Add beans, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, and water to the slow cooker.
Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, testing at the 3 hour point. Or, cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, testing the beans at the 6 hour point.
Add the salt, cover, and cook on WARM for another 20-30 minutes, to absorb the salt.
Remove the shallot and bay leaf, crush the garlic cloves with a fork and stir them into the beans, and strain off any remaining liquid. Season with additional salt, to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
If all of the water has been absorbed, add more. The beans must stay completely submerged to prevent them from burning.
If you need more, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled! And if you make too much, no worries -- you can freeze it for quite some time (see my next tip).
If you want to meal prep, you can cook these beans and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you're ready to add them to your favorite dish, you can just take out what you need and continue freezing the rest.
If you have leftovers, you can store your beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.