• Rinse the cannellini beans in cool, running water.
• Place the beans in a large bowl that has enough room to add water to cover them fully plus a couple of inches to spare, so they can absorb water and still remain covered.
• Cover the bowl and soak the beans for 8 hours (overnight is easiest). Then drain and rinse the beans in cold water.
• Transfer your beans to a pressure cooker. Add water to cover plus several extra inches too, a heaping tablespoon of miso and a piece of kombu. Bring the pressure cooker to full pressure over high heat (the indicator button will pop up; typically, achieving full pressure takes about 20 minutes).
• When the indicator button on your pressure drops back down, open the lid, remove the kombu, drain the beans and place them in a large serving bowl. You can now toss them with the basil pesto or leave as is and store, covered in your refrigerator where they will keep for 5-7 days.
• Toss the cannellini beans with the basil pesto, kalamata olives and diced red onion. Decorate with parsley if desired. Serve immediately or store in your refrigerator for up to one week. This bean salad is good eaten cold, but the flavor of the basil is richer if it’s gently reheated.

Basil pesto

• While the beans are cooking, prepare the basil pesto. You'll need to rinse and chiffonade your basil.
• To chiffonade basil (or any other green leafy vegetable) place the rinsed leaves one on top of another until you have a stack of them. Then roll from the outside edge in as if you were rolling up tobacco leaves to make a cigar. Slice horizontally every 1/4″ or so. You’ll end up with narrow ribbons of greens. (Chiffonade works especially well for kale, too.)
• Combine basil, extra virgin olive oil, pine nuts, a 1/4 cup of the red onion (diced), salt and pepper in a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth.