Preparation 1. Rinse the beans, then cover them by 2 inches with tap water. Add enough salt to make the water taste like the sea (1 to 2 tablespoons usually). Let beans soak for 4-12 hours. If you don't have time, you can skip this step. 2. Drain beans and put them in a pot, electric pressure cooker or slow cooker. If cooking in a regular pot or slow cooker, add enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. If using a pressure cooker, use less water, covering them 1 inch. Add oil, whole peeled garlic (save the grated garlic for later), carrot, celery, onion and the herb bouquet. Add enough salt to the cooking water to make it taste like the sea. 3. If using a regular pot, simmer the beans for anywhere to 30 minutes to 2-3 hours, depending on what variety you used, how old they were and whether or not you soaked them. Check on them periodically, adding more water if the level gets too low (as in, lower than the beans). For the pressure cooker, the timing is anywhere from 5 minutes at high pressure to 50 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. The slow cooker will take 3-6 hours on high. 4. Stir the grated garlic into the beans, taste and add more salt if needed. Serve the beans and some of their broth in bowls, garnished with more olive oil (be generous), herbs, Parmesan, flaky sea salt and chile flakes, if you like. Related video Closed Captioning ON OFF apply | reset x Text Display Background Enhancements font Times New Roman Arial Comic Sans size T T T T color Make Melissa Clark's garlicky beans and veggie tacos Play Video - 3:20 (currentTime)) { %> Your video begins in %"> Options English Off