pantry stables for a nourishing meal is helpful. I used my instant pot to cook the beans, but now with plenty of time, a simmering pot of beans on the stove can be comforting. Joe offers some great advice on how to cook beans, including advice for those with hard water. I pretty much follow his style by placing beans, water, chunked onion, garlic, a couple of bay leaves and salt. Yes I know that there are thoughts about salt making beans tough, but I have not had that experience. For those salt conscious less gets into the beans than goes into the pot.
Note: If you are interested, the amazing Carla Lalli Music wrote a fantastic article about making beans for Bon Appetit magazine. It included A LOT of salt. A great read.
A personal note on making beans. If you have a stash that is more than a couple of months old don’t be surprised if they take longer to cook. This is another reason why I love the IP. If your beans are still tough in the center just give them more time. This can be a few minutes in the IP, or 20-40 minutes stovetop.
Musical Fruit
I am happy to say that after being a relatively consistent bean consumer for the past few years I no longer have emission issues. It did not take me long to get to this point, perhaps a 2 maybe 3 weeks. It’s all about gut biome adaptation. Not a bad thing, except for those around you. The nutritional impact of beans is worth the effort. Mega packed with protein, great source of iron, and of course spectacular fiber. You know how I love fiber 🙂
Of course you can easily make this dish with any bean you have on hand, including canned beans, just use a veggie broth in place of the bean liquid. Also, just so you know, you can make Royal Corona beans long after the virus has left us too.
Rinse and wash the beans then place in an Instant pot. Add 5-6 cups fresh water, the onion, garlic, bay leaves and salt. Seal the lid and pressure cook for 40 minutes, allow to self depressurize. If the beans are still a little tough you can seal right back up and give it another several minutes. When done, remove the onion, garlic and bay leaves. In a large sautee pan over medium heat, sautee the leeks, garlic, lemon peel and rosemary, until soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes. Add the beans and broth from the IP and simmer for 5 minutes. If you like a silkier thicker broth like I do you can add the cornstarch slurry and cook a further 2 minutes. While the beans are simmering toast the bread and set into a shallow bowl. Spoon the beans and broth over the toast and sprinkle with a little Plant Based Parmesan if desired. 
Ingredients
Instructions