Unlike canned beans, most dried beans need a nice long soak before they're ready to be enjoyed. If you're lucky enough to grab a bag of Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods 13 Bean Soup Mix, you'll need to allow the beans to soak overnight before they can be enjoyed in a hearty, flavorful soup. (Another option is to soften beans in boiling water for 5 minutes, then soak for at least an hour in hot water or use a pressure cooker to rapidly cook them.) Once you've soaked and subsequently cooked the bean s