* 2/3 cup dried beans can be cooked by soaking overnight in 4 cups water and then cooking the beans in lightly salted water with half an onion, one clove garlic, half a carrot, one stalk celery, and a bay leaf until tender. This may yield you more beans than you need for the recipe depending on the type of bean you use. Make sure to let the beans cool to room temperature before using in the salad.