Red Bean And Collard Green Chili

Sort out and discard any unwanted material (small stones or soil particles, etc.) from the dried small red beans. Rinse beans and place in slow cooker set on HIGH.

Preheat the 12 cups of water in a microwave oven, 2 cups at a time, adding it to the beans in the slow cooker.

Stir beans and check to make sure the beans are covered with enough hot water. Add more water, if necessary. Reduce heat to LOW and cook overnight.

In the morning, stir beans, and set heat to HIGH.

Peel and clean onions and garlic cloves. Remove stems from chipotle peppers. Place onions, garlic, and chipotle peppers in a blender container. Run covered blender at "high" until contents are pureed.

Pour into a covered microwaveable dish and pre-cook for 4-5 minutes. Add contents to slow cooker and mix in.

Preheat the finely chopped collard greens and the crushed tomatoes in the covered microwaveable dish, and add them to the other ingredients in the slow cooker. Mix well.

Add the dried basil, cumin, and chili powder. Stir well, and continue to cook until beans and collard greens are soft.

At the end of cooking time, stir in the juice of one lemon.