If a recipe calls for canned beans and I want to use dried beans, what do I need to do to the dried beans first? This is for chili in a slow cooker and I'll be using red beans of some kind--kidney I suppose.  I know I need to soak them, but do they need to be pre-cooked too?
Canned beans are already cooked, so if you want the same texture... yes.  Soak and then cook your beans until they are just tender.