Recommended slow cooker size: 3-4 quart
Preparing the soup starting the night before:
1. Rinse, drain and pick over beans.
2. Place beans in 2 quart slow cooker, adding 1-2 quarts of water.
3. Bring to a boil, turn heat down and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and allow to soak a minimum of two hours or overnight at room temperature.
In the morning:
1. In a medium skillet sauté purple onion in oil for 5 minutes, adding the garlic for the last two minutes. Stir in the contents of soup seasoning packet. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of slow cooker.
2. Drain and add the beans to the slow cooker. Add chicken broth.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. Turn heat up to HIGH for 2 hours. This direction can be reversed. Cook on high for 2 hours and then low for about 8 hours.
4. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup in the slow cooker. Or, remove and run soup through a food processor to puree.
5. Add orange juice, salt and pepper to taste, stir thoroughly, reheating, and serve. We like to top it with a dollop of sour cream and a tablespoon of fresh chopped purple onion.
Cooking times for slow cookers vary, some are hotter than others. This particular bean needs 2 hours on high after presoaking as directed above.