Texas Wrangler Black Bean Soup

A rich and flavorful pureed meatless soup, add purple onions and orange juice for a sweet tang and satisfying meal.

Black Bean Soup Mix Ingredients:

Black Turtle Beans, Black Eye Peas, Mixed Bell Peppers, Carrot, Onion, Celery, Shallots, Cayenne and Spices. No added salt, preservatives or MSG.

Allergen Information: Certified Gluten-Free

What you need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large purple onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup orange or grapefruit juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Here's what you do:

Preparing the beans:

1. Rinse, drain and pick over beans.
2. Place in a bowl with 8 cups water and soak for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. Or, for a quick soak, boil for 10 minutes and let stand for 2 hours.
3. Drain beans, and place in a 4 quart pot with 8 cups fresh water.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours until tender but not mushy. Then drain the beans.

While beans are simmering:

1. In a 4-quart pot over medium low heat, sauté onion in oil for 10 minutes, add the garlic the last 2 minutes.
2. Add contents of Texas Wrangler Black Bean Soup vegetable packet and sauté 2 more minutes.
3. Add drained, prepared beans and broth.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender, purée half the soup and return to pot. 
6. Stir in orange juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Continue to cook, uncovered, on low heat for 15 minutes.
8. Optional: Garnish with sour cream, chopped purple onion, and blue tortilla chips! 

New Nutrition Tips:

• To boost vegetables, add 2 cups fresh or frozen, chopped carrots or sweet potatoes in final 30 minutes of cooking before puréeing the soup. 
• To boost fruit, add 1 1/2 cups fresh orange segments or mandarin oranges canned or packed in 100% juice or water.
• To give a Mediterranean twist, top each serving with 1 tablespoon unsalted cashews. 
• To cut sodium, omit the salt and prepare with low sodium broth. To cut sodium further, substitute water for half of the broth.
• To cut added sugars, prepare with 100% orange or grapefruit juice. Like adding wine to a stew, orange juice adds a touch of sweetness.

Slow Cooker Recipe Directions:

Recommended slow cooker size: 3-4 quart

Preparing the soup starting the night before:

1. Rinse, drain and pick over beans. (That is a standard direction on cooking beans. We use beautiful triple "washed" beans, so they are quite clean and shiny without dirt particles.)
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.